My sister and I are looking for a small town/village in Cornwall to use as a base for 5-7 days of hiking. We do not want to rent a car so need someplace accessible from London by public transportation. We would like to do day hikes either from the door or by bus (or taxi in a pinch). A town with some restaurants/pubs, local businesses, accommodation, preferably on the coast would be great, but we don't want such a big place that a bus is necessary to get out of the suburbs. Can anyone recommend such a place?
Posted by
white plains, ny, usa
4140 posts
Cornwall is a fairly large area , and your list of caveats is a sort of " where can I get everything in one place ? " I don't think this is realistic , given the huge variety in Cornwall . So , here are a few possibilities - Along the channel coast - Penzance , Newlyn and Mousehole , line up like ducks and will give you roughly what you are looking for . A bit more remote are the villages along the Lizard coast . A favorite of mine is Coverack - perfectly charming , relatively remote , with lots of hiking possibilities in that area . Another thought might be St. Just in Penwith , up along the B3306 toward Pendeen , and the ruined tin mines , Much more in Cornwall . it's endless , but a car is best !! http://www.cornwall-online.co.uk/kerrier/coverack.htm
Posted by
WI
349 posts
Laura, I would agree with Steven that Mousehole and Penzance may tick several of your boxes. Penzance can be reached easily by train from London, but lacks some charm in my opinion (at least compared to other options in Cornwall). St. Ives is well worth looking into as it is self-contained (hotels, restaurants, pubs, shops, etc.), right on the coast, but not a large city by any stretch. The problem is that Cornwall is pretty tough to get around without a car, based on my experience. Getting to see the coastline and much of what makes the area enjoyable really is going to be difficult without a car. Cheers and happy travels. Steve
Posted by
OP
Fredericksburg, TX, USA
73 posts
Thanks for the ideas; it gives me a place to start researching. We are not interested in touring all over Cornwall on this trip, only looking for a scenic place for several days of hiking.
Posted by
Vancouver, BC, Canada
41 posts
We used Penzance as our base this past September, staying there for 4 nights so we could walk sections of the SouthWest Coastal Path. Staying at the YHA was great even though it was a 10-15 minute walk to the closest bus stop we were able to cook our own meals or eat in their cafe. The local buses worked out very well getting us to the start of our walks each day.
Posted by
19 posts
Just wanted to add our plans - we are visiting Cornwall as well. We'll be staying at a B&B in Truro and traveling from there - coming by train from London & back.
Posted by
Adelaide, SA, Australia
977 posts
Have been to Cornwall twice. On my first trip the little town which I fell in love with and wanted to return to again was Boscastle. You can get to Boscastle by train from London to Exter and then on to Boscastle by bus. Plenty of coastal pathway and other walks from here. My wish has been granted, my daughter and I are spending 4 nights there in May this year.
Posted by
1 posts
I have to fervently agree with Judy regarding Boscastle! We spent three nights earlier this month there and wish we had stayed longer. It is a small village with loads of charm. Upon the advice of locals, we hiked to Tintagel, and were rewarded with staggering views of the ocean along the cliff sides. There was even a public beach along the route. I would love to return as well, and someday hope to. Good luck!
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
We stayed a week just outside Polperro, a charming and very popular fishing/smugglers village.