Never visited Cornwall before so is 7 days too much? I visited the Cotswolds for 6 days in Oct 2013 and felt that I could have done enough with less as each village blurred into one after 3 days. I'm just afraid that one village will begin to look like the next!
Secondly, should I have a central base like Penzance, or stay in towns as I work my way around the peninsula?
I am planning a two week trip in May 2015 with a week in London - and yes, I want at least a week in London!
Thanks!
It might be. Keep moving. If you need a change, pull off to one of the national parks in Devon. Exmoor would be my choice. Dartmoor has scads if megalithic sites if they'd ring your bell.
A week in London wouldn't be enough for some travelers.
A week in Cornwall would be too much for some travelers.
Before you go to Penzance, maybe you'll download Gilbert & Sullivan, you know the one I mean, Pirates of....
Here at home , My wife and I love to spend time on the North Shore , Cape Ann , and the area up to the Merrimack estuary . We love New England fishing villages . Cornwall is an area with great similarity to New England . We found a great deal of variety in Cornwall , so much so , that we are headed back there this fall after two weeks in London . You will appreciate Cornwall much more if you learn about it before you go . The abandoned tin mines are a window in to a bygone world and visiting some of the mine sites is worth your time . Along the North coast near Pendeen , the Levant beam engine and the Geevor Mine are well worth seeing ( B3306 northeast of St. Just ) Also do yourself a BIG favor - before you go , read Mark Kurlansky's 2008 book " The Last Fish Tale " . This is the story of Gloucester Massachusetts and is fascinating . Of particular interest to a Yankee in Cornwall are the comparisons between Gloucester , Mass and places like Newlyn and Mousehole which were great fishing ports . We stayed in Helston , which worked out very well as a central base for us .
I would be inclined not to just go through to Cornwall but add other places as well. So, for example, you could head to a 1st base in south Devon - maybe near Totnes/Kingsbridge (but avoid Torquay area = overcrowded & traffic congestion). From this base, you could go to Dartmouth & Salcombe - both on lovely estuaries. You could also take a look at Dartmoor.http://www.southhams.com
From this area, I would then head into Cornwall to Base 2 - making diversions to visit Looe & Polperro en-route. Now, the trouble with making Penzance a base is that it is not very central. Somewhere like Truro is central for then making day trips in Cornwall. Day 1 trip could be to Fowey then Eden >http://www.edenproject.com with Charlestown thrown in if time. Day 2 trip could be to the far west = Marazion (St.Michael's Mount) , Penzance, Porthcurno (fab beach) & Minac Theatre (open air - cut into cliff), Land's End & finally St.Ives. Day 3 could be Padstow & the north coast (avoid Newquay). Day 4 could be Mevagissey & http://www.heligan.com plus the Roseland peninsula if time = St.Mawes & St.Just in Roseland. Day 5 could be Trebah Gardens plus Glendurgan Gardens near Falmouth.http://www.trebahgarden.co.uk
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/glendurgan-garden/visitor-information/
http://www.visitcornwall.com
On leaving Cornwall to head back east, you might wish to go via the longer (& winding/hilly) A39 via Barnstaple & then into the Exmoor National Park to Lynmouth. 1 or 2 night stay in the Exmoor area would be advised as it is too much to take this route & then drive all the way to London. If using this route, be sure to visit Selworthy. (Use Google Earth to find the places). http://www.everythingexmoor.org.uk
Looks like I have used up 1 week! Try & research the places mentioned - even if you just Google "Images of ---" to see what to expect & hopefully figure out if it is right for you.
Thanks, all.
Well, at least Laura acknowledged whereas the original OP did not. Makes you wonder why we bother!
Please excuse my tardiness for this late response. Thank you all for your helpful suggestions. It appears that some felt aggrieved by my delay to respond. Unfortunately personal circumstance has required priority.
I have disabled my notifications from this site.
Very helpful. I am using this 7 day recommendation for our trip in early Oct. Looking at staying in Falmouth. The ICE factory is there and I want to visit it. They make recumbent trikes which I ride and own one.
