Cornwall, England Itinerary: 5 days of things to do

From Plymouth in Devon, I took the train three hours to Penzance – to the national railway. I chose Penzance as my home base for the next few days, mostly because it was incredibly convenient in terms of public transportation.

There aren’t many hotels in Penzance – even though it’s a tourist-based place, there aren’t any major chains or luxury buildings. I stayed at the Artist’s Residence in Penzance (20 Chapel St, Penzance), an artsy boutique hotel, thankfully just this side of too trendy (think an Ace Hotel in a slightly warped 18th-century wooden building). My room had a clawfoot tub, a minibar stocked with artisanal snacks, and walls cluttered with Banksy-adjacent art from local artists. And, usefully for someone traveling alone, there was a cozy all-day cafe on the first floor of the hotel, which was a good place for me to hide away with my laptop or a book if I wanted a light meal option or a way simple to pass. an afternoon.

Most of the visitors to Cornwall, or at least the ones I spoke to, were families (almost all British) with young children who rented houses in Cornwall for longer periods of time. Airbnbs are incredibly common and most of them (at least after a cursory search) seem quite affordable with great beach access. Penzance is the easiest place to stay in terms of train access, but I’d say Mousehole is the best option if you want the classic cozy fishing town vibes. St. Ives is much livelier, with bigger and better beaches, but also much bigger crowds.

One great thing about Cornwall is the South West Coast Path (SWC), the longest footpath in England, stretching more than 600 miles along the coast. My friend Nadine had a free morning before catching a flight from London, so the two of us walked along the water for about 40 minutes to the Mousehole (pronounced MOW-zellbut if that’s not a crazy children’s book town name, I don’t know what is).

We had iced teas at Orange Cafe (Parade Hill, Mousehole, Penzance) when we arrived in town, and our attention was immediately caught by the signs for a local craft fair. I found it hidden and went up the stairs. I bought a ceramic creamer from an elderly gentleman who was bragging about how his wife made it.

Nadine had to go back to London but we spent a bit more time exploring the Mousehole. On the recommendation of my friend the historian Dan Jones, I had my first authentic Cornish pasty of the trip, a steak pasty that came out hot and the size of my head (ideally) from the Mousehole Deli (N Cliff, Mousehole, Penzance). TR19 6PH, United Kingdom). Per his recommendation, I ate it at the rock pool perched on a rock and people-watched families wading into the water.

On the way back to Penzance, I stopped halfway in a little town (really more of a street and a corner?) called Newlyn, where there’s an ice cream shop that’s been running since 1946 called Jelbert’s (9 New Rd, Newlyn, Penzance). They only have one flavor – vanilla – and the kids who work there scoop it out of an industrial tube and then add a dollop of cream and/or a flake on top. If you go, you must you get clotted cream, which is unsweetened and perfectly fat, and somehow crystallizes as it congeals in contact with the ice cream. I admit that this type of travelogue is vulnerable to hyperbole, but I hope you understand that I’m being completely honest when I say that it was some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had in my life.