Cornwall fans will definitely get their money’s worth on this road trip! However, you’ll see very little of the rest of this beautiful country – which is a real shame.
If you want to experience Cornwall in depth, there is unfortunately little time for longer stays elsewhere along the way. Nevertheless, allow at least 14 days for this road trip.
Overview
Quelle: OpenStreetMap
Trip duration: Allow at least 14 days for this road trip – perhaps even a little more, given the enormous number of lovely villages and beautiful coastal areas! |
Main regions and destinations: Cornwall and Devon, with a few short stops along the way. |
Does the route include beautiful coastal areas? Yes – that’s the main purpose of this road trip, because in Cornwall the coast is the highlight! |
Is it possible to be active on this road trip, e.g. by hiking? Yes, especially on the South West Coast Path, which circles practically all of Cornwall and Devon. Wherever there’s access to the coast, you can also join the hiking trail. |
Is this road trip suitable for beginners travelling to England for the first time? Absolutely. However, you delve very deeply into Cornwall and Devon and therefore miss out on many other great corners of Southern England. |
Do I need a car for this road trip? Absolutely. Otherwise, you’ll find it very difficult to explore Cornwall effectively. There are railway lines, but they are largely limited to a few main routes, so you won’t reach many of the charming little towns and picturesque coastal spots. Buses do run, but services can be infrequent and often don’t connect the places you’ll want to visit. |
I come from a country where they drive on the right. Is it difficult to drive on the left? No – the British would say. But seriously, driving on the left does take a little getting used to if you’re visiting from abroad. The good news is that, after leaving the airport, you’ll usually join a motorway almost immediately. Since the carriageways are physically separated, there’s virtually no chance of ending up on the wrong side of the road. That gives you plenty of time to settle in and realise that driving on the left isn’t actually difficult—it’s just unfamiliar. The first roundabout can feel a little daunting, and so can your first turn at a junction in a town or village. But after just a few days, it all starts to feel completely natural. |
Road Trip 5 – Experience Cornwall in Depth
Even if we want to reach Cornwall as quickly as possible, the journey there is already part of the experience. Eight to ten hours of driving without a break is a little too much, so we recommend a stopover in Salisbury with its beautiful old town and the great cathedral – a perfect appetiser for the days ahead.
The next stop is Lyme Regis on the Jurassic Coast on the English Channel. It’s a charming seaside resort, made even more interesting by its hillside setting. If you have time, visit the nearby town of „Beer“ – yes, that really is the town’s name!
Along the English Riviera“ we continue south-east, past the seaside resorts of Torquay and Paignton down to Salcombe. This place is wonderfully situated in a rugged coastal landscape, with beautiful views towards the coast and the romantic river valleys inland from the higher paths. This is also where Overbeck’s Garden is located, but in our view, it isn’t an essential stop. We’d rather recommend a coastal hike instead! From here on, the roads become very narrow (enjoy the driving!) as we continue through beautiful countryside towards Plymouth. There, we have to drive around a deep inlet before finally crossing the border into Cornwall.
Cornwall – on the coast of the English Channel
We use this part of the journey to cover some distance, stopping next in the coastal town of Looe with its pleasant old town. From here we drive to Talland Bay, a beautiful stretch of coastline on the English Channel. The charming Polperro is definitely worth visiting! On the River Fowey lies the village of the same name (pronounced “Foy”). It is well worth visiting, especially after crossing the river by car ferry. The „Menabilly“ estate above Fowey was the residence of the writer Daphne du Maurier. It served as a model for the Manderley estate in her novel Rebecca.
A little tip for those who don’t just want to be on the road: just north of Golant (pronounced „Galaaant“) you can explore the extensive tributaries of the River Fowey. The tranquillity there is incredible and great bird watching is practically guaranteed. David and Karen of Encounter Cornwall are excellent guides and hosts – give them our regards when you’re there! By the way: Be careful when parking your car – the waterfront is flooded at high tide!
Continue towards St. Austell, where you can visit one of most famous Cornish breweries. The most interesting part of the town is Charlestown, the ancient harbour with its historic sailing ship.
Further into Cornwall, the Lost Gardens of Heligan is one of the finest gardens in Southern England. Don’t miss it!
On the other hand, you can safely skip the nearby „Eden Project“ with a clear conscience.
Back on the coast, it’s worth visiting the towns of Mevagissey and Portmellon. Via Portholland we come to the Roseland Peninsula, a somewhat remote peninsula, which is all the more scenic for its landscape and can be explored on very (!) narrow roads.
Charming coastal places such as Portloe or Portscatho are well worth a visit. We highly recommend a longer or shorter hike on the South West Coast Path at St. Anthony’s Head along its spectacular coastline! A highlight is St. Just in Roseland with its exceptionally beautiful churchyard. We take the „King Harry Ferry“ (a vehicular chain ferry) to cross the extensive estuary of the River Fall and immediately reach Trelissick Garden, which is well worth a visit. Cornwall has countless beautiful and interesting gardens. You could never visit them all. For this reason, it’s worth seeking out a lesser-known garden – such as Enys Gardens near Penryn with its spectacular bluebell fields in spring!
The South of Cornwall
A town well worth visiting is Falmouth which is just across the water from Roseland. The old Pendennis castle (now owned by English Heritage) offers wonderful views!
Glendurgan and Trebah are two interesting gardens next to each other on the banks of the Helford River – but we particularly recommend the privately run Trebah Garden! Now you pass the charming fishing village of Cadgwith which is well worth visiting (it’s only a very short detour) before continuing to the southernmost point of England – Lizard! This peninsula is perfect for beautiful coastal walks.
Passing the tiny fishing port of Mullion Cove (the magnificent house at the top of the mountain is the Mullion Cove Hotel) and the larger port town of Porthleven, we reach one of the highlights of the trip: St. Michael’s Mount, the British counterpart to Mont-Saint-Michel in France. It is followed by Penzance, a large town by Cornish standards – here we recommend a visit to the beautiful Trengwainton Garden. Passing Newlyn with its harbour we reach the charming village of Mousehole (pronounced „Mousel“). We save ourselves the longer drive to „Lands End„, the westernmost point of England. The amusement park there is just a deterrent! It’s better to drive straight to the Cornish town of artists and art lovers: St. Ives! Anyone who has ever seen the incredibly turquoise shimmering water in the harbour and all around understands the fascination of this place for painters and artists. A branch of London’s Tate Gallery has turned St Ives into a mecca for art lovers.
On the Atlantic coast of Cornwall
We now follow Cornwall’s Atlantic coast northwards. The landscape here is very different from the English Channel coast – much wilder and rougher with lots of sand dunes, as you can see on the beaches of Holywell Bay. With the Atlantic weather coming straight from the sea, Portreath with its high waves is extremely popular with surfers. Unfortunately, Cornwall Airport in nearby Newquay is served by only a few cities, otherwise it would be an ideal starting point for this trip.
Passing Padstow, Wadebridge and rugged Port Isaac we reach Tintagel. According to legend, King Arthur’s castle was located here, although there is no historical evidence for this.
Our last place on the coast is the charming village of Boscastle with its natural harbour, before making a short detour to Bodmin Moor and inland to the Golitha Falls. Don’t expect spectacular waterfalls here; instead, you’ll find a beautiful woodland setting along the River Fowey, ideal for a walk.
The return via Dartmoor
We have now left Cornwall and drive via Tavistock into Dartmoor, the largest moorland area in Southern England, the legendary Dartmoor. Via Widecombe-in-the-Moor we go up to the Haytor, where, in good weather, you have fantastic views across Dartmoor and far beyond. It’s not far now to our last stop Exeter. A short stroll through the city is worthwhile, but above all, visit the great cathedral is worthwhile. If you want to stretch your legs, a short detour to the River Exe and its pleasant riverside is a good option. From here, it’s a straightforward journey back to London Heathrow Airport – and, unfortunately, our not-so-short journey through Cornwall is already over.
For this road trip you should calculate at least 14 days.
Here are some of the places along the route:
London Heathrow Airport
London from above
Salisbury, Wiltshire
Salisbury (Wiltshire)
Lyme Regis, Dorset
Lyme Regis, Dorset, England
Beer, Devon
Beer, Devon, England
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth, Devon, England
Salcombe, Devon
Salcombe, Devon, England
Looe (Cornwall)
The fishing village of Looe in Cornwall is a fairly large place and quite touristy
Polperro (Cornwall)
Polperro in Cornwall lies deeply indented in a bay
Fowey (Cornwall)
Fowey in Cornwall – located directly on the south coast
Charlestown (Cornwall)
Charlestown in Cornwall actually belongs to St. Austell
Mevagissey (Cornwall)
Early morning in Mevagissey, Cornwall, before the place fills with life
Portloe (Cornwall)
Portloe, one of Cornwall’s quieter and more traditional fishing villages
Saint Just in Roseland (Cornwall)
St Just in Roseland in Cornwall is known for its beautiful churchyard
Falmouth (Cornwall)
Falmouth in Cornwall is still an industrial town
Cadgwith, Cornwall
Cadgwith, Cornwall, England
Mullion Cove, Cornwall
Mullion Cove, Cornwall, England
Porthleven (Cornwall)
At the port of Porthleven in the most beautiful morning light
Penzance (Cornwall)
St. Michael Mount in Cornwall is located not far from Penzance
Porthcurno (Cornwall)
Porthcurno in Cornwall has beautiful bays and the open-air Minack Theatre
St. Ives (Cornwall)
Almost like in the South Seas: beach in St. Ives in Cornwall/caption]
Mousehole, Cornwall
Mousehole, Cornwall, England
Portreath, Cornwall
Portreath, Cornwall, England
Exeter, Devon
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Exeter (Devon) , close to the cathedral
We have personally visited all the places, sights and gardens featured in our itineraries and have written about them in detail on this website. We hope that, after exploring Southern England for yourself, you will be just as captivated by this beautiful part of England as we are!
