Roadtrip: 7 days in Cornwall.
budget: £200 | tide times | dogs: mostly dog friendlySweeping views, winding roads, calm afternoons with a curtain flapping in the breeze, epic sunsets and clear stars all around the van at night. This is the trip I’ve been putting off for years, always finding something more important to do or somewhere nearer to visit because of work schedules or tight budgets.
But I’m glad my first proper trip to Cornwall came in 2021, when I had the van and when I needed out of life for a bit. The crisp, salty breeze and endless space providing just the right tonic. I’d chosen to go to Cornwall in October for two main reasons: the kids were back at school and dogs bans on beaches usually end in September. But also because October is my favourite month - the trees are still dropping their leaves, the orange hue is like a warm hug and the days are often sunny but breezy. My favourite type of weather.
This road trip had it all - food hot spots, wild places, peaceful park ups and a sea shanty festival. Bigger towns were on the agenda but going with my mood I bypassed them and instead stuck to the quieter spots.
I’m not a planner typically but had vowed to make the most of this one. In the weeks running to the trip though time ran away with me and I just didn't get organised in time. One of the best things you can do to make sure you take a trip is to book an AirBNB or accommodation for a part of your trip, it holds you accountable. And I had booked a few nights in the gorgeous Owl Box so wasn't able to talk myself out of it. I had planned to leave a few days earlier so I could explore North Cornwall more before heading to St Agnes but it wasn't to be.
Instead I followed my nose, spending half an hour at the end of each day planning the next day - using maps and recommendations to point me to places along my route. I knew I wanted to scale most of the coast of Cornwall and I managed a good amount of it. And with a fuel spend of about £150 too which also got me there and back from Sussex which I was really happy about. Additionally to the AirBNB, I stayed at two campsites along the way and the rest were park ups.
So let me take you to some wild places.
A note on park ups: I never disclose park ups but do include a photo so you can use your detective skills!
Day 1: Perranporth & Chapel Porth.
Stay: The Owl Box, AirBNB.An expanse of golden sand, turquoise waters crashing against the rocks, Monty free as bird scaling the beach in joy digging as the clear waters polling round the bottom of the caves. What a way to arrive in Cornwall after a 6 hour drive. After some time kicking about Perranporth Beach it was time to check in to the epic Owl Box - a cosy hut nestled in a long garden. Settling in, the joy of the Owl Box hits you - runner beans growing in abundance, the epic fire central to the room and the national trust path it backs on to leading down to Chapel Porth beach - a much loved Cornish beach for good reason. Take a walk and transport yourself back in history with the tin mine ruins sitting proud on the cliffs and catch the sunset on the sand.
Day 2: Padstow, Chapel Porth and Porthtowan.
Stay: The Owl Box, AirBNB. After a slow morning enjoying the peace of the garden Padstow was a shock to the system. I’m glad I went but not sure I would go back. It was worth it if only for the lovely beach and the indie bookshop where I bought some great Cornish guides. After I had my fill of tourist stuff I headed back to the Owl Box to don my boots and set off back down to the beach and this time take a walk over the top to Porthtowan. Hunting out the tidal pool, I carefully scrambled over the rocks before submerging myself in the water. Monty shaking all over my clothes was the cue I needed to get out and start beating the tide along the beach back to Chapel Porth (careful you don’t get cut off).
Day 3: St Agnes.
Stay: park up. I don’t know where to start on St Agnes. It is the place I have carried most in my heart home, I fell in love with it. I hadn’t planned to stay in St Agnes but stumbled across a gorgeous park up and just couldn’t leave, there was a lot to explore and it was here that I just felt so in the moment racking up some steps and witnessing the most epic sunset. Leave a whole day for St Agnes - not only is the town centre gorgeous you can walk upwards either side of the town and both are very worthy of your time and energy. Don’t miss Trevallas Cove but watch how you go on the road there because it is steep, narrow and with sharp bends.
Day 4: the road from Porthtowan to Godrevy & Cape Cornwall.
Stay: Trevedra Farm.The drive from Porthtowan to Godrevy is AWEsome. No honestly, truly awe inspiring. I pulled the van over so many times to take a lungful of air, feast my eyes and take a picture when I remembered. I highly recommend this stretch of road and I loved Godrevy too. Here I parked the van for the day and just truly relaxed, writing about my trip so far in my travel journal, doing some breathwork, walking and seal spotting, photos. I just loved this day, I left a much more chilled person that the one who arrived. I then continued my journey to Cape Cornwall (click through to the main post for more as Kenidjack Vale is where it’s at) where I spent a magical dusk, do not miss off your itinerary - one of the highlights of my trip for sure. Having not been able to get hold of the campsite at St Just I decided to knock a bit off my trip route and just head to Lands End where I stayed at Trevedra Farm - a welcoming campsite where I had a warm shower without a token and stocked up on water as well as emptying the grey water - all for 8 quid.
Day 5: Sennen Cove, bypassing Lands End, Mousehole and Lizard.
Stay: the legendary Henry’s.Rising before the sun we arrived at Sennen Cove just as the first light allowed some visibility. After a peaceful walk on the beach meeting other dedicated dog walkers it was time for breakfast in the van watching the surfers arrive. Trevedra Farm is a stones throw away and the cove is actually walkable from there too, I tried a bit of the walk for the views and it was a delight. I bypassed Lands End, I won’t go into it here as I’d in the full post but don’t go out of your way to include this in your trip unless you walk from Sennen Cove to get round the sickening car park charges.
Next stop was the affluent and gorgeous Mousehole. Not an easy town to park in, I was glad of the size of my van here so if you have something larger, watch how you go. Great for a longer lunch stop, you probably don’t need to send much more time in this port town than that.
I had planned to stay in Penzance but once I got there I realised I didn't fancy a town and the tide times for St Michaels Mount weren’t aligned to my schedule so I got out of dodge and instead caught sunset at The Lizard and SO glad I did. Henry’s campsite is an absolute off the wall gem and walking from the campsite to Lizard Head and along to the Point was soul joy.
Day 6: The Lizard and Kynance Cove/Mawnan & St Mawes.
Stay: a park up east of St Mawes. Another morning where Monty and I were up and out early, this time to catch the dawn down on Kynance Cove which we walked to from Henry’s. Once we had our fill of this breathtakingly wild and grounding place we hiked along the coast path back to Lizard Head. After a well deserved breakfast taking in the views of the places we’d jus walked I planned the rest of the day and we said bye to Henry’s to find our way to the affluent lands around the Helford River.
This is one hell of a stretch of road - winding corners and massive bodies of water to gawp at. Take it slow, take it in and leave time to stop off. A lovely stop at Durgan saw us taking a leisurely lunch and I read a book while Monty enjoyed the water. While I fit a lot of places in this day, the schedule was surprisingly easy going.
Then the drive to the St Mawes ferry provided cinematic entertainment, including the quaint ferry experience itself. St Mawes is worth sticking your head in but when you become so accustomed to wild landscapes, towns start to jar.
Day 7: The Roseland Heritage Coast.
Stay: Woodyhyde, Dorset.I didn’t plan for this to be my final day in Cornwall but as I drove along the coast here and bumped into some friends at Porthuney Bay I found myself at a delightful, jolly sea shanty festival in Mevagissay. Scorched from the warm sun and a restless night (full moon) I had driven to St Austell to find a park up but not feeling it in the slightest I decided to end my trip on a high from a gorgeous day of laughs and fish’n’chips and drive to my Dorset halfway point before heading back to Sussex in the morning.
What a trip. One that was shorter than I was lobbying for but one still packed to the rafters of wild places, of moments of peace and of some personal soul searching. I will never forget this epic trip around the Cornish coastline.
Emma’s Trip Tips.
Buy a National Trust membership - a lot of car parks in Cornwall are National Trust and you’ll make your money back in a few days, plus you contribute to the care for these beautiful places (Lands End is an example of how it can go wrong if not owned by National Trust).
Keep change with you, a lot of parking machines are coins only!
Go careful and slow! There are a lot of winding, narrow roads in Cornwall and you won’t know what’s coming the other way. Be considerate.
Factor in time for seeing what’s round the corner - the best discoveries are always the unplanned ones.
Park on the outskirts of busy towns - especially if in a larger vehicle. Some of the towns are busy and narrow, save yourself the hassle and don’t contribute to gridlock in these picturesque towns.
Check dog times for beaches before you go, in large Cornwall lets dogs on a lot of beaches but some don’t between certain times, it’s always best to check.
Keep a swim and towel on you, you’ll never know when you might find a secret pool!
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