Cornwall: Spring Motorhome Tour – Part Two

The serene and idyllic Cornwall coastline has been the set for our Spring motorhome tour and in part two we continue to follow the shoreline of this stunning English county. Cornwall has the longest coastline in England, with over 1000 Km of epic views, secluded beach coves, plunging cliffs, and some of the quaintest fishing villages we have ever visited.
This English county is not just a summer destination, although it is during the summer months that the crowds will descend en-masse on some of its best-known places, doubling the population size. Since we are visiting on the shoulder season (and during a pandemic) it has been very tranquil even in the usually busy hot spots.  
Currently, Cornwall has been in the world spotlight because of the G7 Summit (hosted by the UK Prime Minister and attended by leaders of some of the world’s biggest economies, who are meeting face-to-face for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic to discuss world issues) which has been unfolding in the secluded Carbis Bay, not far from St. Ives. 
If you have read part one of our Spring Motorhome trip to Cornwall, you will know that we have a planned itinerary (unusual for us) and also that we have already booked and paid for most of the campsites we have been using on this trip. For a Spring motorhome tour, the weather in May has not been as kind to us as we had hoped for, with a lot more rainfall than we had expected for this time of the year. But we still managed to do most of our planned activities and see many of the places on our wish list.

Moving on from the Lizard Peninsula we continued along the coastline going in a westbound direction towards the town of Marazion, where we met up with our friends Mark and Marion, who are also motorhome enthusiasts. They managed to take a break away from their busy lives and together we spent a few days exploring the region.

St. Michael’s Mount. 

The ancient market town of Marazion is the gateway to the impressive St. Michael’s Mount (similar to, but not to be confused with Mont St. Michel in France). Connected to the mainland via a cobbled causeway, which is only visible during the low tide and covered by water during the high tide, this former Benedictine monastery is now the seat of the St Aubyn family. 
Our friends had already spent a very windy and wet first night at an “off-grid” place nearby, whereas we drove a short distance from our Campsite on the Lizard Peninsula. 

St. Michael’s Mount is easily accessible via this causeway, which is only visible during the low tide when it is possible to walk to the island. There are boats carrying passengers back and forth during the high tide.

St. Michael’s Mount.

Together we walked the short distance across the causeway towards the Mount, but unfortunately, the gates to the island are currently closed, and therefore we made a U-turn and walked back to the parking area to grab a coffee to warm us up a little, before driving the short distance to our campsite at St. Buryan on the Penwith Peninsula. This peninsula sticks out like an arch at the most Westerly point of the British mainland. 

The campsite was on a working farm and we had the site to ourselves, parking both our motorhomes next to each other and later on laughing at our assumption that there was a need to book ahead in case spaces would have all been booked up…how wrong were we. 

We had a whole field for ourselves.

Apart from the mooing cows, it was a very quiet place and we made the most of the fantastic walking trails all around us (half-asleep in bed one morning, Marion woke Mark to tell him his phone was ringing, but it was just the cows mooing as they passed on their way to milking). A section of the Southwest Coastal Path walking trail was not far from us and so we decided to go and explore it soon after lunch. The trail was over the cliff tops for most of the way and quite narrow in places, with great views of the rugged coastline, until we descended through a beautiful wooded area with an abundance of bluebells carpeting the ground around us, finally reaching St. Loy’s Cove.  

Mark and Marion at St. Loy’s Cove.

At the end of the wooded walk, we finally opened out into the small cove of St. Loy is not a sandy cove but covered with large rocks and boulders, it actually looked quite dramatic and we spent some time sitting on the rocks watching the crashing of the waves against the rocks. Afterward, we made our way back into the forested area towards our campsite for a well-deserved rest. Dinner was courtesy of our friends, who cooked for us in their home-on-wheels. 

We woke to a windy but sunny day, and so opted for another coastal walk along the clifftop and joining the Southwest Coastal Path again, this time going in the opposite direction of the previous day, Westwards towards the Treryn Dinas headland. These cliffs are the site of an Iron Age promontory called Treryn Dinas and also the “Logan Rock”, a naturally occurring huge rock precariously balancing about 30 meters(100ft) above sea level. 

Mark and Marion looking over to Penberth Cove. Can you see a white house in the far distance on the top of the cliff? Our motorhomes were parked near this house and we joined the coastal path from there.

Carpets of Bluebells along the coastal path. Spring is a wonderful time for wildflowers.

Views over Porthcurno Cove and the Minack Theatre in the far distance, built on the side of a cliff.

Map showing some of the local trails, we walked some of these during our stay in this area.

This section of the coastal path was really stunning with lots of colorful wildflowers and carpets of bluebells, dramatic cliffs with secluded coves, small fishing villages, and iconic sights such as the Minack Theatre, clinging precariously to the side of a cliff. We visited this open-air theatre a few years ago, but it was closed during this visit due to the coronavirus pandemic (it is currently possible to book a visit online via their website). It is an extraordinary site, built by an extraordinary woman, Rowena Cade who dedicated her life to this endeavor. Highly recommended.

Just below the Minack Theatre is the beautiful Porthcurno beach with the white sandy bay framed by dark granite cliffs and the gentle lapping waves of some of the clearest turquoise water we have seen in Cornwall.  Although we only admired it from the clifftop this time, we did return here the following day to have a closer look. 

Feeling all hiked-out and starving we walked towards the village of Treem for a delicious meal at their local pub.  

Treen

Treen is a very small village in the far West of Cornwall, about 2 miles from the campsite we had been staying at. What we loved about this place was the simplicity of village life with the honesty box for eggs and organic milk. There is a large car park at the back of the farmyard with sea views, where our friends have stayed (off-grid) with their motorhome in the past. 

Brian and Mark helping themselves with some of the most delicious organic full cream milk. We also bought fresh eggs and paid for our purchases leaving the money inside the “honesty box” provided.

Walking towards one of our favorite Pubs in Cornwall.

The local pub called “The Logan Rock Inn” was fantastic, providing great local ales (beer) and other fresh local produce cooked to perfection. We loved this place so much that we returned here the following day for another meal and to buy eggs and organic unpasteurized milk nearby. We left our payment at the provided “honesty box”. 

A failed visit to Mousehole

The rainy and windy morning kept us indoors until after our midday meal. Being our turn to cook we invited our friends over to us for a venison curry, which turned out to be quite delicious. Over lunch, we discussed activity options for the afternoon. Since the weather was not great Mark suggested he would drive us all in his camper van to Porthcurno Cove and then afterward we could also visit Mousehole (Or Mouzel in the lovely Cornish accent…).

The visit to Porthcurno was lovely and in spite of the cold wind, the sun did make an appearance and we enjoyed hanging around this beautiful beach.

Porthcurno Cove.

Our next endeavor was not so successful, and perhaps the clue should have been in the name ” Mousehole”…should anyone attempt to drive a motorhome down into such a place? We should certainly have NOT, but Mark thought it would be funny to terrify us all by driving the campervan down the very narrow roads towards the harbor. Passerbys were shouting “good luck” to us, but luck was not enough to get us through, and eventually, we just had to give up. Brian got out of the campervan and helped to guide Mark through a five-point turn and back out of the “Mousehole” we got ourselves into. 

To cheer ourselves up we drove back to Treem for a drink and a meal at our new favorite pub, The Logan Rock Inn, and finished the day on a high note. 

Land’s End

It was a moving-on day for us and so we left our campsite near Treem towards our next destination of St. Ives but decided that it would be a good idea to stop at Land’s End on the way for a walk around the most westerly point in the British mainland.

Most people want their photos taken with this sign (for a price)…next stop America!!

Land’s End with a landscape of wildflowers and the “First and Last House” (the first building to be built at Land’s End) to the right of this photo.

This famous landmark attracts a lot of tourists every year who are keen to have their photograph taken with the sign. The site is in fact a holiday complex with lots of activities (entering the complex is free, but all the activities are priced individually, and we did pay £6 for parking our motorhome). All the activities were closed during our visit, but for us, the beauty of nature was the biggest attraction. It can be a bit of a tourist trap, but I would certainly recommend a visit and a look beyond the complex of attractions. Since we have all been here before, we just walked along the trail for a while admiring the dramatic sea views, before moving on towards our campsite in St. Ives. 

St. Ives

A place considered by many as both quaint and cool at the same time. Maybe it is because it has been attracting artists and creatives for many years it really does have a very cool vibe…a certain “je ne sais quoi”. For such a small place, I was surprised at the number of art galleries we spotted just walking around the town. Apparently, at the start of the 19th Century, it became a haven for artists who ended up setting up home here, attracted by the light, and it continued to be popular throughout the decades that followed. No wonder the famous London “Tate Gallery” has opened a branch in this town. 

Our campsite was really nice, in a very good location within easy reach of town (although we found it easier going downhill into town than returning uphill back home). We managed to have the very first barbecue of the season here and although it was not a bammy hot evening, the sun was warm enough for us all to sit outdoors. 

First barbecue of the season.

We stayed just for two nights at this site and on the second day, we walked from the campsite along the coastline into town. The path started off very muddy with huge puddles via a farmyard track, but it did get better once we reached the coastal path. The approach to St. Ives from that side of the bay was just stunning.

Approaching St. Ives from the cliff-top walk.

Marion enjoying the harbor views.

The town itself is very pretty, with cobbled streets, stone fishermen’s cottages, and a quaint harbor surrounded by lovely cafes and restaurants with outdoor sitting areas. We had a good nose around town, including visiting their farmer’s market held inside a town hall, but there was not a lot of product on offer so we just bought a few bottles of locally brewed beers and ciders and left.  

We stopped for our lunchtime meal at the Porthminster Cafe with views overlooking Porthmeor Beach, tucking into some delicious fish and chips at their outdoor seating area whilst admiring the expansive stretches of white sand in front of us. Although the sun was shining, the wind was a little bit cooler than we would have liked. The beach was virtually empty, with only a few hardcore swimmers venturing into the cold seawater. With full bellies, we tackled the hard walk uphill back to our campsite. There is a park and ride at the top of the village (costing around £2) and we could have taken the local bus uphill, but walking is good exercise, right? 

We left lovely St. Ives the following day, heading for Newquay, but with stops at the gorgeous Gwithian and Godrevy Towans and also historic Wheal Coats, near St. Agnes. 

Gwithian & Godrevy Towans (G&GT) 

There is a National Trust (NT) car park and a cafe (Godrevy Cafe) with great views over the coastline, but the caretaker told us that with our large van it was likely that we could get stuck there once the car park filled up. So he suggested for us to take “Big Bill” (our motorhome) to another larger parking area further on on the top of the hill, and he also suggested we became members of the National Trust to get free parking, which we did thinking we will probably be doing a lot of traveling in this country this year due to Covid. Mark and Marion followed us with their camper van and we found the perfect spot with panoramic views over the G&GT ( Towans is a Cornish word for grassy dunes and rockpools). 

Brian and me with the lighthouse at Godrevy Island behind us.

We spotted grey seal pups basking in the sun here at this little cove. Brian went back to the van for the binoculars so we could see them close up.

Our motorhomes parked side-by-side below on the right.

Our friends cooked us some alfresco breakfast/brunch with some fabulous views stretching before us. Here we enjoyed the warmest day of our Cornwall stay and we even spotted a colony of grey seals sunbathing on a secluded cove. From our parking area, we walked around towards the beautiful lighthouse on Godrevy Island, the inspiration for Virginia Wolf’s classic book “To The Lighthouse”. This stretch of coastline is notoriously prone to landslides, so any walking around here has to be with that in mind. 

Wheal Coats, near St. Agnes

Our next stop was another National Trust (NT) place (our recent membership subscription was already paying off the investment). 

The mining buildings of Wheal Coats are over 200 years old and have been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2006, along with other important tin mining sites in this region. According to the NT information, the Wheal Coats tin mine opened in 1802 and closed in 1889. At its peak, the tin mining industry in Cornwall employed over 30 thousand people, but by 1875 it was already declining and thousands of miners had to find work overseas.  

Wheal Coats, UNESCO-protected site.

Marion overlooking Wheal Coats chimney and the ruins of the winding house. Brian is down on the right, trying to get a good angle for a picture.

Mark and Marion surveying the stunning scenery. There are many great walking trails around this area.

Leaving this region behind we followed the coastline in a Northbound direction towards Newquay. 

Newquay

Newquay is considered to be Cornwall’s “surf capital” with many great beaches and world-class waves to be ridden by the locals and visiting surf dudes. Famous for surfing competitions, it is also a great place to learn to surf with plenty of surfing schools dotted around. It has had a reputation as a party town, although in recent years it has been trying hard to shake off this image, reinventing itself as more of a classy foodie destination. 

Newquay can make for a really good base from whence to explore the region since it is roughly in the middle of the Cornish coastline, making it easy to explore towards both the North or South of the county. We booked another campsite for our stay together with our friends, but we all felt a little disappointed with the location and that the site was quite full. 

Mark and Marion were only staying here with us for two nights, before returning home. So we made the most of our last day together by visiting Crantock Beach, which offers an expansive beach backed by large sand dunes.  

Mark drove us all in his camper van and we parked at the Boogie Inn car park for a few hours. There were lots of signs saying “No camper vans” and “No parking overnight”, but after asking for permission we were told that since it is off-season we would be allowed to park. We paid for a 4 hrs parking stay but found out recently that we had overstayed by 20 minutes. A fine arrived in the post £60…ouch. So be warned if parking here. 

We were not feeling the love…but a member of staff did allow us to park. They are trying to prevent overnight stays really.

Not a bad view…but unfortunately overnight staying is not allowed. In fact, motorhomes are not actually welcome here.

The walking trails were beautiful, see the above map and we made the most of the sunny weather by walking along the coastal path both towards Pentire Point East and Pentire Point West. The Pentire headland has a large stretch of golden sand, backed by tall, grassy dunes. Set alongside a river called the Gannel, the long stretch of beach is perfect for swimming although we settled for just a good long stroll down the sand dunes and along the beach. 

Mark and Marion throwing themselves down a large sand dune.

Towards the West, there is a secluded little cove, called “Porth Joke” or “Polly Joke” to the locals with the main point in its favor being the fact that it isn’t a very accessible place, hard to find by road, difficult to park nearby and with no facilities, making it a very quiet place to visit. 

Brian disappearing down a dark cave, curiosity getting the better of him again…

Eventually, he does emerge at the other side of the cave.

We found the Boogie Inn to be an excellent place for a bite to eat, with good food and excellent views over the bay. But if we return to this area we probably would not park at their car park…that parking fine left a bitter taste.  

Lovely and sunny, but we needed our jackets on for the cold wind

Sadly it was almost time to say goodbye to our friends since they had to return home the following day. We had a great time together and although we wished the weather was drier and warmer and that maybe we should have made some different campsite choices, or even tried some more off-grid stays, there was not a lot that we would have done differently. Our journey will continue along the coastline in a northbound direction, and as we say goodbye to Mark and Marion we also say hello to Chloe, our daughter who will be staying with us in “Big Bill” for a few days of exploring. I will be telling you all about our shenanigans on part three of our Cornwall road trip. Until then, keep well.