48 Hours in Cornwall

Where and when: Cornwall, UK. 14th and 15th August 2022

One of the earliest posts I wrote on this blog was about 24 hours we spent in Cornwall. I finished that blog post with the words “….We take the memories of the 24 hours with us, promising to come back for longer and hopefully to better weather“.

Well, we returned, for a little longer (48 hours) and a lot better weather (in the middle of August).

So here’s what we got up to in 48 hours in Cornwall.

Day 1 – Sunday

Visit Eden Project

Built in a former clay pit, the Eden project is home to the World’s largest indoor rainforest.

The main feature of Eden project is two large biomes, one that houses a rainforest/tropical environment and other a mediterranean environment.

Entry price at peak time is a bit pricey (£37.50 in August 2022) but it is well worth it if you spend most of the day there. We spent nearly six hours at Eden Project, with a couple of coffee breaks and lunch. There are lots of educational resources and activities for kids.

The site also has expansive outdoor gardens and various art installations and exhibitions.

Nearby also is the longest and fastest zip wire in England, that whisks you over the grounds of Eden Project (Seperate entry and ticket required).

After Eden Project, we continued our journey to Penzance where we checked in to the Warwick House hotel for a 2 night stay.

We had stayed in Warwick house when we visited before. Ownership of the hotel had changed just couple of months prevously but it was still as good as we remembered.

In the evening we had time for a short stroll around Penzance before dinner.

Day 2 – Monday

St Michael’s Mount

St Michael’s Mount is a tiny island off the coast of Marazion (15 minutes drive from Penzance). It is connected to Marazion beach by a causeway which is only walkable at low tide. Rest of the time the castle is accessed by boat.

We had pre-booked tickets for 10 am entry to the castle. We drove to Marazion and took the boat to the island.

The island was the Cornish counterpart of Mont St Michel in Normandy, France for over 3 centuries. Hence the name, St Michael’s Mount.

The Castle is been home to the St Aubyn family who have owned it since 1650. In mid-20th century, management of the Island was given to the National Trust, with the St Aubyn family taking out a lease and retaining management of castle visitors.

The islands has its own parish and is home to 30 residents, many of whom are employed by the castle itself or the island visitor facilities.

Tip: The terraced gardens of the castles are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. So if you would like to see the gardens, plan your visit accordingly. (Although you can still look over the castle parapets to see the gardens from above).

The island has had many royal visitors in the past who have left commemorative footprints. You can see the foot prints of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, King Chalres III and Queen Camilla (the then Duke and Duchess of Cornwall).

By the time we finished the visit, it was low tide and the walkway from the island to the mainland was above water, so we decided to walk back.

Tip: For the best experience, time your trip to take the boat to the island and walk back or vice versa. When you book tickets the system will tell you the tide timetable.

Land’s End

After St Micheal’s Mount we drove to Land’s End. The sea could not have been more different from our last visit, calm, clear and blue. Instead of seals we saw pods of dolphins.

We headed over to Porthgwarra beach afterwards. This is a tiny hidden beach between Land’s End and Porthcurno.

Tip: If the beaches don’t take your fancy, you can also visit the tin museum, Porthcurno beach, Porthcurno telegraph museum, which are all nearby.

Minack Theatre

In the evening we went to the Minack Theatre to tick off another one of my bucket list items. During the previous visit, we got a good look at the theatre, visited the museum but there was no theatre performance as it was the end of March.

I had set my heart on seeing a live performance at this wonderful theatre and it did not dissapoint.

We saw The Merry Wives of Windsor, performed by the Derby Shakespeare Theatre Company. This is one of the lesser known Shakespear stories (to me anyway). It is a story about a bounder who sought to trick two unhappily married wives who were living in Windsor. Long story short, the women win the day, and everyone lives happily ever after. The performance was superb and we left with a renewed appreciation of Shakespeare.

Tips for visiting Minack Theatre

• The Minack theatre museum is well worth a visit. Check opening times when you book tickets. Often when there is a performance museum is closed; also museum tickets have to be booked in advance.
• Invest in good tickets for the theatre – (We bought tickets in section E). Seats are not numbered so in each section it is first come first served. Doors open about an hour before the performance.
• The largest section of seating offers the best views over the ocean, but you have to sit on the grass, so definitely bring a waterproof mat and a cushion to sit on.
• Take warm clothing. The temperature drops after the sunset and as you are on a cliff next to the sea it gets pretty cold.
• Also take waterproofs – performaces go ahead regardless of the weather.
• Take a picnic – there is an onsite cafe, but they often run out of food – if you don’t take a picnic, go to the cafe early (i.e. before the performance starts). On the day we were there, they had run out of hot food by the interval.

Day 3: Tuesday

In the morning we drove to St Ives – this is a pretty little seaside town. Great for spending a morning. Lots of lovely shops and beaches. Although our time there was cut short by the rain.

As the rain kept pouring, we decided to head back home.

On the way, there was one more treat for us. If you are a Daphne Du Murier fan, this is a must do. Stop at Jamaica Inn, just off the A30 at Bolventor, Launceton.

This is Cornwall’s most famous smugglers inn made world-famous by Daphne du Maurier’s novel, Jamaica Inn.

The inn itself is a great place for a coffee/drink, lunch or dinner. You can also stay the night (although it is said to be haunted) There is also a small museum and a gift shop.

That was the end of our 48 hours in Cornwall. It was a packed weekend and I managed to tick off several things off my bucket list. Of course, there is so much more to see in Cornwall, and no doubt we will be back, may be for 96 hours next time. 😉

Have you been to Cornwall? What are your favourite places to visit? Leave a comment below and let me know.