Looe and Polperro (full day)
Travelling via Goss Moor, you pass Bodmin and then enter the beautiful Glynn Valley to Looe, a famous port, holiday resort and shark-fishing centre. Spend some free time here before continuing to the picturesque harbourside village of Polperro, where you enjoy more time at leisure.
Marazion for St Michael’s Mount (half day)
Enjoy a drive to the seaside village of Marazion, where you can view St Michael’s Mount. This small island rises like a great sandcastle 300 feet from the water of Mount’s Bay, and is crowned with a monastery and castle that date back partly to the 12th century. In medieval times, the monastery was the property of the monks of Mont St Michel in Normandy.
After the dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry VIII, the Mount became the property of the St Aubyn family. It is now administered by the National Trust. You may walk along a causeway from Marazion to the Mount at low tide.
Admission to the castle and monastery is not included.
Newlyn and Mousehole (half day)
Along the coast from Penzance lies Newlyn, a fishing town where old cottages climb up a steep hill, and a port below bustles with activity. Over 150 fishing vessels operate from Newlyn's 43-acre harbour, one of the most important in England and Wales.
Continue to the picturesque Cornish fishing village, Mousehole (pronounced Mowzel) which lies on the western shore of Mount's Bay. Here, tiny alleys run between the granite houses, craftshops, galleries and pubs that cluster around the harbour.
Padstow (half day)
Visit the picturesque Cornish fishing port of Padstow. The narrow winding streets are lined with medieval houses, and dominated by the 15th-century church dedicated to Saint Petroc.
This Celtic saint landed in Padstow from Wales in the 6th century and founded a monastery, which survived until it was destroyed by Viking raiders in 981. The church has an unusual carved bench-end depicting a fox preaching to a group of geese.
The Eden Project (full day)
The multi-million pound Eden Project is the great success of the new millennium. Described as a ‘Garden for the 21st Century’, it houses over 100,000 plants, representing 5,000 species from many of the climatic zones of the world.
Plants are raised in two huge transparent spheres called ‘Biomes’, each with their own temperature and atmosphere. The Humid Tropics Biome - the world's largest greenhouse - is home to the plants of the rainforest, whilst the warm Temperate Biome is filled with Mediterranean plants. Outside can be seen sunflowers, hemp, tea and a host of other plants.
The aim of the project is to inform visitors about man's relationship with and dependence upon plants. Admission to the Eden Project is included.
Truro and Falmouth (full day)
Visit historic Falmouth, a well-equipped port and popular resort, with a beautiful sheltered harbour. From the late 17th century until early Victorian times it was the chief Atlantic packet station, and was busy with ships bound for Spain and the West Indies.
From Falmouth, you continue to Truro. This charming city has elegant Georgian buildings, cobbled alleyways and interlinking lanes. It is set at the head of the Truro River.
Nestling among the shops and houses at the heart of the city is Truro Cathedral. Although it looks like a large medieval Gothic church, it was actually completed as recently as 1910.
The cathedral incorporates a small part of the original parish church of St Mary’s as its south Choir aisle. Its distinctive spires rise high above the city's bustling shopping streets. The three towers are named after King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra and Queen Victoria.
No entrances are included.