Cornwall Road Trip Guide: 3 Perfect Days Exploring the Cornish Coast
If you’re planning a trip to England, make sure Cornwall is on your itinerary. With beautiful beaches, scenic hikes, and rugged coastline views, Cornwall should not be missed. To help you plan your trip, here is a 3-day Cornwall road trip guide with details on when to visit and sights to see.
How to Get to Cornwall, England
The easiest way to get to Cornwall, England is by flying into London then driving to Cornwall. It is about a 5-hour drive. You can also fly from London to Cornwall Airport in Newquay, but these flights can be a bit pricey. We would recommend adding Cornwall to a longer Southern England road trip itinerary.
When to Visit Cornwall
Deciding when to visit Cornwall really depends on your itinerary. If you plan to spend time sunning on the beach and swimming, July or August (although crowded months) would probably be the best. We chose to visit in early June and had cooler weather and fewer crowds.
Things to Know Before Visiting Cornwall
- Don’t stay in one place. We made the mistake of staying in one Airbnb for the entirety of our time in Cornwall and spent a lot of time driving each day. Plan to stay in more than one part of Cornwall to maximize your 3-day trip.
- Be prepared for cloudy or rainy weather. You are in the UK after all. While Cornwall is one of the sunniest areas in England, with over 1,500 hours of sunshine per year, the weather can still be less than ideal at times. Don’t be afraid to change the itinerary a bit; you can sometimes find sunshine and blue skies if you drive to another part of Cornwall.
- Download parking apps. Most of parking in Cornwall is paid through apps like JustPark and RingGo. Download these apps before you head out for the day.
- Download maps. Make sure you have your driving route downloaded before you leave your hotel or Airbnb as some areas have very poor signal.
- Make sure you have coins for restrooms. Some of the restrooms in Cornwall are paid. Have coins on hand, if you don’t want to pay with a card.
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3-Day Cornwall Road Trip Guide
Day 1-Port Isaac and Park Head
Port Isaac
Parking: Port Isaac Main Car Park
B3267, Port Isaac PL29 3TR, United Kingdom
Start your first day in Cornwall by visiting Port Isaac, a picturesque fishing village on the coast. Walk a portion of the South West Coast Path, take in the views of the harbor, and stroll through the village.
Park Head
Parking: Park Head National Trust Car Park
St Eval, Wadebridge PL27 7UU, United Kingdom
If you have ever watched the TV series Poldark, you might recognize the views of the coastline at Park Head. Many of the dramatic cliff scenes were filmed here. To get to the cliffs, the walk is flat and easy. From the parking lot, enter through the gate on the left and follow the path to the next gate. Once you pass through the second gate, you can either follow the path to the right or left to see the rugged coastal cliffs. We recommend visiting later in the evening, closer to sunset. The light is pretty harsh in the afternoon, making it difficult to see and photograph the cliffs.
Day 2-Fistral Beach and Holywell Bay
Fistral Beach
Parking: Paid street parking along Esplanade Road, Newquay, UK
Before exploring Fistral Beach, stop at Seaspray Fistral for breakfast with a view. This cafe sits above Fistral Beach with an amazing view of the waves crashing below. If the weather allows, ask for a table outside on the deck.
After enjoying the view from Seaspray, head down to the beach. Take a walk, watch the surfers (Fistral Beach is one of the best and most popular surf spots in the UK), and look at the colorful shells dotting the shore.
*It is against the Coastal Protection Act to collect shells from beaches in the UK.
Holywell Bay
Parking: National Trust Holywell Bay
Holywell, Newquay TR8 5DD, United Kingdom
If you want to have a beach day in Cornwall, Holywell Bay is the perfect beach for it. (This is one of the places we saved for sunny weather.) After walking up the grassy dunes, you’ll see a stunning beach that you won’t believe is in the UK. When we arrived in the mid-afternoon, it was crowded with beachgoers and Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar” was blasting from someone’s speaker…a vibe.
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Day 3-St. Agnes Head, Chapel Porth Beach, and Kynance Cove
St. Agnes Head
Parking: St. Agnes Head Car Park
Offering stunning panoramic views of the coastline, St. Agnes Head is a place where you’ll want to spend a few hours. Park at Wheal Coates to visit the former tin mine, then continue along the path. There is a 1-mile loop you can walk, or you can just meander along the trail for as long as you like. In our opinion, with flower covered cliffs and the aqua blue sea below, St. Agnes Head is one of the most scenic stops in Cornwall.
Chapel Porth Beach
Parking: Chapel Porth Car Park
Chapel Porth, St. Agnes TR5 ONS, UK
*When we visited in June, paid parking was available in a nearby field. If the main Chapel Porth lot is full, look for overflow parking signs at the top of the hill.
From St. Agnes Head, you can walk to Chapel Porth Beach, or you can get back in your car and drive the short distance. However, parking near the beach fills up quickly (we couldn’t get a spot mid-morning). It is a beautiful cove with restrooms and a cafe that sells the well known Cornish treat, hedgehog ice cream.
Kynance Cove
Parking: Kynanace Cove Car Park
Helston TR12 7PJ, United Kingdom
While it is a bit of a drive from St. Agnes, the views at Kynance Cove are well worth it. You can either stop at the viewpoint or hike towards Lizard Point to see Pentreath Beach and Lizard Lighthouse. It is a very popular spot, so consider starting your day here if you want to avoid the crowds.
Cornwall is a breathtaking part of England we hope you enjoy visiting. If you found this Cornwall road trip itinerary to be helpful in planning your visit, let us know in the comments! For more UK travel guides, click here.
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