10 Places to Visit in Cornwall and Still Socially Distance Yourself After Lockdown AND 5 Places You SHOULD Avoid
So you’re thinking about a staycation and looking for places to visit after lockdown in Cornwall?
Probably smart… at least for right now.
Isn’t it crazy to think a couple of months ago we were stuck at home, wondering when we were going to be allowed outside.
And now here we are… well into lifting the lockdown. Pubs are open… what?! You can travel around some countries in Europe without self isolating when you get back… what?! BUT… If you want to stay within England, here are 10 beautiful places to visit in Cornwall after lockdown where you can easily socially distance yourself and feel safe.
(I’ve even included some hot spots you should avoid where socially distancing yourself in the streets is very difficult).
Update
The pandemic is over and everything has returned to normal, however, these are still amazing and underrated places to visit in Cornwall!
Now you can start to plan your future staycation in Cornwall because it’s amazing! And if you don’t believe me, then check out what makes Cornwall perfect for your future staycation!
10 Places to Visit in Cornwall After Lockdown
If you are visiting Yorkshire, then check out these 10 places you can visit in Yorkshire and still socially distance yourself during lockdown.
I’ve included some beaches, gardens, and villages so there’s a little something for everyone!
Kynance Cove
Hours: All Day
Parking Fee: £3.00 up to 2 hours, £5.00 up to 4 hours, £7.00 all day.
National Trust Members: Free parking, free entry
Entrance Fee: Free
Toilets: Yes
SATNAV Postcode: TR12 7PJ
Kynance Cove is one of my favorite places to visit in Cornwall AND one of my favorite beaches. Whether it’s a bright, sunny day or a cloudy, overcast day, the cove still looks amazing.
The attractive sandy beaches and turquoise waters are a big draw for people, however, it’s not super easy to access, the parking lot isn’t as big as most, and the waters can get too dangerous to swim (you can’t even surf here).
The best time to go is low tide because the whole cove is accessible and you’ll be able to spread out more. I would arrive as early as possible and if the parking lot is almost full, then turn around and leave.
The best strategy for getting down to the beach would be to take the stairs route down and the non-stairs route back up. The stairs route is very narrow towards the bottom and would make social distancing difficult if you are climbing back up and there’s people walking down.
If you want more information, I have an ULTIMATE Guide to Kynance Cove that you can check out!
St. Michael’s Mount
Hours: Varies, when causeway is open during low tide.
Parking Fee: £4.00 (NOT a National Trust parking lot)
National Trust Members: Free entry
Entrance Fee: Garden Terrace – £8.50, Castle – £11.50
Toilets: Yes
SATNAV Postcode: TR17 0EQ
St Michael’s Mount is CLOSED until next season
St. Michael’s Mount is a beautiful castle on an island off the coast of Marazion. It’s accessible via a cobblestone pathway during low tide or a ferry during high tide.
You need to keep track of the causeway opening times because the gardens and castle are only open during LOW TIDE. The ferry is currently not running.
The terrace garden and the castle are now open… you need SEPARATE tickets if you wish to explore both. Your timed ticket is good for as long as the causeway is open, which is about 4 hours. (That’s plenty of time to explore BOTH).
There’s two different check points (one of the castle and one for the terrace garden) so give yourself PLENTY of time to cross the causeway and find your check point. The website says about 30 minutes, but I would give yourself almost an hour just to factor in parking, using the bathroom, walking to the beach, photos, and getting across the causeway.
Much like everywhere else, there is a one-way system in place.
Glendurgan Garden
Hours: Varies, when causeway is open during low tide.
Parking Fee: £2.00 up to 2 hours, £4.00 all day
National Trust Members: Free entry, free parking
Entrance Fee: Garden Terrace – £8.50, Castle – £11.50
Toilets: Yes, ONLY at garden entrance
SATNAV Postcode: TR11 5JZ
Glendurgan Garden is CLOSED until next season
These gardens are super pretty! Starting at the hilltop and making your way down to the bottom, weaving in and out of palms trees and tropical plants, until you come to the small (VERY small) village of Durgan on the Helford River.
You need a timed entry ticket and you have to arrive within your 30 minute ticket window. Once you are in the gardens, you can spend as much time as you like.
The whole garden is a one way system, with the option of skipping the village of Durgan at the bottom, HOWEVER, if you skip the village, I think you are missing out.
This is the perfect place to hang out for a couple of hours and paddle in the river or take a picnic and have lunch. Because this village is so small and not easily accessible without going through the garden, there will be fewer people around… making social distancing super easy!
The is a slight incline on the way back to the parking lot, but there’s plenty of benches if you need to stop along the way.
*The maze is currently closed and not all the paths are open, however, I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything!
Eden Project
Hours: 8:45am-6:00pm
Parking Fee: Free
Entrance Fee: £28.50 adult ticket
Toilets: Yes
SATNAV Postcode: PL24 2SG
Eden Project just reopened! I LOVE Eden Project! This might be the most expensive attraction on this list, but it is worth it!
Eden Project is built in an old clay quarry and has two biomes you can visit. The Mediterranean biome will give you all the Greek feels, and the Rainforest biome is the world’s largest indoor rainforest! What?!? *The biomes open at 9:15am
There’s also 30 acres of outdoor space to explore and the Core, filled with different informative exhibits.
You will need to book your ticket for timed entry because they only let a limited number of people in throughout the day.
One way systems are in place and you’ll need to wear your mask when you are walking through the shop – which is one of my favorite stores! Lots of locally sourced items and organic items.
Portloe
Parking Fee: £2.00 all day
Toilets: No
SATNAV Postcode: TR2 5RD
OMG, what a ridiculously adorable fishing village! Portloe is such a hidden gem that if you don’t know it’s there, you don’t know it’s there. No one talks about it, no one writes about… the definition of a hidden gem.
This little village is nestled in a small inlet on the Roseland Peninsula of Cornwall and is the perfect place for an afternoon stroll around the cottages or a dusk walk.
The parking lot is at the top of the hill and you will have to walk down to the village and then back up to the parking lot. The only public toilets are in the village, on the hill across the small harbor, HOWEVER, they are currently closed.
Gunwalloe – Dollar Cove & Church Cove
Parking Fee: £3.00 up to 2 hours, £6.00 all day
National Trust Members: Free parking
Toilets: Yes
SATNAV Postcode: TR12 7QE
You get two beaches for the price of one! BOTH are Poldark filming locations too!
Dollar Cove is an old smuggling cove and shipwreck hot spot… in fact, this beach gets it’s name from the occasional silver dollar that washes up on shore. Although, I haven’t found one… yet!
Church Cove is a small beach with a tiny church on the side… hence the name Church Cove.
The area is run by the National Trust and therefore, free for members to park! The first beach you come to is Dollar Cove and if you continue on the path, you’ll run right into Church Cove.
Portreath
Parking Fee: £2.00 for the first hour
Toilets: Yes, Outside of the car park, on the side of the road
SATNAV Postcode: TR16 4NN
This beach isn’t very big compared to a lot of other Cornish beaches, but it’s very pretty.
During low tide you’ll be able to splash around in the very attractive rock pool on the right side of the beach, or check out the man-made baths on the left side of the beach.
Lady Basset had 6 baths carved into the cliffs (including one in a cave – access via a ladder) in the late 1700’s… I guess she believed in the ocean’s healing powers?!
There are lifeguards on this beach and you can also body board or surf (although, I don’t think the waves are surfing waves) and the parking lot is small, which might be the reason that this beach doesn’t get as crowded as the rest.
Tintagel Castle
Hours: 10:00am-6:00pm
Parking Fee: £3.00 all day, even members
English Heritage Members: Free entry
Entrance Fee: £14.50
Toilets: Yes
SATNAV Postcode: PL34 0DD
I LOVVVVVE Tintagel Castle and the surrounding area. You can really get up close and personal with the dramatic coastline here.
The closest parking lot is in the village (across from the Tintagel Post Office) and a short walk to the English Heritage office for the castle. You’ll need your pre-booked timed entry ticket with you! (Even if you’re an English Heritage member)… numbers are very limited throughout the day!
Once you enter, it’s a short walk downhill to the new Tintagel Castle bridge, which reconnects the headland to mainland once again (after 500 years). If you’re afraid of heights, don’t look down… and definitely don’t look down through the 40mm gap in the middle!! (The bridge is actually two parts and they don’t touch!)
There is a one-way system in place, so you cross the bridge to enter the island, however, when you exit you must walk down the original staircase (before the bridge was built) and the steps are actually pretty steep – just be aware that there is a longer climb up from where you first entered the property.
The views are magical (hands down one of the best stretches of coastline in Cornwall) and if you go during low tide, you can walk down to the beach and find Merlin’s Cave.
Coverack
Parking Fee: Honesty Box
Toilets: Yes
SATNAV Postcode: TR12 6TF
This is seriously one of the most perfect places to visit in Cornwall after lockdown and still socially distance yourself, especially if you are looking for a Cornish fishing village to visit.
Coverack is a hidden gem on the east side of the Lizard peninsula. This picturesque fishing village is the perfect day to stroll around the village, eat some ice cream by the harbor or explore the many rock pools.
The best part about this area are the swimming conditions. Coverack has designated bathing water, so the sheltered bay and the water quality make for the perfect swimming conditions.
If you’re curious about other “designated bathing waters” you can check out the official list on the government’s site.
The parking lot is on a small incline that you have to walk down. You can enter the bay area directly in front of you or walk to the right around the bay to the main part of the village and harbor.
Logan Rock Coastal Walk
Hours: 10:00am-6:00pm
Parking Fee: £2.00 all day
Toilets: Yes
SATNAV Postcode: TR19 6LQ
Logan Rock is in West Cornwall and it’s the backdrop for a famous beach and theatre… Minack Theatre or Porthcurno anyone?
I love this coastal walk because of the open spaces and the blue waters. It’s only a couple of miles, but you can make it a little longer if you add a walk by Pedn Vounder Beach or even a steep (and dangerous) climb down to the beach to lounge by the turquoise waters.
If you’re not feeling that adventurous, then you can just stick with Logan Rock.
You can park in the car park in the village Treen, exit the parking lot and turn left, then take your first left down the dirt path with the “Logan Rock this way” sign. You’ll walk through open cornfields until you reach the coastal path and you’ll see Logan Rock in the distance.
Head left to get on Logan Rock or head right to get to the Pedn Vounder view point.
Places to Avoid
I’m not telling you to avoid these altogether because I LOVE all these places! If you are going during off-season when the crowds have subsided, then I highly recommend you add these to your Cornwall bucket list!
St. Ives – The streets were wayyyy too overcrowded and even though there were arrows on the sidewalk and signs every where telling people to stay to the left, there were few people following the guidelines.
Porthcurno Beach – This is one of the more attractive places to visit in Cornwall and it’s super easy to access! HOWEVER, the easy access makes it VERY overcrowded by the afternoon.
Perranporth – During low tide, this beach opens up to a HUGE area of sand. Unfortunately, the streets get very overcrowded. If you are exploring the caves or hanging out on the left side of the beach, then you’ll be fine. If you are planning on swimming, the lifeguarded area of water is VERY crowded.
Port Isaac – This is one of my favorite fishing villages and places to visit in Cornwall! *BIG Doc Martin fan right here* However, because of the popularity of the show and the narrow streets, it’s very difficult to get your picture of the Doc Martin filming location while socially distancing from everyone.
Mousehole – Another cute fishing village located around Mount’s Bay, not too far away from Penzance, is Mousehole. No one is really sure where the name came from, but it’s clear that every year, Mousehole is getting busier and busier. Try some fish and chips at the Ship Inn (they are DELICIOUS), however, the narrow streets and almost constant flow of traffic makes social distancing VERY difficult here. Although, if you go in the evening, you’ll miss all the day trippers and it will be a little more peaceful.
Are you guys heading to Cornwall? Have you visited since lockdown was lifted? Let me know in the comments below!
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