Lying on the banks of the beautiful Fal River, Falmouth is a beautiful port city on the south coast of Cornwall in the United Kingdom. By its privileged position, the little town has many interesting features: wonderful beaches, a great maritime legacy and coastal culture, a lively art scene with many galleries and venues showcasing exhibitions, independent films, and live bands. Moreover, the city is located right in the middle of an incredible natural area making it the perfect starting point for any outdoors adventures such as kayaking, diving, and other water sports, but also walking and discovering the beautiful Cornwall region. In this article, we’ll focus on 8 of the greatest things to do around Falmouth for you to fall in love with this stunning place.
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1. Beaches (Gyllyngvase, Polgwidden, Porth Saxon, Helford Passage, and Maenporth)
A beach of great interest is the remote northern beach of Porth Saxon on the Helford River, a lovely sheltered cove with a boathouse. You’ll love swimming safely and resting on the fine gray sand of this beautiful and lesser known beach.
Maenporth Beach is a lovely sandy cove, just 3 kilometers (2 miles) away from Falmouth, and is naturally much more famous and visited than the other. This is the perfect place for sunbathing, rock pool fishing, and boating. Here, visitors will enjoy the stunning views across Falmouth Bay towards Pendennis Castle.
Helford Passage’s beach, located on the northern side of the estuary, is a great place for boating and sailing in the river and gives opportunities to visitors to enjoy the area in a totally different way. If all these aren’t enough, you can also check out Gyllyngvase Beach, situated west of Pendennis Castle. Well, there are basically so many spots to enjoy that the best thing is to get there and to judge them yourself!
Polgwidden
Address: Trebah, Cornwall, UK
Website: Polgwidden
2. National Maritime Museum Cornwall
Located in the vibrant harbor of Falmouth, the National Maritime Museum Cornwall opened in February 2003 and features a vast range of exciting exhibitions and events related to and promoting the great maritime heritage of Cornwall. Here, you’ll love learning about the tradition of fishermen, sailors, and other seafarers, and you’ll get great insight into the maritime history and lifestyle through family-friendly, interesting and various exhibitions. This is a great place to go as a family!
National Maritime Museum Cornwall
Address: Discovery Quay, Falmouth TR11 3QY, UK
Website: National Maritime Museum Cornwall
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3. Glendurgan Garden
This wonderful place is a thrilling maze of jungle-like flora where you’ll gaze at many plants, trees, and other wonders of nature. Situated near the Helford River, Glendurgan Garden is the perfect day out for families and groups where you’ll enjoy a peaceful and atmospheric time walking around and even having a picnic in the garden. But take care to not lose yourself in this incredible maze!
Glendurgan Garden
Address: Helford Passage, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth TR11 5JZ, UK
Website: Glendurgan Garden
4. Pendennis Castle
The superb fortress of Pendennis Castle is an impressive piece of work dating back to the 16th century; it was constructed by Henry VIII. Here, you’ll be amazed by this architectural work while looking at the circular wall encompassing the fort, the stone ramparts, and walls. Considered “one of the finest examples of a post-medieval defensive promontory fort in the UK,” the strongholds had many uses in its history, being used to prevent French and Spanish invasion in old times to being a secret base during WWII. Needless to say, your walk through the monument will taste like a travel through time!
Pendennis Castle
Address: Castle Drive, Falmouth TR11 4LP, United Kingdom
Website: Pendennis Castle
5. Falmouth Art Gallery
Featuring one of the best and most prolific art collections in Cornwall, Falmouth Art Gallery has an impressive collection of around 2,000 artworks including British and French Impressionists, surrealists, maritime artists, children’s book illustrators, contemporary painters, and much more! Here, more than enjoying the several diverse exhibitions changed regularly, you’ll also have the opportunity to participate in numerous workshops, art courses, and other activities made for kids and adults alike. This is a great place to go in groups or as a family to spend a creative and fun time!
Falmouth Art Gallery
Address: Municipal Buildings, The Moor, Falmouth TR11 2RT, UK
Website: Falmouth Art Gallery
6. St Mawes Castle
Another mind blowing edifice of the area is the beautiful St Mawes Castle, at the opposite side of the estuary from the castle of Pendennis. Also an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII, the fortress was equally used as part of the King’s Device program to protect England against invasion. Here, you’ll gaze at the clover leaf design of the castle’s ramparts. Like Pendennis Castle, this one has also a heavy, rich war history, being armed with guns and cannons. The two edifices were before, a real armed dissuasion to any possible enemy (until being finally used as an anti-German-aircraft platform during WWII).
Used as a tourist attraction since the end of the war, this castle has been a bit more embellished and St Mawes Castle might be one of the best-preserved artillery forts of the country. You’ll particularly like the many inscriptions through the walls of the edifice and also the magnificent view that the top of the castle offers to its visitors. This is a great place to discover the patrimony of the region, especially if you have or are going to discover Pendennis Castle too!
St. Mawes Castle
Address: Castle Drive, St Mawes TR2 5DE, United Kingdom
Website: St. Mawes Castle
7. St Anthony Head and Fraggle Rock Lighthouse
St Anthony Head is the eastern side of the entrance to the Falmouth port (one of the largest natural harbors in the world) and the very tip of the Roseland Peninsula. The still operating St Anthony Lighthouse (also called Fraggle Rock) has been lighting the way to many boats since its construction in the 19th century and is now offering visitors a unique place to observe the sea and its power. This is a “must do” for visitors!
St Anthony Head
Address: Falmouth, Cornwall, UK
Website: St Anthony Head
8. Trebah Garden
This sub-tropical garden is a surprising place. A 10-hectare (26-acre) paradise located on the Helford River, Trebah Garden is where you’ll enjoy a colorful and wild walk through a jungle-like garden. Across the 6.5 kilometers (4 miles) of footpaths, you’ll pass by 100-year-old rhododendrons, magnolias and camellias, and many other exotic plants and trees. This is a great place for a family walk before going to the beach, which is just a stone’s thrown away from the garden!
Trebah Garden
Address: Trebah Garden Trust, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth TR11 5JZ, UK
Website: Trebah Garden
Get the most out of Falmouth!
With these 7 activities around Falmouth, you’ll discover the wonderful south region of Cornwall in the UK. Full of nature, history, and culture, this area will charm you with just one glance!
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