Gylly Nook

Gylly Nook is one of five bright, modern and renovated apartments, just moments from the much-loved Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth. This split-level apartment sleeps two comfortably and offers sea glimpses from the first-floor bedroom. Falmouth's seafront, Pendennis Point and the town itself are all a leisurely stroll away, with shops, restaurants, cafés, galleries and more right on your doorstep.

Inside

Stepping inside Gylly Nook, the calm and airy open-plan living room, kitchen and dining area are furnished with a comfortable seating a dining table and a fully equipped kitchen. With plenty of space to lounge and dine, the apartment has everything you need for a laid-back, self-catered stay.

Upstairs, the double bedroom is decorated with soft coastal textures and colours, with large windows that catch glimpses of the waves washing onto the shores of Gyllyngvase Beach. The ensuite shower room is clean and modern, with shower, basin and toilet.

Outside

Gylly Nook has private parking and a short stroll across the car park brings you directly to the sandy Gyllyngvase Beach, home to paddleboard and kayak hire, the popular Gylly Beach Café and takeaway, Kiln sauna, and a favourite spot for swimming, sunbathing and picnics. A little further along, Castle Beach is equally beautiful, with stunning rockpools and views towards Pendennis Castle. The Bay View building itself has a warm, welcoming feel, with a spacious hallway, calm exteriors and an exceptionally well-placed location.

Things we love

The apartment is just a stone's throw from Gyllyngvase, a Falmouth favourite with sea swimmers, evening walkers and sunrise watchers. The beaches of Falmouth are some of the best places to swim year-round, as well as try paddleboarding and kayaking. Just ten minutes away, Falmouth town is a vibrant, creative hub with a great choice of restaurants, cafés, galleries and more. It's well worth sampling some of the best seafood in the county before returning to your home by the sea.

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Falmouth

Falmouth combines a rich maritime history with a lively café culture, independent shops and beautiful beaches. Explore Pendennis Castle, browse galleries, enjoy waterfront restaurants or take a boat trip along the Fal Estuary. With a bustling harbour and easy access to the Helford River and South Cornwall coastline, Falmouth offers something for everyone.

More about this area

The falmouth guide

Maenporth beach near holiday cottages near Falmouth by Forever Cornwall

Sheltered beaches

Falmouth is one of the few places in Cornwall where you can choose a different beach every day of your holiday. Thanks to its sheltered south coast location, the water is generally calmer than the north coast, making it ideal for swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking and families with young children.

Gyllyngvase Beach is the town’s Blue Flag beach, loved for its golden sand, beach café and watersports. Just around the headland, Castle Beach is a favourite for rock pooling and snorkelling, while Swanpool and Maenporth offer relaxed beach cafés, watersports and beautiful coastal walks linking one bay to the next.

One of the joys of staying in Falmouth is stumbling across those quieter stretches of coastline that don’t always make the guidebooks – best discovered at your own pace.

Eat, drink and savour

Whether you’re grabbing a coffee before a morning walk along the seafront, enjoying fresh seafood overlooking the harbour or settling in for a memorable evening meal, Falmouth is one of Cornwall’s best foodie destinations. The town is packed with independent cafés, award-winning restaurants, cosy pubs and lively bars, offering everything from relaxed brunches to special occasion dining.

Seafood naturally takes centre stage, with many menus celebrating the day’s local catch, while you’ll also find artisan bakeries, waterfront wine bars and international flavours tucked away along the historic streets. For something a little different, pick up local produce from one of Falmouth’s regular markets or enjoy fish and chips by the harbour as the boats come and go.

Whether you’re dining with family, meeting friends or simply watching the world go by with a coffee in hand, Falmouth’s vibrant food scene is all part of what makes staying here so special.

On the water

Falmouth’s deep natural harbour has shaped the town for centuries and remains at the heart of life here today. Whether you’re hopping aboard a ferry across the Fal Estuary, hiring a paddleboard, setting sail or simply watching boats drift in and out of the harbour, the water is never far away.

The surrounding coastline is also rich in marine life. Keep an eye out for seals basking on the rocks, pods of dolphins playing offshore and, if you’re lucky, even basking sharks or whales during the warmer months. Wildlife boat trips offer a fantastic way to experience Cornwall’s coastline from a different perspective, while the clear, sheltered waters around Falmouth are perfect for kayaking, paddleboarding and snorkelling.

Regular ferries connect Falmouth with St Mawes, Flushing and the Helford River, making it easy to explore South Cornwall by water. Back on dry land, stroll the waterfront to Pendennis Castle, browse independent galleries and shops, or soak up the atmosphere during events such as Falmouth Week and the International Sea Shanty Festival.

Whether you’re drawn to life on the water, incredible coastal scenery or the chance to experience Cornwall’s thriving marine environment, Falmouth offers unforgettable adventures both on and off the sea.

Beaches
Food & Drink
Things to do
Enhance your stay

Beaches

Gyllyngvase

Sheltered from most of the Atlantic swell, Gylly (or Gyllyngvase to give it its full name, meaning ‘shallow inlet’) is a perfect year-round swimming and paddleboard spot, and its rocky reefs on either side are great for snorkeling. Its waters are mostly flat year-round and is lifeguarded in the summer. In 2019 it was awarded Blue Flag status for its clean, safe waters and subsequently awarded a Seaside Award in 2023. This area is perfect for rock pooling; book your very own rock pool safari guide with The Rockpool Project. If you want to venture out on the water, you’ll find paddleboard and Kayak hire on the beach. The award-winning Gylly Beach Café is right on the sand, serving delicious food from its cool, contemporary glass-fronted building. You can pick up a loaf from its bakery next door.

Castle Beach

A slope leads down to a platform lined with colourful beach huts and the Castle Beach Cafe, which sells breakfast and small bites, as well as sourdough toasties, soup and ice cream. The clear waters are great for snorkelling at high tide, when the beach disappears completely; low tide reveals a narrow strip of shingle and sand, and rockpools where children can hunt for crabs. The Gylly Beach Cafe and Bakery is an easy 10-minute stroll away. If you want to try your hand at diving, Dive in Falmouth is a fantastic school and water sports centre based off this beach with a range of courses on offer.

Swanpool

To the west of Falmouth, but still only a 20-minute walk from the centre, Swanpool is a sand and shingle cove backed by a nature reserve, which is home to 100 different species of bird (pick up some bird seeds at the cafe to feed the swans and ducks). It’s not lifeguarded, but it’s a calm spot for a swim or paddle — there’s kayak and bodyboard hire at the watersports centre by the cafe. The wonderful Hooked on the Rocks seafood restaurant & bar overlooks the nature reserve and beach, whilst the beach cafe sells teas, snacks and ice cream, including the famous Hedgehog, a decadent cone of ice cream, hazelnuts and clotted cream.

Maenporth

An easy 30-minute walk along the coast path from Swanpool —and just a couple of miles out of Falmouth — Maenporth has glorious views across Falmouth Bay towards Pendennis Castle. Although it isn’t lifeguarded, this beach is a great choice for families with younger children, with its beachside cafe, soft sand, sheltered waters, and stream running down the beach for paddling and dam building. At low tide, the fascinating shipwreck of the trawler Ben Asdale can be seen. There are also caves further along the beach but check out the tide times before you head off to explore. There’s a fabulous seafood restaurant tucked behind the dunes, too.

Food & Drink

Harbour Lights Fish & Chip shop, Falmouth, Forever Cornwall

Fish and seafood

For the best fish and chips in town, head to Harbour Lights, just off the quay. They only source sustainable, MSC fish, with plenty of Cornish options on the menu. In good weather, take your food down to the quay behind and grab a table outside at The Front, a bring-your-own-food pub. Award-winning Indidog is tucked off the main street, its full length balcony over the harbour has brilliant views of the Fal estuary. Expect delicious fish dishes, small seafood plates and wonderful cocktails and mocktails. This quirky Verdant Seafood Bar basement taproom and tapas bar combines delicious small sharing plates (juicy scallops, crispy monkfish scampi crispy and amazing crab fries) with locally brewed craft beer from Verdant’s own brewery just outside Falmouth. Be prepared to queue in peak season.

Cafes

Top on your list should be Stones Bakery, a bakery shop and cafe at the top of town which does amazing salads, pastries, and all manner of delicious baked goods — a perfect place for a laid-back lunch. Hiding amongst Falmouth’s terraces high above the harbour, deli-cum-cafe Provedere is a good bet for a tapas lunch — it also sells an amazing range of Cornish produce, from cheeses and meats to local wine and beer. If you want to warm up after a swim, the award-winning Gylly Beach Cafe with bakery next door is brilliant. Slightly further along, the Castle Beach Cafe is also popular for its homemade cakes and great coffee.

Places to drink

Housed in one of Falmouth’s oldest buildings, the Chain Locker offers stylish and contemporary dining overlooking the bay. Indulge in award-winning beers, Polgoon wines and expertly crafted cocktails. For something more quirkier, head to Beerwolf Books, a pub tucked away off the main drag that combines beer with, er, books! A flurry of wine bars has opened in recent years, including The Orgia Bar & Kitchen, which specialises in natural wines and small plates, and Kernowine, a sustainable wine shop and bar.

Out of town

There are a number of places to eat and drink a little further out that are worth a mention. Just outside Falmouth, the Verdant Brewing Taproom, located next to their brewery in Penryn, serves authentic wood-fired pizzas alongside their delicious Verdant beer. Watch out for their live music events. Don’t miss the award-winning restaurant The Cove in Maenporth, set behind the sandy beach about a 45-minute walk from Falmouth along the coastal path. With its panoramic views across Falmouth Bay and fabulous fish dishes, Hooked on the Rocks on Swanpool beach, just outside the town, is a wonderful spot for seafood and sundowners. No trip to this patch of Cornwall is complete without a trip to the legendary Pandora Inn, a little gem of a place hidden up Restronguet Creek. It’s got its own mooring if you’re arriving by boat.

Falmouth Local Good Guide

The vibrant university town of Falmouth has a plethora of speciality food outlets, delis, bottles shops and bakeries hidden amongst its winding lanes and pretty terraced streets. There are several out of town breweries and a number of farm shops and markets in the surrounding area, like the brilliant Food Barn at Tregew in nearby Flushing, held every Saturday morning.

Find out more about buying local in with our handy Local Food Guide to Falmouth

Things to do

National Maritime Museum

This multi award-winning visitor centre, housed in a spectacular building on Discovery Quay in the very heart of Falmouth, celebrates the town’s seafaring heritage and is a must for visitors to the area. It’s full of fascinating, interactive displays, from the lofty main hall where a flotilla of full-size boats hang from the ceiling, to the underwater viewing window that looks right into Falmouth’s harbour. Children can sail electric boats in the sail pool, romp around in the soft play, get crafty in the arts area and play with real RNLI equipment. If you buy one ticket, it will be valid for a year, so you can come back again and again!

Pendennis Castle

This impressive Tudor fortress defended Falmouth against invasion for 400 years. It’s a spectacular spot, on a headland at the mouth of the Carrick Roads with stunning views out to sea. Now under the care of English Heritage, visitors can explore the winding stone staircases and gun rooms, and scramble up to the top for panoramic views. Discover underground tunnels where ammunition was stored and experience the castle under attack with an exciting new immersive experience.

Galleries and arts venues

The award-winning Falmouth Art Gallery is free to enter and has wonderful collections of over 2,000 artworks, from Pre-Raphaelite paintings to local Cornish artists. They have an impressive schedule of exhibitions throughout the year, too. The live arts venue The Poly in the heart of the town has an arts cinema, workshops, exhibitions, talks, music, theatre and a makers guild, and there are also numerous galleries, pottery studios and art shops dotted around the town — we love Inspire Makers, which showcases the work of over 50 local artisans and craftspeople.

Boat trips

Without doubt, the best way to explore the Carrick Roads is by water. Water ferries criss cross the river between Falmouth and a host of places including, St Mawes, Flushing, the National Trust’s Trelissick and Truro, so you can hop on and off whenever you want and explore the area in your own time. It’s a great way to get to know the Roseland Peninsula, with its pretty villages, secluded beaches and amazing flora and fauna. The Fal Mussel Visitor Card gives visitors unlimited travel by ferry, bus and boat, including the crossing on the King Harry Ferry.

Independent shops and boutiques

If shopping’s on the agenda then Falmouth is definitely the place to go. From clothing boutiques to antiques shops stuffed with intriguing collectables, having a browse in Falmouth’s independent shops will easily absorb an entire day if you let it. Some favourites include: Willow & Stone, which sells beautiful things for the home as well as gifts, stationery, prints and cards; Ludgate Antiques, hidden down a cobbled backstreet; the clothing store Parade selling beautiful clothes; and the Falmouth Bookseller.

Enhance your stay

Affordable private dining

Imagine your own private chef! It’s far more affordable than you think, and it supports local businesses. Discover how to find and book the right chef for you!

Follow this link to read more.

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Retreat Details

Falmouth

The falmouth guide

Sheltered beaches

Eat, drink and savour

On the water

Gyllyngvase

Castle Beach

Swanpool

Maenporth

Fish and seafood

Cafes

Places to drink

Out of town

Falmouth Local Good Guide

National Maritime Museum

Pendennis Castle

Galleries and arts venues

Boat trips

Independent shops and boutiques

Affordable private dining

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