Mount's Bay Holiday Cottages

Praa Sands

Excellent waves, white sands and plenty of amenities on hand, Praa Sands is the perfect family friendly beach — and big enough to have room to yourself all year round. There’s easy access from the carpark and watersports are available from Boatshed Activity Centre, from coasteering and kayaking to surfing and paddleboarding. Gwithian-based Global Boarders also run surf lessons from here, and there are a number of good places to eat. There’s lifeguard cover from May to September, and dogs are welcome from September through till June.

Perranuthnoe

With its small car park and limited lifeguard cover, Perranuthnoe is a little hidden gem and stays mostly under the radar of visitors. It’s a lovely, soft sandy beach (which disappears almost entirely at high tide so check the tides before your visit!), with huge rocks to clamber  at one end. There are a number of places to eat nearby, including the The Cabin Beach Cafe right on the beach, and the wonderful Peppercorn Cafe further up. Lifeguards man this beach from July till early September and dogs are welcome from September through till June.

Marazion and Long Rock

Marazion and Long Rock beach together make up the stretch of coast from St Michael’s Mount to Penzance. A safe beach, when the tide is out the waters are particularly shallow and great for paddling. When the wind picks up, this is a great spot for kitesurfers — watch them soar above the waves from the cafe above the beach with an ice cream (you can also do kitesurfing, paddleboarding and kayaking from here). Marazion has lifeguard cover from mid-July until early September and dogs are allowed on the beach all year except July and August (10am-6pm).

Mousehole and Newlyn

For the freshest Cornish ingredients and superb harbour views, head to the ever popular 2 Fore Street, whilst the family-friendly Mousehole Deli and Kitchen serves up small plates to share; they also have a brilliant takeaway menu, including things like a half lobster with fries. Wander along the seafront to The Old Coastguard for an easy-going atmosphere, stunning views from the terrace and superb food. In neighbouring Newlyn the restaurant at the hip Newlyn Filmhouse is the place for a pre-film haddock and chips, whilst The Tolcarne Inn has won all sorts of awards for its delicious Cornish fare. Argoe, which opened in 2021, cooks up fish which literally comes straight off the dayboats in front. Also worth a visit are the little wine bar Lovetts (artisan coffee and pastries by day, cocktails and charcuterie by night) and the Mackerel Seafood Bar.

Penzance

Top of the list should be The Shore Restaurant for outstanding food, wine and impeccable service, and The Cornish Barn at the Artist Residence on Chapel Street. For more laid-back fare, grab a tasty woodfired pizza at tiny Totti in the heart of town or pop into The Cornish Hen, an award-winning deli, which sells the best coffee in town and an assortment of local deli goodies. The new bar and kitchen at 45 Queen Street is a bustling place and event space focussing on local food, beers, wine and cocktails (using their own gin, Tinkture) in a converted redbrick warehouse in Penzance’s backstreets.

Marazion and Perranuthnoe

These small villages halfway between Porthleven and Mousehole offer some of the best relaxed eateries in the area. For a real taste of Cornwall, grab a pasty from Philps in Marazion or enjoy a delicious pastry or scone with Cornish clotted cream at The Copper Spoon, just off the highstreet. We also love Craby’s Beach Bar & Terrace (walk-ins only) tucked behind the seawall for its barbecue feasts and zingy cocktails. For the best pub in the area, make a beeline for the Victoria Inn, a 12-century pub with good food at its heart. If you’re in need of a beach day refreshment, The Cabin Beach Cafe at Perranuthnoe is a delight, selling a range of tasty treats; it’s just off the coast path so makes a great stop off for walkers.

Porthleven

This pretty harbour village has become a bit of a foodie hotspot in recent years. When the sun is shining, it’s hard to beat The Mussel Shoals, which serves up big bowls of mussels and jugs of cider on trestle tables on the quay. Multi-award winning Kota Restaurant and its more laid-back sister restaurant Kota Kai bar and kitchen next door (‘Kota’ means shellfish in Maori) specialise in Asian fusion dishes (there are plenty of non-fish options too!), and don’t miss Amelie’s for delicious Mediterranean-inspired sharing plates. Porthleven is also home to brilliant coffee Origin and their cafe, The Roastery Cafe, slightly out of town (they also serve tasty toasties) — they have a tiny cafe right on the harbour, too. For the best fish in chips in town, head to the Top Chippy — take them to eat on benches on the harbour or watch the surfers down on Porthleven beach.

St Mount’s Bay Local Food Guide

With some of the county’s most vibrant, independent communities, Mount’s Bay is a great place to get your hands on local Cornish Produce, The town of Penzance is chock-full of places to stock up on local food, from delis and bakeries to farm shops and weekly markets, whilst neighbouring Newlyn, one of the UK’s largest fishing ports and home to the Newlyn fish market, is the place to go for fresh fish and seafood.

Take a look at our handy Cornish Food Guide to find out where you can buy local produce in the Mount’s Bay area. 

St Michael’s Mount

You can’t go to Mount’s Bay and not visit the iconic St Michael’s Mount, the imposing medieval castle and church set on a tidal island just off Marazion beach. At low tide, you can cross the causeway to the island on foot; at high tide there’s a ferry that will take you over. Now owned by the National Trust, it makes an incredible day trip — learn the tale of Cormoran the giant and the history of the castle, wander around the subtropical and terraced gardens surrounding the castle (seasonal opening times), explore the harbour and village, visit the art gallery or enjoy afternoon tea at the Harbour Loft at the top.

Potter around Penzance

Recently voted as the best place to live in Cornwall, Penzance is one of Cornwall’s most vibrant, creative communities, an eco-minded hub full of art and culture, independent shops and galleries, top notch places to eat, a beautiful coastline and some amazing places to visit nearby. You could easily spend a morning popping in and out of local boutiques, such as the beautiful Handworked Shop, stopping off for a delicious lunch in Penzance centre before taking in an exhibition at The Exchange art gallery followed by a dip in the Art Deco lido on the seafront.

Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens

These beautiful sculpture gardens on the outskirts of Penzance are home to 22 acres of exotic, sub-tropical planting and inspiring art, sculpture and installations, like the James Turell’s Sky Space — a domed chamber from which to view the sky above — plus a restaurant, plant nursery, shop and the Tremenheere Gallery (one of the largest purpose built galleries in Cornwall) with a constantly changing programme showcasing the work of local, national and international artists. Set into a sheltered valley overlooking St Michael’s Mount, the gardens are open between February and October.

Jubilee Pool, Penzance

After a huge renovation project, the Art Deco lido on Penzance’s seafront was opened to the public in 2020. The largest seawater pool in the UK, it contains 5 million litres of water and can be used by up to 600 saltwater swimmers at any one time. The separate geothermal pool (you’ll need to prebook tickets), which remains at a balmy 35 degrees, works by extracting warm water from a geothermal well nearly half a mile below ground, making it one of the most carbon efficient pools in the country. The Jubilee Pool Cafe, which serves local, seasonal produce as well as craft beers and wines, is a great place for a bite to eat afterwards.