St. Ives, Penzance, Land's End and Plymouth

St. Ives

This town can be found further down the north coast. A beautiful place with tiny streets and plenty of shops with a busy harbour which has inspired many an artist down the years. St. Ives is a major centre of painting, sculpture and pottery. The St. Ives bay has several award-winning beaches in Porthminster (below right) and Porthmeor, which has the Tate Gallery overlooking it.

Whilst visiting St Ives I heartily recommend that you do yourself a favour and visit the Cornish Bakehouse (below) where they sell the best pasties you will find in Cornwall ! Another place to visit is The Beachcomber Cafe where the service is excellent and friendly. Both of these places are situated on The Wharf.

Penzance and Land's End

Penzance is a busy town with a variety of shops, pubs, restaurants and cafes to explore. Situated in Mount's Bay, the view from the harbour of the bay and St. Michael's Mount (below) is fantastic.

Land's End (below) is one of the world's best known landmarks. It has amazing scenery with cliffs of golden granite rising from the Atlantic. The Longships Lighthouse can be seen offshore on a good day. There are many attractions and exhibits to be seen and the "Return to the Last Labyrinth" show is definitely worth a look.

Plymouth

Plymouth is on the edge of Devon and can be reached by a journey over the Saltash bridges - Brunel's Royal Albert railway bridge was built in 1859 and this is accompanied by the road bridge which was built in 1961 (both pictured below from an original water-colour by David Skipp).

Home to the National Marine Aquarium and many a naval ship, Plymouth has a massive pedestrianised shopping centre. Whilst staying here you can take a tour of the Naval base by joining one of the many boat trips that travel the River Tamar. You can also visit the Barbican, the Hoe, Eddystone Lighthouse and the Plymouth Dome.