Places To Visit

Discover the Best of South East Cornwall

At Cardwen Farm, we’re perfectly placed for both sea and countryside adventures. Nestled amid farmland and a vineyard yet just a five minute walk from the village of Pelynt, you’ll enjoy a true sense of calm and space – while being within easy reach of some of Cornwall’s most beautiful fishing villages.

Below are some of our favourite local spots. Whether you’re after beach time, quiet coves, coast path walks or a rich does of Cornish history – there’s something for every mood.

Pelynt Village

Our local gem – just 600 yards from your door. Pelynt offers a trio of village shops, including a butcher (please ask us about the butchers breakfast pack we can provide in your welcome pack), post office, mechanics garage, and a cafe-cooperative called The Hive where you can enjoy a cuppa and browse, antiques art, craft and plants.

There is also the Jubilee Inn a welcoming 16th Century Pub. Bus links to both Looe and Polperro as well as further afield. The well stocked Spar shop can even deliver groceries to your cottage.

Stay here for the village pace, or use it as your base for everything else.

Looe

A beautiful, active harbour town with plenty to explore. The fishing quay is still alive and you can buy fresh catch directly from the harbour. We challenge you to find fresher fish & chips than ours! The location of TV’s Beyond Paradise, you may walk around and realise “that looks familiar!”.

The wide sandy beach is combed daily in the summer to keep it pristine. Hemmed in by the notable Banjo Pier, the clear water is incredibly enticing, and sea swimmers will find a safe place to dip in blue crystal waters with the occasional seal for company. Kids (and grown ups!) love the glass-bottom boat trips, fishing charters, jet boat tours and hire boats you can drive up the estuary as well as out to sea. For a slightly slower pace kayaks and Sups can also be hired – keep your eyes peeled for dolphins, or maybe even mermaids! For a fun twist, hop on the water taxi from West Looe to East Looe – just for the fun of the ride.

Looe has a thriving and bustling harbour side with many independent shops and cafes well worth your time. From Boutique “Pebble” to independent galleries, notably a lovely beauty salon “Blush” where you can have a pedicure staring at the blue sea water shimmering past the window.

The gastronomy options here are significantly high quality with something new for each lunch and dinner without eating the same meal twice.

The first place to visit is the world famous (they are well known by reputation as far as Australia!) Sarah’s Pasty Shop. There is a lot of talk in Cornwall about Pasties, but Sarah’s Pasties are the people who walk away with the awards – for good reason. Don’t snack before you have one of these incredibly mouth watering pasties, they are huge!

Continuing in the thread of utterly delicious, cross the road from the pasty shop and visit Sarah’s Cake Shop. Run by Sophie, Sarah’s daughter the bar set by the pasty shop is more than matched at the cake shop. The flavours are really well put together, the first taste with the eyes is delightful and the portions are huge too! Here is the place to order a celebration cake to mark any special event and make your holiday 10/10.

The Sardine Factory (as seen on TV) is listed in the Michelin Guide as Bib Gourmand : “A converted sardine factory on the quayside plays host to this laid-back and admirably well-run first floor restaurant which affords views across the harbour to East Looe. The extensive menu champions Cornish seafood across a range of tasty, well-priced dishes that have been prepared with evident care. The cooking is appealingly straightforward, with popular fish and shellfish dishes like moules marinière and crab linguine on the menu. Don’t forget to try the fabulous sardines too, of course!” Chef Ben Palmer has won a number of awards, and you will of seen him on TV’s Great British Menu in 2024.

The Fish Market is also a favourite of ours, sometimes I walk away from there thinking “I had no idea that could taste so good”..

More on our recommendations on places to eat and visit will be in our visitor Welcome Folder.

Dog Friendly Beach Hannafore is found at West Looe. Stretching out opposite Looe Island, a quieter alternative to the main sandy beach in Looe. Intriguing rock pools to explore at low tide, dog friendly year-round. You can find free parking here running along the flat promenade where you will also discover Hannafore Kiosk. Do not judge this eatery on the size of the building, this is a power house of flavour and will have questions up to the kiosk window most days.

A real treasure, Polperro is a must visit location. Those with sturdy boots can follow the lanes and walk to Polperro from Cardwen Farm, or a couple of minutes in the car will reward you with the definitive Cornish Fishing Village. Steeped in history, you wind your way slowly alongside the river past the pubs and independent shops and galleries to the protected harbour to gaze out at an azure sea splashing against cliffs that could tell you tales of smugglers and ship wrecks. The Three Pilchards is an absolute must visit. For those with a towel in their bag, you can dip in the historic Chapel Pool – carved from the rocks this pool has old steps carved into the stone of the cliff down to a magical swimming spot like no other.

Polperro

Talland Bay

Here is our closest beach, dog friendly year-round, and a location oft missed by visitors. A smaller local gem it is often a little quieter than nearby Looe and Polperro. Served by two fantastic cafes, Smugglers Rest and Talland Bay Cafe this is the first place we went when we had our offer to buy Cardwen Farm accepted. Sat in a beach hut sipping something delicious in the sun watching blue waves break rhythmically on a bare beach we realised we had somehow landed paradise. Do try the Talland Bay Hotel for some finer dining priced well in an eccentrically decorated Mad Hatter theme, surrounded by lawns appearing to hover over jaw dropping views of the coast. Room here to land your helicopter if that is your preferred commute.

Lansallos

Another lesser known beach with National Trust carpark. A great destination if you want to find a spot far from the madding crowd. Follow the track past the picture-perfect Church to the beach and another great launch point onto the South West Coast Path. We have frequently seen Seals here. A steeper walk to get to this area of the coast, but a haven for those seeking calm, natural beauty.

Here is another hidden gem Rosslyn’s Cafe. A wonderful outdoor cafe with homemade food made with heart and soul. One of the best gluten free pizzas around. Cake on the way foe to the beach and a Hot Chocolate on the way back from the beach. The cherry on a perfect trip out cake. On Pizza night book ahead!

You can see where smugglers cut paths into the cliff rock, and the grooves in the path where barrels of contraband were pushed up inland. Smugglers certainly wouldn’t have needed gyms to keep fit!

Lantic Bay

Another National Trust location (we have ever so many near here, you could spend a week just with the National Trust) you can park securely at the top of the cliff and be prepared to be amazed. Lantic Bay is, in the words of one of our visitors, “Better than Barbados. I won’t be getting on a plane again”. Whilst the descent and ascent out of the bay will burn off a pasty down and a cream tea up – it is just so very worth it. Part of the South West Coast Path, the views from the top of the cliff, across NT meadowland out to see are truly breath taking. Make sure you take water and provisions, as you will not find a cafe nearby without a hike.

Bodmin Moor

For wide-open skies and wild landscapes, venture inland to Bodmin Moor. A wonderful AONB (area of natural beauty) I find it hard not to call out “Heathcliff! It’s me; Cathy!”. Yes, it’s technically the wrong moor, but I still find it amusing. Colliford Lake is very surprising 900 acres and the source of many Cornish rivers. Seaton Lake has a great Cafe : Olive. Hire bikes here, launch kayaks or simply walk the 2.5 mile circumference licking on a local ice cream. Climb Brown Willy, Cornwall’s highest point, or visit Rough Tor and Colliford Lake.
Stop at the famous Jamaica Inn for lunch, and stay late to stargaze under crystal-clear skies.

Golitha Falls & Carnglaze Caverns

Don’t miss this nature lovers, a nature reserve with a maze of rivers and cascading waterfalls in a lovely woodland setting with its own car park and the highly recommended Inkies Smoke House. Another not so well known destination that featured on Rick Stein’s Cornwall programme. The internet is full of lovely photos with a slow shutter speed so the water looks like magical mist… You will need all these walking destinations to burn off the marvellous fresh food Cornwall is full of. To get to Golitha Falls you are going to pass near a place called Minions. Yes, Minions, and yes; you may see some little yellow creatures in blue overalls if you look closely.

Near here is Carnglaze Caverns. A vast cavern often used as a music venue or wedding venue these caves are artfully lit. The Cafe is a lovely one, with really delicious food. Car parking is free, and you are encouraged to explore a woodland path around the caves all included in the entrance fee.

Fowey, Polruan & Boddinick

Pronounced Foy, not Fo-wee, here is a destination that is quintessential Cornish holi-bobs. Welcome to Daphne Du Maurier country. Accessible by car via the Boddinik Ferry or by parking at the top of Polruan and taking the pedestrian ferry in to the centre of Fowey. A favourite event is the Daphne Du Maurier Festival in May and Regatta week in August. The best ice cream to be found for miles (arduous research has led to this decision) is from the Game of Cones ice cream parlour by the car ferry carpark. If you are feeling brave the waffle wraps stuffed with ice cream and chocolate are the size of a persons head. Or go with the classic rum and raisin cone and walk along the harbour side into the beating heart of Fowey. Keep some room to try the best of locally grown and sourced produce at the North Street Kitchen – recommended by Rick Stein. Rick’s got great taste, but for my money I love Havener’s. Melt in the mouth food in a lovely waterside location. Don’t forget to keep walking along Fowey front to check out Readymoney Cove. Another lovely swim spot with a lovely little cafe selling great little treasures and smooth hot chocolate. The to-do list should include hiring a boat or kayak and “just keep paddling” back up stream to Lerryn… If after this fabulous day you cross back to Polruan, the coast path from there is lovely and a great way to walk off another fabulous meal enjoyed at the Lugger Inn in Polruan. A proper Inn with chairs you can sink into and tuck into a fabulous meal whilst the sun / rain pelts the windows overlooking the Fowey Estuary.

Lerryn

Another hidden gem you would only find if a local tipped you off (so shhhh! Keep it to yourself) Lerryn is the location said locally to of inspired Kenneth Grahame’s classic children’s tale Wind in the Willows. Centred around a beautiful tidal river, you can top up the ice cream from the village shop; I would actually say that Lemon Curd is the best flavour – I hope dear reader you appreciate the work gone into this guide – and wonder along the bank into the woods where you may discover the remains of a Victorian pleasure park!

Once the ice cream is a mere cone, turn around and stop off in the pub for the best calamari, then post luncheon cross the river using the hexagon stepping stones at low tide or use the picture-perfect stone arch bridge. Follow the gravel path through chocolate box cottages along the river’s edge to Ethy Wood. Here a fabulous wooded walk follows the line of the estuary. (The iWalkCornwall app has a circular walk from Lerryn to St Winnow).

Lostwithiel, Restormel, & Bocconnoc

Continuing the Poldark thread, the bulk of the original series (yes Millennials the series is in its second iteration) was filmed in and around Lostwithiel. More recently Sir Tim Smit (founder of the Eden Project and Lost Gardens of Heligan) has set his sights on another ground breaking project to build a one of a kind (in the world) orchard encompassing rare trees and plants, with visitor centre, cookery school and farmers market. I can’t wait, and am rather hoping he may come and discover a rare tree in our orchard? For golfers, Tim is building his orchard on half of a golf course, but will keep 9 holes for you to play with don’t worry! (9 holes are enough for me; it takes me so long I’ve probably shot the equivalent of 2 18 hole rounds anyway).

St Austell, Charlestown & Mevagissey

Here we have some of the tourism big hitters! Eden Project of course, my personal favourite The Lost Gardens of Heligan; restored sub-tropical gardens, art installations, animals, shops, restaurants, café. Charlestown is another wondrous Cornish gem- a village and port where a magnificent historic sailing ship is docked. A Poldark location from the most recent series also. A must see, with a beach and some great restaurants. The Pinetum gardens are lovely, as are Tregrehan Gardens.