Skip the line Cornwall receives five million visitors a year, but most arrive during summer, when its narrow roads and stunning beaches can get seriously busy. Off-season, in autumn and winter, however, you’ll find endless activities minus the honking horns. As the locals say, the true summer starts in September.
Sight line Ever tried parking in St Ives in August? Don’t bother. Off-season it’s much easier, and there’s nothing like having Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture garden to yourself (entry £8, tate.org.uk/visit/tate-st-ives). See the studio where she carved her iconic pieces before walking over the hill to Tate St Ives to enjoy contemporary art in a curved white building overlooking the equally dazzling Atlantic Ocean (entry £12).
Kynance Cove is a short drive from Hotel Polurrian on the Lizard
Shoreline Make like a world leader at Carbis Bay Hotel, which held the G7 summit in 2021. Its Californian-style beachfront lodges are named after the countries whose heads were hosted in each (doubles from £265, B&B, carbisbayhotel.co.uk). Look seawards to spot leaping dolphins and seals sniffing the air.
Land line Cornwall once produced half the world’s tin, as explained in the Geevor Tin Mine Museum near Penzance, a World Heritage Site (entry £20.50, geevor.com). Get your thrills by donning a hard hat and heading underground through dark dripping tunnels formerly used by miners, then recalibrate with a cream tea in the cosy café.
Wavy line Winter is all about barrelling waves under brooding skies, best enjoyed on the Lizard Peninsula, home to mainland Britain’s most southerly spot, Lizard Point. Hotel-wise, Polurrian on the Lizard, not far from spectacular Kynance Cove, maximises its ocean views with panoramic windows in the lounge and a wraparound terrace for its Shearwater Suite (doubles from £119, B&B, polurrianhotel.com).
Waistline Cornwall is foodie central, with Falmouth at the heart of its youthful culinary transformation. Angus Bell, who trained under Michel Roux Jr at Le Gavroche, sets the bar high with locally sourced produce at Restaurant Mine (restaurantmine.co.uk – Dua Lipa has been spotted here), while the Chintz bar (thechintzbar.com) next door has the best cocktails and parties in town. The freshest oysters, picky bits and bougie beer? Head to The Seafood Bar (verdantbrewing.co) by the harbour, while lunch at Slice (sliceofcornwall.com), a few miles out in an ancient forest, is a must: stone-baked sourdough wraps oozing homemade sauces and thick slices of beef or chicken. For more traditional eats elsewhere in Cornwall, try Ann’s Pasties (annspasties.co.uk) in Porthleven or the Rectory Farm Tea Rooms in Morwenstow (rectory-tearooms.co.uk).
Shipping line Further your seafaring knowledge at Falmouth’s Maritime Museum (entry £18.50, nmmc.co.uk), with exhibitions on pirates and the Cornish coast’s lively historic community. Stay at St Michael’s Resort, notable for its spa and food (doubles from £127, B&B, stmichaelsresort.com).
Dateline In 1989, Bob Lindo and his wife Annie planted their first grapevines in Camel Valley near Bodmin and today the same family produces award-winning sparkling wines. Visit the tasting room for a glass of Annie’s Anniversary Brut (camelvalley.com).
Treeline The Eden Project in Bodelva is heaving in the school holidays, but off-season is the perfect time to visit – and the rainforest dome is always warm (entry £38 online, edenproject.com). For other enticing garden walks, try the winding paths of National Trust property Trelissick, near Truro (entry £15, nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cornwall/trelissick) or the magical Lost Gardens of Heligan, near St Austell (entry £24.95, heligan.com).
Family line Multigenerational holidays are booming, and Cornwall is ideal, especially if the grandkids are pre-schoolers. Fowey Hall (family rooms from £200, B&B, luxuryfamily hotels.co.uk) has the works for kids, from an on-site crèche to Little Ishga spa treatments; or try Bedruthan hotel in Mawgan Porth (family rooms from £155, B&B, bedruthan.com) above the beach – excellent for wintry walks.