Cornwall’s Atlantic coast

Route description

St Ives has sandy beaches, a busy harbour and a long tradition as an artists’ town, with the Tate St Ives and Barbara Hepworth’s garden studio. The streets are narrow and steep, so park at the top of the town or use the park-and-ride.

Penzance lies on Mount’s Bay, with St Michael’s Mount offshore at Marazion, reached on foot across a causeway at low tide. Continue on narrow lanes to Porthcurno, where the Minack Theatre is cut into the cliffs above a turquoise bay.

A short drive west, Land’s End is the westernmost point of mainland England, with granite cliffs, a lighthouse offshore and seabirds. Then take the A30 back north-east and the A39 towards the north coast for Tintagel, where the castle ruins are reached by a footbridge across a sea gorge.

Finish in Padstow, a fishing harbour on the Camel estuary known for its seafood and the Camel Trail cycle path. Cornish lanes are often single-track between high hedges, so motorhome drivers should stick to A roads where possible; summer is very busy, and it is wise to book Tintagel in advance.