As the government has suggested that holidaying abroad is going to be pretty much out of the question this Summer, what better way to spend your holiday savings on a ‘staycation’ right here in the UK, but only when it’s safe and advised to do so of course.
In September of 2018 we decided to book a Christmas break to the Cornish fishing village of Mousehole, little did we know that this would be the start of us leaving Manchester and moving down to the Cornish shores permanently.
We’ve been down here just over a year now and can safely say it was one of the best decisions we ever made.
We left behind the bright lights of Manchester, a fantastic city that doesn’t sleep, has 24/7 food, drink, parties and a brilliant culture, and headed south to our new peaceful little home. We’ve been truly amazed by what has greeted us down here.
I’d recommend coming down for at least a week as there are plenty of options here, but I’ll give you a taster of 72 hours in and around Falmouth.
Stay
The Sandy Duck
When we were house-hunting last year, we booked a stay at the Sandy Duck bed & breakfast in Falmouth. It’s stunning. The attention to detail is impeccable and everything has been thought of. From the décor to the breakfasts this place oozes style and class. We had a sea view room with an added bonus of a standalone bath, walk-in shower and heated bathroom floor.
Although not strictly dog friendly we were ok to take our furry little lad with us and he loved it too. The owner Freyja is on hand to personally greet you and is available throughout your stay to advise and assist with anything you need. This is the place we’ve suggested to all our friends and family to come and stay and it’s conveniently located within walking distance of Falmouth town and is in the middle of Falmouth’s two main beaches.
The Sandy Duck, 12 Pennance Rd, Falmouth TR11 4EA
01326 311427
Eating
On the outskirts of Falmouth is Penryn, and you probably wouldn’t expect this quaint little town to have an abundance of wonderful eateries, but it is truly blessed with some cracking little finds.
Mariners Fish & Chips
No visit to the coast would be right without a visit to the chippy. Mariners has been a mainstay of the town for years and I fell in love with it from the first night we moved in when we enjoyed fish, chips and champagne to celebrate our arrival. Family owned, friendly staff… I would eat here every week if I could, proper local caught fish and chips that just seems to taste better with every visit.
Mariners Fish & Chips, 62-64 Lower Market St, Penryn TR10 8BH
marinerstakeaway.com
Blue Jeans and Moonbeams Pizza
Nestled in a sleepy little corner of Penryn is Blue Jeans and Moonbeams Pizza, it serves exquisite homemade ice cream, sells some very cool vintage clothing and then delicious handmade pizza. The pizza here is bloody brilliant, wood fired and fresh – along the lines of Rudy’s – yep, it really is that good.
Blue Jeans & Moonbeams Pizza, St Thomas St, Harbour Village, Penryn TR10 8JP
bluejeansandmoonbeams.co.uk
Muddy Beach
Casual dining on the coast doesn’t come much better than Muddy Beach, the little restaurant is perched right on the end of Penryn Quay and has a pleasant view of the Fal river. Waited on by a lovely team and served tasty honest food. The menu frequently changes, has great specials and an extensive drinks list too.
Muddy Beach, Jubilee Wharf, Commercial Rd, Penryn TR10 8FG
www.muddybeach.com
Daaku Curry
A working boatyard isn’t probably high up on the places you would expect exceptional home cooked Indian food, but tucked away on Islington Boatyard is Daaku. This place is sensational, authentic and a right treat for the taste-buds.
The menu changes weekly and is published across their social media accounts. Make sure you book a table as it’s only small. The food is freshly cooked by head chef and owner Ben and is served with a personal touch by his wife Jasmine, who has a great amount of knowledge and passion for Indian cuisine.
Daaku Curry, Penryn TR10 8AT
www.instagram.com/daaku_cornwall
Afternoon Tea at The Greenbank Hotel
No trip to Cornwall would be complete without a cream tea. One of the finest spots to sample this is the Greenbank hotel. The afternoon tea is delicious and if you can’t somehow face a full afternoon tea, they have the smaller option of a Cornish cream tea. The only decision you then have to make is if you put your Jam on before your Cream!
The Greenbank Hotel, Harbourside, Falmouth TR11 2SR
www.greenbank-hotel.co.uk
Coffee
One of the many things that I have learnt since becoming a Cornwall resident is that they love their coffee, we are inundated with exceptional coffee roasters and coffee shops. Two of my go to places for an Oat Milk Latte are…
Beacon Coffee Shop
A brilliant little cool coffee shop ran by the knowledgeable Alex, Sam and Jessie who love their coffees and are a great team. They always have a good choice of coffee on to try and some amazingly tasty cakes too.
Beacon Coffee Shop, 28A High St, Falmouth TR11 2AD
www.beaconcoffee.co.uk
Coffee at Warehouse
We were wowed by the Warehouse coffee shop, brilliant coffee and a cool setting just off Commercial Road in Penryn, tasty food options accompany a great choice of coffee by local roasters Origin.
Origin Coffee at The Warehouse, Commercial Road, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 8AE
www.origincoffee.co.uk
To take some of the Cornish roasts back up north please check out some of the other Cornish Roasters who also offer subscription services – OL Coffee Roasters, Penryn // Yallah Coffee, Penryn // Origin Coffee, Helston
Pints & Cocktails
Small Ships
A nice little independent cocktail bar next to Falmouth harbour – great cocktails and nice vibe.
Small Ships, Quay St, Falmouth TR11 3HG
www.instagram.com/small_ships
Star & Garter
This place has a fantastic view of the Falmouth Harbour, lovely décor and a great list of cocktails – they do a cracking Espresso Martini, they also have a cool apartment above too available for holiday rent.
Star & Garter, 52 High St, Falmouth TR11 2AF
01326 316663
The Greenbank Hotel
As well as beautiful rooms and excellent cream teas, the Greenbank also has a great lounge to sip a nice Gin & Tonic watching over the harbour, a nice place to dress up and watch the boats sail by. If you want a good choice of beers, they also have the Working Boat pub, here you’ll find local ales and ciders aplenty.
Greenbank Hotel, Harbourside, Falmouth TR11 2SR
www.greenbank-hotel.co.uk
Activities
Gylly Beach Falmouth
The Beaches
Falmouth and Cornwall have some of the best beaches in the UK. I am happy to state that as a fact. Falmouth has three main beaches – Swanpool, Gylly and Maenporth but also has a number of little coves too to visit if your happy enough to hop on a paddleboard and explore. They’re great, beautiful waters, golden sand and offer the occasional waves for a surf and near perfect swimming conditions.
A Bookstore in a Pub
Hidden up a little walkway from the main high street is Beerwolf Books, Offering an eclectic range of books this place is probably the coolest book store in the world – the main reason is that it has an ‘en-suite boozer’, yep a book shop inside a pub. Enough said really.
Beerwolf Books, 3 Bells Ct, Falmouth TR11 3AZ
www.beerwolfbooks.com
Trebah Garden
With its very own micro-climate you would expect to see a great choice of beautiful and exotic gardens, this doesn’t disappoint and is even more of a calming alternative to life at the beach.
Hopefully by now you’ve been tempted – be sure that there is plenty to do if you are going to stay for a week or longer but any amount of time down here sampling the laidback Cornish way of life will do you the world of good.
Additional Recommendations
– Pasties: It might be a little rude to come all the way here and not tuck in to one of our local delicacies.
– Restaurant Mine: A cool new restaurant just off the old high street, well worth a visit.
– Bango Street Kitchen: Unreal Sushi and Bao Buns
– Open Surf Shop: Go and see their collection of plants, surf boards and delicious coffee
– The Minnack Theatre: Wow, this place needs to be seen to be believed.
– Academy and Co & Common Wanderer: St Ives might be more well known for it’s painters and creatives but here are two of my favourite Menswear stores – along the lines of Manchester favourites Oi Polloi
Minnack Theatre
There’s so much more to do here than I could ever really write in one article, the people are wonderful, friendly and the beaches really are a sight to behold. It’s wonderfully dog friendly and when the times right to return I would make Cornwall one of the first holiday destinations you visit.
…………………..
