First-floor apartment. One double bedroom with TV and en-suite walk-in shower, basin, heated towel rail and WC. Open-plan living space with kitchen, dining area and sitting area
One of the oldest market towns in Cornwall, the pretty port of Penryn boasts a wealth of historic architecture and harbour heritage with attractive granite buildings steeply sloping along the cobbled streets down to the sea. There’s a good choice of restaurants, cafes and pubs in the town, along with a museum offering free entry, and the tranquil Enys Gardens on the outskirts of the town, providing a range of grounds and a peaceful haven. Further along the Penryn River, just one mile towards the sea you’ll find the famous seaport of Falmouth, with a host of things to keep you entertained including harbour-side pubs and eateries offering spectacular views, stunning Blue Flag beaches and a bustling town centre. Visit the National Maritime Museum for a taste of Cornwall’s sea-faring history, or the fine Tudor fortress of Pendennis Castle, superb set gazing out to sea. You don’t have to venture far from Penryn to discover Cornwall’s many sights, delights and stunning coastline, and this is the perfect character base from which to see it all.
With its sweeping beaches, rugged moorlands, hidden woodlands, and rolling countryside estates, Cornwall is a superb destination if you want to spend some time bird watching on holiday.
One of the best spots is Hayle Estuary Nature Reserve, managed by the RSPB. This rich wetland habitat attracts a variety of birdlife, including teals, wigeons, and goosanders. While winter offers the highest numbers, spring and early summer also bring migrant waders such as oystercatchers, dunlins, and whimbrels to the tidal pools and marshes.
Marazion Marsh, also managed by the RSPB and overlooking the iconic St Michael’s Mount near Penzance, boasts Cornwall’s largest reedbed. It’s a haven for species like chiffchaffs, Cetti’s warblers, little egrets, and grey herons. Bitterns are regularly recorded here, and birds of prey, including sparrowhawks and buzzards, are often spotted too.
For a variety of songbirds and raptors, head to the Rame Peninsula near Cawsand. This beautiful area of tidal creeks, sandy beaches, and peaceful farmland attracts goldcrests, firecrests, warblers, and buntings. You may also glimpse birds of prey such as hobbies, merlins, peregrine falcons, and, if you’re lucky, the rare hen harrier.
At Stithians Lake, a large reservoir, breeding birds like little grebes, coots, and moorhens are common. Waders such as greenshanks, ruffs, and curlew sandpipers can also be seen foraging along the muddy banks.
Not far from St Ives, St Ives Island, actually a headland between Porthmeor and Porthgwidden beaches, is a top spot for seabird watching, especially in autumn. Huge flocks of skuas, terns, gannets, fulmars, and auks pass by, alongside waders like purple sandpipers, whimbrels, and turnstones.
Finally, no trip to Cornwall would be complete without exploring Bodmin Moor. This dramatic granite moorland, scattered with ancient ruins and rich in wildlife, is especially rewarding in spring and summer, when skylarks, stonechats, wheatears, and sedge warblers arrive to breed. In autumn and winter, the moor plays host to thousands of golden plovers, along with snipes and the more elusive jack snipe.
