Cornwall, in the South West of England, is a great place to visit in all weathers. There’s so much to do, on rainy days or in perfect sunshine. Here are the top things to do in Cornwall in any weather.
Cornwall is one of my favourite corners of the UK. It’s beautiful all year round, but I most often visit at Easter. It’s a great place to visit for the long Easter weekend. In early spring, the weather can be varied, but you’ve got a good chance of getting some lovely sunny days. And sunny days with beautiful sea views are hard to beat. But you often get windy and rainy days as well – the weather can be really varied. My top things to do in Cornwall in any weather will show you all of the best places to visit, no matter what the weather is doing.
Cornwall can get busy at peak times, including Easter and the summer holidays. But it’s also easily possible to get away from the crowds and have plenty of space to yourself in this beautiful area. Ideally, try to get to the more popular places and car park early – before 9.30am – and you shouldn’t have any problems getting a space. And once you walk away from the main towns and beaches, you can be the only person on the coast path.
To fully enjoy the top things to do in Cornwall in any weather it’s definitely best to have you own car. Public Transport in Cornwall is ok between the main towns and cities. But it’s not great in the more remote areas. So having your own car will give you the freedom and flexibility to explore.
So here are my top things to do in Cornwall in any weather.
1. Visit Crantock Beach, near Newquay
The first of my top things to do in Cornwall in any weather is to visit Crantock Beach. This is my favourite beach in the whole of Cornwall. It’s definitely best to visit on a sunny day, but I think it’s still beautiful in all weathers.
Crantock Beach is just outside the popular town of Newquay. There’s a car park here – but it’s not huge, so make sure you get here fairly early on a sunny day. But it’s definitely worth it. Crantock Beach is a huge beach, especially at low tide. There’s loads of space to sit and relax on the beach. And the waves here are brilliant for surfing and body-boarding as well. It’s definitely one of my favourite places in Cornwall when the weather is nice.
2. Explore the cute fishing village of Mevagissey
The fishing village of Mevagissey is another of Cornwall’s highlights. You can visit here in any weather – so it’s a great option for a rainy day in Cornwall. Park in the large car and coach park at the top of the village, and then walk just a few minutes downhill into the village.
The cute, narrow streets are filled with independent shops, tea rooms, and a pub as well. It’s lovely to walk around the town and browse the shops. It’s a great place to buy souvenirs and gifts for friends and family, including some Cornish fudge.
The harbour is my favourite part of Mevagissey. I love seeing all the different boats in the harbour, with the pretty cottages on the hill behind. The seagulls are lovely here as well. Mevagissey is a lovely place to wander around, rain or shine.
3. Spot seals on the beaches
If you’re lucky, you might be able to spot some seals along the beaches and coastline in Cornwall. There are lots of seals in the waters here, including both Grey and Common seals. Keep a lookout on coastal walks in the sea, and also on any small, secluded beaches. You might get lucky and see some seals resting on the beaches or rocks, or swimming around in the sea.
4. Eat Cornish Pasties by the sea
No trip to Cornwall is complete without eating Cornish Pasties. It’s one of the most famous foods in Cornwall. And you can definitely eat Cornish Pasties in all weathers! There are lots of bakeries and shops in all of the town around Cornwall where you can buy freshly baked Cornish Pasties. Just be careful a seagull doesn’t try to steal some, if you eat it outside!
5. Hike along the coast path around St Agnes Head
The South West Coast Path in Cornwall is one of the highlights of the area. Miles of well-signposted paths follow the coast around the whole county. One of my favourite parts of the coast path is the area around St Agnes Head, on the north coast of Cornwall.
The coast path around St Agnes Head is really impressive. It has some steep cliffs, which give amazing views down to the sea and the rocks below. There are some really interesting coloured rocks in the cliffs. And the views are just stunning. It’s best enjoyed on a sunny day, when the sun really highlights the beautiful blue water. But even on a sunny day, it can get very windy on this exposed area of coastline.
6. Visit Land’s End for the scenery and attractions
Another great option in Cornwall for sunny weather is to visit Land’s End. It’s the most Western point of the UK. It’s a popular area with a lot of attractions, that can get quite busy, so be aware of this in busy times like Easter and Summer Holidays. But it’s still definitely worth the trip, even with the crowds.
There’s lots to do around Land’s End. But my favourite thing is just to enjoy the views across the coast. It really does feel like you can see for miles. But as well as the stunning scenery, you can also enjoy some of the attractions here. There’s the famous sign post at Land’s End, Greeb Farm, a 4D cinema, a Wallace and Gromit Attraction, golf course, and so much more. The variety of activities here mean you can also visit Land’s End on a rainy day if you want to focus more on the indoor activities. But if you want to focus on enjoying the outdoor scenery, a sunny day is best for your visit.
7. Explore the rainforest at the Eden Project
Another of Cornwall’s top attractions is the Eden Project. The Eden Project in Cornwall is definitely one of the top things to do in Cornwall in any weather. It’s lovely in the sunshine, where you can enjoy the outdoor flowers in the sun. But it’s also a great place to visit on a rainy day, as there are lots of indoor parts as well.
From the visitor reception, you can get a nice view over the whole Eden Project, with the iconic domes. My favourite part of the Eden Project is the Rainforest biome. It’s really like walking through a real rainforest, with the heat and humidity as well. You can see lots of different rainforest plants, and even enjoy a rope bridge, treetop walkway, walking through a cloud, and a waterfall. The Mediterranean biome is nice as well. And the gardens outside are lovely to enjoy.
8. Go body-boarding and swim in the sea
One of the best things to do in Cornwall in nicer weather is to go body-boarding in the sea. So many of the beaches around Cornwall, especially on the North Coast, have amazing waves for surfing and body-boarding. If you’re feeling brave, you could try surfing at one of the surf schools around Cornwall. But for something a bit easier and more accessible, try body-boarding.
Body-boarding is so much fun if you get some good waves. Just remember to only go in the sea on a beach with lifeguards, as you can get strong currents on some beaches around Cornwall. But on a lifeguarded beach, you can safely have a go at body-boarding and enjoy swimming in the sea.
9. Explore the art galleries in St Ives
On a rainy day in Cornwall, the art galleries in St Ives are a great option. There’s a branch of the Tate Modern here, as well as several other smaller art galleries as well. On a rainy day, you can escape from the bad weather and enjoy the art inside the galleries. St Ives is a really pretty town as well, so make sure you take some time to walk around the town. You can browse the shops, and also enjoy some great restaurants here.
10. Walk the coast path at The Lizard
Another of the best walks in Cornwall on a sunny day is the walk around The Lizard. On the south coast of Cornwall, The Lizard is the most southerly point in the UK. It’s an area of dramatic scenery, with high cliffs and impressive rock formations. And there’s an impressive lighthouse on the end of Lizard Point as well. It’s another place in Cornwall that is just gorgeous on a sunny day, with views of the blue sea.
11. Spot nesting sea birds in the cliffs
The cliffs around the coast in Cornwall are home to a wide range of sea birds. In springtime, you can see some of the sea birds nesting on the cliffs around the coastline. As well as Herring Gulls, you can also see nesting Fulmars along the cliffs. Keep a look out for Gannets as well. It’s a great place for bird-watchers.
12. Enjoy a Cornish Cream Tea
On a cold and rainy day in Cornwall, there’s nothing better to do than warm up in a cute tea room and enjoy a Cornish Cream Tea. It’s another of Cornwall’s most famous foods. Cornish clotted cream is deliciously decadent, and goes perfectly with strawberry jam and a fresh, warm scone. Choose a type of tea to have with it, and enjoy. Many of the towns and tourist-y villages around Cornwall have tea rooms, with Cornish Cream Teas on the menu. Just remember – in Cornwall, you’re meant to put the jam on the scone first, and then the cream on top. If you do it the other way round, that’s apparently the Devon way!
13. Explore the caves on Perranporth Beach
Perranporth Beach, and the adjacent beach called Perran Sands Beach, is another of Cornwall’s best beaches. It’s a huge beach at low tide, and on a sunny day is a great beach to relax in the sun and go body-boarding. But in rainy weather, you can still enjoy the beach. On a rainy day, you can walk along the beach, and also explore the back of the beach next to the cliffs. There are lots of caves within the cliffs, that you can safely climb over the rocks to explore. I loved going deep inside the caves, and admiring the impressive rock formations.
14. Drink Cornish Scrumpy Cider
Cornwall has a great range of pubs. And one of the most famous drinks in Cornwall is called ‘Scrumpy’. It’s a cider that is produced locally in Cornwall. On a rainy day in Cornwall, find a cute pub to have a drink of Cornish Scrumpy Cider. Or you can buy some in a shop to enjoy at your hotel or caravan. It’s another thing to enjoy in Cornwall in all weathers.
15. See the animals at Newquay Zoo
Families with children will love visiting Newquay Zoo. It’s a great place to have a day out if the weather isn’t nice enough to be at the beach. Newquay Zoo isn’t a huge zoo, but you can still fill a few hours here. There are a nice range of animals here. My favourites are the otters – they’re always really fun to watch as they run around.
16. Visit the stately home and gardens at Lanhydrock
The stately home of Lanhydrock is one of the most impressive in the South West of the UK. It’s owned by the National Trust, and it’s one of their most popular sites in Cornwall. It’s a great option for any weather, as there’s plenty to enjoy in rain or shine. If the weather is bad, you can focus on enjoying the interior of the impressive historic house. It’s a huge house, with plenty of rooms open to the public. I love walking around the interior of houses like this, imagining how people used to live a few hundred years ago.
If the weather is nice, the gardens at Landydrock are lovely to explore as well. There are formal gardens near the house, which have some beautiful plants and flowers in the spring and summer. There are also miles of parkland as well, if you want a longer walk to enjoy the views.
17. Watch the boats around Falmouth
Falmouth, on the south coast of Cornwall, is another important large town in Cornwall. It’s one of the bigger towns in Cornwall, with plenty of pubs and restaurants. There are several museums here as well, so it’s a good option if you want some options of indoor activities on rainy days.
Falmouth is also a large harbour, making it popular with boat enthusiasts. There are lots of different types of boats here, from small fishing boats to larger, expensive yachts. I enjoy just watching the boats around Falmouth as they come in and out of the large natural harbour.
18. Explore Cornwall’s mining heritage
Cornwall’s history is heavily focussed on mining. For a lot of history, this was how many people in Cornwall made a living – either by working in the mines, or as wealthy owners of the mines. You can’t go far in Cornwall without encountering some remains of Cornwall’s mining heritage. Many of the cliff paths pass by disused mines, with concealed entrances in the rock faces. Some of the entrances look really small and dark, and it makes you realise how difficult work it must have been, for the miners to be working in such cramped, dark and dangerous conditions. It’s fascinating to explore this heritage of Cornwall, beyond the classic tourist sites it’s now known for.
19. Find secret, hidden coves on coastal walks
Another way to make the coastal walks around Cornwall more interesting is to keep a look out for secret, hidden beaches and coves. Some of the beaches in Cornwall are huge and really popular – such as beaches like Fistral Beach in Newquay, or Perran Sands. But other beaches are tiny little secluded coves, that only appear at low tide. Many of these are completely inaccessible as well, so they remain pristine and uncrowded. It’s one of the joys of the South West Coast Path around Cornwall, that you never know quite what you’re going to find when you turn the corner on your walks.
20. Watch the sunset over Perranporth Beach
The last of my top things to do in Cornwall in any weather is to watch the sunset over Perranporth Beach. Of course, to fully enjoy the sunset, you’ll need to wait for a day that has fairly clear skies in the evening. But it’s definitely worth trying to see a sunset in Cornwall. I just love watching the sun set behind the sea, turning the whole sky a gorgeous mix of orange, yellow and pink. It’s the perfect way to end a holiday in Cornwall.
Enjoy the top things to do in Cornwall at Easter! Make sure you also check out my guide to the best walks and views in Cornwall to make the most of your trip. And to enjoy more of the UK’s stunning coastline and scenery, check out my best walks and views in the Lake District, the best walks on the Gower Peninsula in Wales, or around Bournemouth, Sidmouth, and Yorkshire.
