The best harbour towns in Cornwall

Sydney Harbour in Australia and then the Port of Mahon in Menorca. But what’s the world’s third largest natural deep-water harbour? Falmouth. Famous for being the start and finish point for many record-breaking world voyages from the likes of Dame Ellen MacArthur and also famous for being a cruise ship and naval vessel haven with a wealth of history all around, Falmouth is a monster when it comes to Cornish harbour towns. A stunning monster that’s perfectly framed by natural beauty and boasts so much to see and do.

If Falmouth is the prince of Cornwall’s harbour towns then Fowey is the princess. This is quite simply one of the most beautiful harbour towns in Cornwall. Also on the serene southern coast and also framed poetically by natural beauty on all sides, this town’s waterfront may not be as big as Falmouth’s but it is fabulously easy on the eyes. Just ask the yachtsmen and women who moor up in their droves and hit the high seas whenever the fine weather rolls in. History also abounds and there’s tons to do in Fowey once you’ve wandered the harbour and imagined you’re slap bang in a Daphne du Maurier novel.

Modern and historic. Forward-thinking and traditional. East Looe and West Looe. Welcome to a town of binary opposites that come together in harmony. The historic harbour in Looe is a working fishing port so you can spend your days watching the fishing vessels coming in and out. But it’s also a place surrounded by some fab modern shops, pubs and restaurants (like The Harbour Moon) that you can reach on foot or by ferry. The Banjo Pier next to East Looe Beach that runs out to sea is a famous landmark that must be visited and photographed.

Can’t say this is a ‘harbour town’ but it is a town and it has a harbour, so we’re counting Marazion on this list. The harbour itself is known locally as Top Tieb and it was built in the 1920s on the site of a natural harbour to provide a landing place for boats heading off or coming back from St Michael’s Mount out in the bay. A ferry between the town and the mount does operate from the harbour but most of the time there’s no boating activities going on so it’s a fairly safe place for the kids to play before you explore this historical, vibrant south coast town.

Not really famous for being a harbour town, Newquay nevertheless has one and therefore qualifies for inclusion here. You’d be forgiven for thinking more about its many beaches, bars and bloody good opportunities to surf superb waves than its traditional harbour but missing the fishing boats coming in and out would be a shame. Newquay isn’t just cool, modern and fully charged in the summer. It’s also chilled and traditional in places. Just ask the tranquil sunbathers who prefer to hit up its own Harbour Beach. Aptly named, for sure.

It’s a fact: Padstow is synonymous with fish. So its harbour is synonymous with fishing. There may not be as many fishing boats as there once was but there are still plenty to watch as they head out to the horizon before returning later on with your catch of the day, should you buy from the shops or eat out in restaurants like the famous Rick Stein ones. The beaches and scenery around Padstow’s harbour are also worthy of note and boat trips regularly head out of the harbour, as do the ferries over to Rock village.

The harbour in Penzance – the first secure harbour and anchorage on the English Channel’s coast when coming in from the Atlantic – sometimes gets forgotten in the list of most iconic harbour towns in Cornwall. But frankly, it shouldn’t. So it’s not as picture-postcard-worthy as Falmouth or Fowey but the emphasis is more on the work than the wonder as industries like fishing dominate here. Go check out the hordes of fishing vessels that are moored up before visiting the great pubs, shops and restaurants that surround those thick harbour walls.

What makes Porthleven’s harbour worthy of note are the traditional fishing boats that are lined up within its walls, as well as the pretty walks around it on all sides. What then makes England’s most southerly port iconic is its old clock tower that rises above the weathered granite pier – a popular spot for watching dramatic storms out to sea. The tower is a symbol of the town’s history – and the harbour itself is historical as it dates back at least to the Napoleonic period. Visit top restaurants and gastropubs abound around the inner harbour.

The beating art of Cornwall. St Ives is known for its galleries – not least the Tate St Ives – and its art and culture all around. But it’s also known for its idyllic harbour alongside its seafront beaches like the Harbour Beach. It’s sheltered by the famous Smeaton’s Pier with the iconic St Ives Lighthouse at the end of it and it boasts fab views and a cool vibe. There are galleries, shops, pubs and restaurants – with some of these hotspots being named after the harbour itself – all around, as well as those fabulous beaches and a raft of boat trips to be experienced too.

So that our readers can easily navigate themselves around our website, we at Proper Cornwall call villages a ‘town’. Of course, in reality, Cornwall’s villages tend to be smaller than its towns but some of them are just as famous, like Charlestown near St Austell. The grade II listed Georgian harbour here has been the leading light in countless movies and TV shows, from British masterpieces like ‘Poldark’ and ‘Doctor Who’ right up to global blockbusters like ‘Alice in Wonderland’. This harbour, often home to beautiful tall ships, needs exploring.

Villages in Cornwall are frequently accompanied by words like ‘quaint’ and ‘charming’ when they’re being described by locals or visitors. Some deserve it. Some don’t. But few villages come more ‘quaint’ and ‘charming’ (and thus deserving of these monikers) than Mevagissey. The twin harbour here personifies the picturesque quality of the village with its traditional fishing boats coming in and out. Check out the Mevagissey Aquarium that sits on the actual harbour before chowing down in one of the local eateries. It’s the law.

The most famous fishing village harbour in Cornwall? Maybe. The only place in the world to be named after a cave that literally looks like a ‘mouse hole’? Possibly. An incredible, historical and photogenic seaside spot on the far reaches of the Duchy? Definitely. Mousehole, pronounced ‘Mowzel’, has old world charm in spades. The harbour itself brings hundreds of years of history with it and still welcomes a steady stream of fishing vessels daily. Enjoy this harbour in all its glory in the middle of summer every year at the Sea Salts and Sail festival.

The biggest village on the Lizard peninsula has a harbour that takes you back years and years. Seemingly touched little by the modern world, this harbour, managed by the National Trust in an attraction known as Mullion Cove, comes equipped with a little sandy beach, a cave befitting of only the best smugglers and that pretty harbour, all flanked by towering sea cliffs. Mullion itself, with its homely pubs, craft stores, tea rooms and galleries, is just behind all of that. But don’t rush there as this harbour demands at least an afternoon of wanderin’ and chillin’.

Going to Polperro really is like stepping into a portal that goes right back in time. Old fishermen’s cottages. Stone harbour walls that have been lapped by the tides over many years. No cars zooming by. Traditional fishing vessels out on the water. History all around. This picture-postcard village is a treat for the senses. There’s also the Polperro Heritage Museum out next to the harbour as well as quaint coffee shops, galleries and eateries that deserve to be sampled. A certain quiet in the air. That’s Polperro’s harbour.

Port Isaac’s harbour – made up of two big walls out there in the sea – isn’t really the attraction here. It’s everything that surrounds this village harbour that’s headline-grabbing. ‘Quaint’, ‘idyllic’, ‘from another time’ – they all apply. Just ask grumpy medical man Doc Martin and celebrated singing group, the Fisherman’s Friends, and they’ll tell you why Port Isaac isn’t just a harbourside village on the northern coast of Cornwall any more. It’s now a place of pilgrimage every year for thousands of people from the county and far, far beyond.