Where to see Santa in Cornwall 2022

Dates: Friday 25 November-Friday 16 December 2022
Times: Various slots to choose between 11am and 2.20pm each day
Location: The Bedruthan Hotel and Spa Cornwall, Trenance, Mawgan Porth, near Newquay
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: A Santa’s woodland grotto experience with a two-course meal and a pretty snazzy child’s gift inside a classy hotel and spa. The experience can be tailored for the child if mum or dad call Santa’s hotline before their arrival
Price: Grotto-and-meal experience from £65, based on one adult and one child. See the official website for more pricing details

Dates: Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 November, plus 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 December 2022
Times: Various times, allocated by elves
Location: Lappa Valley steam train attraction, Lappa Valley, St Newlyn East, Newquay
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: Santa’s grotto in a steam train attraction. What’s not to love? Kids get a ‘specially chosen gift’ from the jolly man too, which should keep them on the right track at Christmas!
Price: £15.50 per child (up to 15 years old). Adults are the same price. Under-ones are free if they don’t receive a gift

Dates: Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 November, plus Saturday 3, 10 and Sunday 4, 11 December, plus 17-23 December 2022
Times: Slots must be pre-booked via phone between 10am and 5pm on the selected days
Location: Camel Creek Adventure Park, Treddinick, Wadebridge
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: Board the Elf Express to Santa’s Grotto and then walk through the Christmas tree forest until you get to meet the man himself for a ‘personal magical moment’. Then kids get to go into the elf workshop to choose a gift with one of Santa’s helpers. Also on those selected days, there are seasonal arts and crafts, food and drink and decorations throughout the attraction
Price: £11.95 for members and £19.95 for non-members

Dates: Friday 2-Saturday 24 December 2022
Times: Slots must be pre-booked between 10am and 7pm on selected days
Location: Eden Project, Bodelva, Par (5km from St Austell)
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: Meet Father Christmas and his coolest helper Elfie, who’s ‘fresh out of Elf Training Camp and ready to get stuck in’! Every kid who visits the grotto leaves with a book of Elfie’s adventures and a Christmas chocolate treat
Price: Adult plus one child £20-£28, depending on the day. You’ll also need a valid form of admission. Check the official website

Dates: Saturday 3 December 2022
Times: From 6pm
Location: Sasha Would’ve Loved It, The Stuart Stephens Memorial Hall, 34-36 West Street, Penryn, near Falmouth
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: The charity shop and café in Penryn that raises money to support teenagers in Cornwall who are fighting cancer is organising its one-night-only Santa’s grottos on the same night that Penryn’s Christmas lights are switched on. There’s a mystery special guest going along with Santa too, plus every child receives a wrapped gift and there’s special Christmas items on sale in the shop too!
Price: £1 per child

Dates: Saturday 3, 10 and Sunday 4, 11, plus 17-24 December 2022
Times: Pre-book a slot between 10am and 5.40pm on the selected days
Location: Dairyland Farm Park, Tresillian Barton, Newquay
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: Meet Santa in his grotto, get a gift, chat with the elves and then head out to play with the animals in the park. Options also available for ‘breakfast with Santa’ on selected days
Price: £7 for a family with one child, £14 with two children (£7 per child, in essence. Price does not include park entry!)

Dates: Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 December 2022
Times: 10am-4pm each day
Location: Heartlands, Dudnance Lane, Pool, near Redruth
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: This is actually a pretty big festive market at the Pool attraction with loads to browse but a visit from Santa is expected for the kids, so all the family can have a great time at the ‘Nadelik’
Price: 50p per adult

Dates: Saturday 3, 10, 17, 24 and Sunday 4, 11, 18 December 2022
Times: Slots must be pre-booked between 11.30am and 3.30pm
Location: Lanhydrock, off the B3268, Trebyan, near Bodmin
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: Father Christmas holes up in his own woodland cottage at the beautiful National Trust property on the edge of Bodmin. Kids will love this grotto and dogs are invited too. In fact canines can get gifts from Santa as well as the children! (Note: the house and garden are closed for the winter but the grotto is open on the estate. Your slot must be pre-booked)
Price: Adults £2 and children £6 (includes the gift!)

Dates: Saturday 3, 10, 17 and Sunday 4, 11, 18, plus 19-23 December 2022
Times: Slots must be pre-booked between 11am and 4pm
Location: Trelissick, Dicky Lane, Feock, near Truro
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: The jolly red dude tells his festive tale in the National Trust property’s stable yard before handing out gifts to kids at the end of his story. This is not a one-on-one with Santa, though. This is a fun group storytelling experience
Price: Adults £2 and children £6 (includes the gift!)

Dates: Every weekend in December prior to Christmas Day, plus Monday 19-Friday 23 December 2022
Times: Train departs Bodmin General Station at 10am each day
Location: Bodmin and Wenford Railway, Bodmin General Station on the B3268 Lostwithiel Road, Bodmin
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: Meet Santa at a railway station after a festive ride on a steam train. Kids receive a gift too and then they can take part in some Christmas-themed arts and crafts activities. There are also options to see Santa on a stationary train
Price: Adults from £16, children from £19.95 and under-twos from £9.95

Dates: Sunday 4, 11 & 18 December 2022
Times: 12midday-2.30pm
Location: China Fleet Country Club, Salt Mill, Saltash
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: Santa and his elves greet the little ones in his grotto at the country club before giving them an extra special gift. Price also includes a traditional two-course Christmas carvery alongside mulled wine and a choir. Merry Christmas!
Price: £20 per person but under-twos go for free

Dates: Sunday 4, 11 & 18 December 2022
Times: 10am-12midday
Location: The Social Bar, West Street, Liskeard
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: A Santa’s Grotto in a welcoming social bar in the town. The big man is flying in to spend a couple of hours with the kids, telling stories and handing out presents to them. Photo opportunities are available. There’s also soft play and a kids’ festive buffet!
Price: £10 per child

Dates: Sunday 4 & 11, plus Monday 19 December 2022
Time: 1pm
Location: The Bodmin Jail Hotel, next to Bodmin Jail, Berrycoombe Road, Bodmin
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: Not strictly a grotto but a chance to meet Santa nevertheless. The hotel next to the famous jail attraction is hosting a festive Narnia-inspired afternoon tea at The Chapel Restaurant and the jolly man is joining in with proceedings so he and his elves can meet every kid who comes along. Each child receives a gift too
Price: £30 per person

Dates: Wednesday 7, 14 & 21, plus Monday 19 & Tuesday 20 December 2022
Times: Allocated when booking
Location: Truro Cathedral, St Mary’s Street, Truro
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: Half-hour shows around the cathedral where kids try to find Santa’s whereabouts before meeting him in his grotto in the crypt. Something as little different, for sure!
Price: £8 per child (up to 12 years old) which includes one accompanying adult. Under-twos go for free

Dates: Saturday 10, 17 and Sunday 11, 18, plus 21-23 December 2022
Times: Pre-book a slot between 11am and 4pm. Each slot lasts half-an-hour
Location: Trerice, Kestle Mill, Newquay
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: Santa makes the National Trust property’s drawing room his own on the run-up to Christmas. He’s inviting kids to join him in a 30-minute session so he can tell them tales of Christmas past. Every child goes home with a gift
Price: Adults £3 and kids £4 (Price does not include entry to the attraction!)

Dates: Sunday 11 & 18 December 2022
Times: 10am-11am; 11.30am-12.30pm; 1.30pm-2.30pm; 3pm-4pm
Location: The 1st Castle Canyke Scouts Hut, Castle Canyke Road, Bodmin
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: This grotto is specially for autistic children and those with additional needs (it’s super chilled in there!), although all are welcome. It is suitable for all ages and there’s also a raffle, lucky dip, tombola and stalls inside the hut
Price: £3 per kid, which includes a gift and a ‘craft bag’. Tickets must be booked via the Facebook page. Click ‘Read More’ for details

Dates: Saturday 17 December 2022
Times: 4.30pm-8pm
Location: Falmouth Community Fire Station, Trescobeas Road, Falmouth
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: Falmouth‘s hot ticket: a drive-through grotto at the town’s fire station with a ‘small gift for all those good children!’
Price: No set price. All the firefighters ask is for a cash donation on arrival (no change given!) that goes to ‘both the Firefighters Charity and Penryn and Falmouth foodbank’. And no booking necessary. Just turn up, drive into the station and meet the great man there from the comfort of your car!

Dates: Every day between Saturday 17 and Saturday 24 December 2022
Times: 10.45am to 4pm every day (closes at 2pm on Christmas Eve)
Location: Newquay Zoo, Trenance Gardens, Newquay
The ho-ho-ho-lowdown: Santa Claus? Surely more like Santa Paws… but this grotto is well worth the trip to the zoo where kids can enjoy a free reindeer food-making activity during the day as well
Price: £9.50 per child (up to 15 years old) which includes a gift but doesn’t include entry to the zoo. Buy that separately