Sadly, this is my last Cornish post, but it’s a good one!

We spent the day visiting 3 different towns and villages on the south Cornish coast; eating, drinking and exploring every little nook. The lovely thing about the little villages in Cornwall, are their endless winding lanes filled with pubs, tea shops, ice cream, fish & chips, and interesting boutiques.

The weather wasn’t sunny, which meant less crowds, but it was delightfully warm, just as the seaside should be!

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First up….

MEVAGISSEY

Our first stop for morning coffee and cake was the harbour village of Mevagissey. It’s so idyllic with its lanes lined with food spots, beach necessities and the famous Cornish pasties.

RIVER STREET CAFE

Pull up a chair in this little modern-nautical style cafe/restaurant for a nice cup of tea and a huge slab of delicious tiffin. It’s a perfect way to start your day of exploration. If you haven’t had breakfast yet, then they have everything; from a full ‘Cornish’ breakfast or a bacon sandwich to Eggs Benedict or avocado on toast. Yummy! They use local suppliers for their ingredients and everything is made fresh on the premises. If you’re here later in the day then they do offer the famous Cornish cream tea (but we’ll go into more detail on that later!) and some delicious sounding sandwiches (I know my parents would have gone for the local crab ones…)

11 Market Square, Mevagissey, PL26 6UD (Google Maps address)

THE CORNISH BAKERY

You can find The Cornish Bakery throughout the West Country (and actually all over the country and even in Gibraltar!), but they serve up a smashing Cornish pasty. We had the award-winning traditional (beef, potato, swede and onion) and the bacon, leek, and cheese. They were both super scrumptious and, honestly, you can’t leave Cornwall without eating a pasty. You just can’t.

1-2 Olivers Quay, Mevagissey, Cornwall, PL26 6UA (the website has a list of other branches)

CORNISH FUDGE SHOP

Step inside this cute little shop and pick up 100g of wonderful flavoured fudge. I always buy liquorice, but this time I also picked up the apple cider one too. Fudge is such a staple when visiting the English seaside!

Market Square, Mevagissey, Saint Austell PL26 6UD

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FOWEY

The larger town of Fowey was our next stop.

You can actually take the ferry boat from Mevagissey to Fowey (which might be quicker actually), but we were in the car, so we drove round the coast to get there. You park at the top of the hill and walk down to the harbour, and you’ll have some gorgeous views all the way down.

Quaint seaside cottages line the streets on the way down, and then turn into boutiques and eateries as you near the harbour front. You could literally spend days just eating and drinking your way through the town!

THE CLEMENTINE

I’ve picked my favourite of the stores we visited, The Clementine, to share here, because it was packed with wonderful homewares and accessories. I’m a lover of homeware, so any store like this fills me with joy. They also have a lovely collection of prints at the back of the shop, so make sure you explore all the way through!

Trafalgar House, Trafalgar Square, Fowey, PL23 1AZ

WHISTLEFISH

Whistlefish is a lovely little shop selling the cutest greetings cards. There are blank ones for any occasion alongside birthday and all the other celebrations. The ones I loved in here were the illustrations of the local areas. I picked one up of Cornwall to remember my trip, but they had ones of Devon, and also the individual towns and villages in the area, including Fowey itself! You can buy their cards online too, if you can’t get down to the store.

30 Fore St, Fowey PL23 1AQ

THE SHIP INN

The Ship Inn is a gorgeous traditional pub right at the head of Trafalagar Square, up from the harbour. It’s supposed to be one of the best in Fowey and I loved the atmosphere here – it’s over 400 years old! Pull up a window seat and get yourself a pint of something local. I went for a cider, but there are also some great beers on tap too. These guys were stated to have the crab sandwiches that my family were on the hunt for, but sadly they were all out, after a very busy school holiday weekend. Nevertheless, sitting back and resting your feet after a morning of walking is just what the doctor ordered.

Trafalgar Square, Fowey, Cornwall, PL23 1AZ

LUGGER INN 

This was another recommendation for a place that sold a cracking crab sandwich. Now, I don’t love shellfish, so this wasn’t for me, but my family really enjoyed their fresh crab meat sandwiched between slices of soft white bread. The decor in here is super nautical, with the bar looking like it had come straight off a ship, and models of old luggers (small sailing ships) dotting the walls.

5 Fore St, Fowey PL23 1AH

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POLRUAN

Polruan is a small village just across the estuary from Fowey and, again, you can take the passenger ferry across which would be much quicker. However, we hopped on the car ferry and then drove up and round to the top of Polruan.

The view from the top of the hill is glorious and you can see the whole estuary and out to the sea from up there. However, a steep walk down the hill brings you to the centre of the village and a lovely little beach and harbour. We actually holidayed here as children, so it was lovely getting to be here again after all these years.

We were here for our final stop to have a Cornish cream tea, because, alongside the pasty, you can’t leave Cornwall without having one. A cream tea is an English scone cut in half and topped with clotted cornish cream (very, very thick spreadable cream) and jam, and served with a pot of tea.

This is also a Devon (the neighbouring county) tradition too, but they have differing views as to how you should put your cream and jam on your scone. Really! The Cornish way is jam first and then a large dollop of clotted cream, whereas the Devonian way is the opposite. It’s a big deal! However you eat yours, it’s such an English tradition, so do not leave without having one.

CRUMPETS CAFE

Crumpets is a tiny tea shop on the corner before you hit the harbour. They serve a delicious cream tea with large, freshly-baked, moist scones alongside sweet strawberry jam and large pots of cream. I honestly love eating this, even though I’m not a cream fan! I just pop a tiny bit of cream on the top of a pile of jam and enjoy (my parents are the complete opposite – minimal jam, piles of clotted cream). This cafe is so lovely, with friendly service and delicious baked goods!! I would highly recommend having your cream tea here.

2 West St, Polruan, PL23 1PJ

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And with our stomachs full from the days eating, we headed home (via Lansallos Cove) to a cup of tea and bed!