One of the area’s most picturesque destinations, not only will the pretty working harbour village present you with oodles to see and do, but the surrounding area offers some seriously special days out for every type of visitor, from world-class attractions to unspoilt natural scenery.
Nestled on the sleepy coast south of Cornwall in St Austell Bay, Mevagissey’s charm isn’t a mystery. Its easy-on-the eye quaintness reflects Cornwall’s traditional fishing culture while inviting visitors to lazily take it all in: narrow streets packed with shops, cafés, galleries and pubs; the buzzing all-year-round activity hub of the working harbour - always dotted with a rainbow of fishing boats; and array of mini attractions including the Lifeboat house, museum and aquarium – all set within easy strolling distance.
Tucked into an expansive Natural Landscape (formerly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), the gorgeous fishing village suits all types of holiday prerequisites, from family beach holidays and couple’s escapes to those seeking a slice of culture, entertainment, food and escapades both here and further afield.
Explore the many pretty beaches and coves around Mevagissey with our guide.
Here are some of our favourite things to see and do in and near Mevagissey...
Things to do in...
Mevagissey
Mevagissey Aquarium
Where: 27 Polkirt Hill, Mevagissey, Saint Austell PL26 6UR
Website: mevagisseyharbour.co.uk/aquarium
The village features a host of highlights including the aquarium (open Easter-October), which can be found in an old lifeboat house at the edge of the harbour (check out our webcam over the harbour here). Explore maritime history and gain greater understanding of the fishing industry and marine life during what promises to be an ultra kiddie friendly visit.
Model Railway & Museum
Where: Meadow St, Mevagissey, Saint Austell PL26 6UL
The utterly fascinating, Mevagissey Model Railway provides indoor all-weather fun for all ages; while the Mevagissey Museum’s assortment of themed exhibits, eclectic collections, and kids/ interactive heritage trails are just the ticket for visitors wanting to discover more about Mevagissey and its intriguing history.
Polmassick Vineyard
Where: The Cottage, Polmassick, Saint Austell PL26 6HA
Website: polmassickvineyard.co.uk
Planted in 1976, Polmassick Vineyard is Cornwall’s ‘oldest’ vineyard and can be found in the sleepy hamlet of Saint Ewe just a few miles inland. Take a self-guided walk around the oh-so pretty vineyard and bring a picnic to enjoy while sitting amongst the beautiful indoor vines of the wine garden as you sup on a glass of their lip-smacking vino (dogs on a lead are welcome, there are no admission charges and there’s a free car park).
Mevagissey Rib Rides
Where: 1 W Wharf, Mevagissey, Saint Austell PL26 6UJ
Push the boat out with a fun-filled adventure on the open water around Mevagissey aboard the aptly named, ‘Bouncing Betty.’ The 20-minute scenic speedboat ride operates throughout the summer season, giving visitors the chance to explore Mevagissey’s coastline and spot a variety of sea life including dolphins for an adrenalised activity like no other. Check out their social media for more information.
Food & Drink
Sample some local beers and Cornish gastronomy at any of Mevagissey’s renowned pubs and restaurants dotted throughout the village and quayside, such as Salamander, The Ship, and The King’s Arms.
Feast Week
Coincide your trip with Mevagissey Feast Week (usually the last week of July) for a top tasting foodie style holiday like no other. The week-long celebration treats visitors to a plethora of events, with Fish Feast Day featuring an assortment of live music, exhibitions, parades, flora dances, choirs and bands, children’s entertainment and activities – all with a huge focus on feasting and culminating in a show-stopping fireworks finale.
For more information and ideas on what to do while in Mevagissey, view our destination guide here.
Adventure on foot
Sitting on the South West Coast Path, Mevagissey is a hiker’s dream. Walk the waterside or head into the hinterland to absorb south Cornwall’s stunning landscapes and nearby destinations, or pick a cycle route such as the Pentewan Trail for an action-packed day out for all.
A hike to Dodman Cross presents jaw-dropping panoramas, as do walks further west to Porthluney Cove (stop off a Caerhays Castle) or along the Roseland to Portloe; while particularly popular sections of the South West Coast Path run from Colona Beach to Chapel Porth and past Pentewan to the stirring lookout point of Black Head. Alternatively, work up a sweat with the challenging circular walk to Heligan and the Prehistoric Tin Stream.
Take a day trip to...
Fowey
.jpg)
Head east for the seaside spoils of one of south Cornwall’s most celebrated towns and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that is, Fowey. Accessible from Mevagissey via a scenic ferry ride (that takes approx. 45 minutes each way), the seaport boasts everything from the exquisite estuary and its plethora of waterside villages to beaches, shops and galleries, historical landmarks, and natural harbour.
Indulge in watersports such as kayaking, sailing and windsurfing, along with activities including golf, fishing and horse riding – all of which can be as relaxed or adrenalised as you wish.
And with its location on the gorgeous Polperro Heritage Coast, the area is awash with top calibre walks and cycle trails for all levels and agendas.
The Roseland
One of the south coast’s most stunningly unspoiled locations, The Roseland is a renowned hotspot for holidaymakers in south Cornwall (and is easily accessible via car, bus, or even hiking the South West Coast Path from Mevagissey).
From breathtaking countryside to a captivating collection of rivers, beaches and coastline, this is scenery guaranteed to stir the soul while you enjoy a variety of things to do, from bird watching and sea swimming to festival-going, shopping, eating and drinking.
Walkers are afforded a particular treat here: spectacular seascapes along the South West Coast Path meet rambling country lanes, concealed coves, World Heritage Mining Sites and softly winding creeks for a day out replete with natural eye candy.
St Austell
Beyond the old market town itself, St Austell is home to a string of coastal gems including filmmakers’ favourite and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Charlestown. Visit Charlestown’s famous Shipwreck Treasure Museum that – housing nearly 8,000 shipwreck artefacts - remains Europe’s largest private collection of its kind, before roaming the Georgian port and Grade II Listed harbour and walking or driving to any of the coves and beaches scattered along the coast, such as the sweeping stretch of Carlyon Bay.
Visit a top attraction near Mevagissey...
The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Where: B3273, Pentewan, Saint Austell PL26 6EN
Website: heligan.com
Expect a mind-boggling bounty of blooms at this 200-acre sprawling mass of productive gardens and pleasure grounds. From giant palms and rhubarb to banana plantations, bamboo tunnels, farmland and woodland, it’s a veritable smorgasbord of flora and fauna for everyone from nature lovers to garden enthusiasts - or anyone on the hunt for an unforgettable dose of peace and beauty. Shop, eat, meander, play, or enjoy an event from a schedule designed to suit all ages as you explore one of Cornwall’s most magnificent natural spaces.
Eden Project
Where: Bodelva, Par PL24 2SG
Website: edenproject.com
Eden Project’s heady combination of paradisiacal plant-life, artworks, exhibitions, sculptures, events arena and living theatre are a must-see mix at this – the world’s largest indoor rainforest. The former clay-pits-turned-ecological-phenomenon is one of Cornwall’s highest profile attractions, making the iconic cluster of biomes a definite to do on every visitor’s list.
View our full guide to visiting the Eden Project here.
St Austell Brewery
Where: 63 Trevarthian Rd, Saint Austell PL25 4BY
Website: staustellbreweryvisitorcentre.co.uk
Boasting 150 years in the brewing industry, St Austell Brewery shares its story through its enticing Visitor Centre. Home to an interactive museum, Victorian Brewery, Hicks Bar and licensed Brewery Shop and Warehouse, visitors can learn about and sample this Cornish brewery's lip-smacking range of award-winning beers, ciders, lagers and spirits.
Kidzworld Adventure Play
Where: Par Moor Rd, Saint Austell PL25 3RP
Website: kidzworldcornwall.co.uk
The year-round venue is a brilliant go-to during all weathers to burn the little ones’ energy and ensure a fun-filled family day out. The award winning adventure play centre is located just outside St Austell and is chock with slides, soft play, games, rides and activities including mini golf, all guaranteed to induce giggles and smiles aplenty.
Wheal Martyn
Where: Carthew, Saint Austell PL26 8XG
Website: wheal-martyn.com
Explore one of Cornwall’s distinct mining landscapes that forms part of its renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site at Luxulyan Valley and Charlestown by exploring the Treffry Viaduct, canals, leats and tramways alongside Wheal Martyn’s fantastic discovery centre, whose interactive displays and artefacts can be found amongst 26 acres of scenic woodland walks and play areas.
Hit the beach...
From secluded coves to stretches of golden sands and flat pebbly beaches, the area in and around Mevagissey is awash with beaches both family-friendly and off-the-beaten-track.
Pentewan
Situated between St Austell and Mevagissey, the flat white sands of Pentewan provide a beautifully safe and sheltered spot for swimming, sun bathing and water sports such as canoeing and sailing (equipment hire is available from the holiday park). There are toilets, a large car park and refreshments available, but no lifeguard service (and a seasonal dog ban is imposed).
Portmellon
Just south over the hill from Mevagissey lies Portmellon, a sandy cove flanked by rocks that disappears with the high tide. Potential drawbacks include limited off-road parking and a lack of lifeguard cover (plus dogs are banned during the summer months), but if you fancy a wander along the coast path followed by a little beach stint (accompanied by drinks or a bite to eat at The Rising Sun Inn), then this is a great option.
Gorran Haven
Gorran Haven sits in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) at the far eastern edge of the Roseland Peninsula and is home to two sheltered (and dogs-on-lead friendly) sandy beaches: Great Perhaver and Vault, or Bow Beach, which is especially suited to families.
Great Perhaver
If getting-away-from-it-all is the order of the day, then a stop-off here will reward you with a sense of escapism you won’t find at the busier beaches along this stretch. Access isn’t particularly child-friendly and there’s no lifeguard cover (and a seasonal dog ban), however what you will be spoilt with is gorgeous sloping sands, craggy clifflines and a private piece of unspoilt beach to savour.
Hemmick Beach
West of Dodman Point on the achingly picturesque Roseland, Hemmick Beach presents a small sandy space that’s dog friendly all year round. A lack of facilities and lifeguard service might put some people off, plus the nearest car park is a quarter of a mile away even before you cross the field track to get there; but upon arrival the wild beauty of Hemmick will quickly forgive all that.
Porthluney Cove
Part of the Caerhays Castle estate and situated between Portloe and Mevagissey, the sandy sheltered beach permits dogs all year and gives good access, along with plenty of parking and facilities including toilets and a shop. There’s no lifeguard cover but it’s flat and generally regarded as relatively safe for bathing (depending on the conditions).
Porthpean
What it lacks in size it more than makes up for in natural beauty. A family favourite, Porthpean lies in a sheltered position north of Mevagissey and boasts a cafe, shop, and toilets, and is ideal water sports territory (though there is a seasonal dog ban and no lifeguard service).
Carlyon Bay
If you venture eastward beyond Charlestown, Carlyon Bay comprises a stunning trio of south-facing beaches that arc toward the crescent-shaped and (usually) less populated, Polkerris, where watersports instruction and equipment hire is also readily available throughout the summer season. Seek out Polgaver at the far end of Carlyon (Cornwall’s first official nudist beach) for a more remote, back-to-nature vibe.
Inspired? View our fantastic range of cottages in Mevagissey.
Tags: Eden Project | Fowey | Lost Gardens of Heligan | Mevagissey | South Cornwall | St Austell | The Roseland |