If you think summer is the only time to visit Cornwall, think again. Once the summer crowds have packed up their buckets and spades, the beaches are left gloriously empty as autumn drenches the Cornish coast and countryside in golden hues. So, whether you decide to don walking boots, pull on a wetsuit or amble around arty attractions, here are our favourite ways to feel the autumnal glow in Cornwall…
1. Catch the Autumn Swells
Autumn is the season when long-range Atlantic swells lash our shores, bringing bigger waves and whipping the Atlantic into wild and exhilarating seascapes. Watch the storms scud in from the clifftops, hunker in a sea-view café or hit the waves. You can’t beat standing atop Newquay’s Towan Headland, watching white caps marching across the horizon and waves breaking on the Cribbar reef.
While this big-wave spot is best left to the experts, there are plenty of surf schools dotted along the north coast of Cornwall, where you can take a surfing lesson and make the most of the waves while the water is still balmy. For the first foray into wave-riding, we can recommend Harlyn Surf School and King Surf at Mawgan Porth.
2. Wander Through Woodland
Beyond Cornwall’s beaches, there are hundreds of acres of magical woodland boasting a kaleidoscope of autumnal colours. The trees here turn later than in the rest of the country, so you can witness an explosion of red and golden canopies from October to mid-November.
Crunch through the leaves along the magical glen leading to Golitha Falls, or feed squirrels and climb trees in Tehidy Country Park’s 250 acres of woodland. Whether you prefer walking or cycling, Lanhydrock and Cardinham woods are criss-crossed with tree-lined trails, and you can rest your legs afterwards in their forest cafés. If you prefer wide open spaces, head to the wild moors of Bodmin, carpeted with russet moor grass and purple heather licking the heels of rugged granite outcrops.
3. Have Fun at Autumn Festivals
Feast on words and fine food at a smorgasbord of festivals that fill Cornwall’s autumn calendar. Topping the list is the long-standing Falmouth Oyster Festival (13-16 October), celebrating the last traditional oyster fisheries still dredging under sail and oar. This five-day extravaganza in Falmouth includes cookery demonstrations, live music and shell painting, alongside freshly shucked oysters, a boat race and marquees brimming with Cornish produce.
Literary lovers won’t be disappointed with the dynamic line-up of authors taking the stage at the North Cornwall Book Festival (22-25 September) and Falmouth Book Festival (17-23 October), while Porthleven’s Arts Festival (24 September – 2 October) promises a platter of exhibitions, performance and interactive workshops for all art lovers.
4. Go on a Wild Swimming Walk
Autumn is the perfect season to stomp along the South West Coast Path and discover empty beaches, coves and tidal pools where you can feel the sand between your toes and strip off for a swim.
You can watch the surfers and feel the spray of the waves at Porthtowan’s tidal pool, before warming up with a hot chocolate in the legendary beachside Blue Bar. Close to the wild Cape Cornwall, plunge into the pool at Priest’s Cove, and in North Cornwall seek out the tidal pools carved into the rugged cliffs of Trevone and Treyarnon.
For more ideas check out the Wild Swimming Walks Cornwall book.
5. Visit Autumn Attractions
With its plethora of indoor and outdoor attractions, you can enjoy an awesome autumn day in Cornwall whatever the weather.
Camel Creek theme park is a popular place for families, with its rollercoasters, log flumes and huge indoor playhouse, while the famous Eden Project celebrates autumn with contemporary artworks, storytelling and delicious produce in its beautiful biomes.
All of Cornwall’s gardens burst into spectacular autumn colour, but the Lost Gardens of Heligan goes all out with a 30-day Harvest Celebration, including farm tours, garden stories and food talks to embrace the season along with its heritage, woodland, animals and produce.
6. Tuck into Autumn Food
Autumn’s harvest brings with it an abundance of delicious ingredients to be devoured at the county’s eateries. Booking a table at Cornwall’s dining hotspots can be difficult in the busy summer months, so autumn is a fantastic time to bag a table and tuck into the finest produce plucked from the surrounding coast and countryside.
Gastronomes should make a beeline for Padstow, with the likes of Paul Ainsworth’s Michelin-starred No6 and Rick Stein’s portfolio of eateries, or venture further north to pretty Port Isaac and taste the ocean’s bounty at one of celeb-chef Nathan Outlaw’s restaurants.
Falmouth, St Ives and Porthleven are also Cornish foodie hotspots with their fair share of cool eateries and fine dining experiences to complement the amazing scenery.
If you prefer to whip up your own culinary feast, fill your basket at one of the many excellent local farm shops, where you’ll find a colourful harvest of freshly picked veg alongside Cornish-reared meats and artisan deli items.
7. Feel Inspired by Art
Having lured artists to its shores since the 19th century, Cornwall is home to a thriving art scene and well endowed with galleries where you can be mesmerised by all genres from seascapes to abstract art and sculpture.
For a full-throttle art fix head to the fishing village turned artists’ hub of St Ives. Alongside the internationally-renowned Tate St Ives and magical Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, there are plenty of smaller galleries scattered along the narrow, winding streets.
If you want to ignite your own creative skills, get hands on with a pottery workshop at Leach Pottery, or sign up for a ‘sketch and stroll’ with the St Ives School of Painting.
While St Ives is at the heart of the art scene, take a whirl around the galleries of Padstow and Falmouth and make a pit stop in the old mining village of St Just to witness the world of one of Cornwall’s leading artists, Kurt Jackson, at the Jackson Foundation Gallery.
Visit Cornwall this Autumn
Feeling inspired to take a break in Cornwall this autumn? We have a large range of fantastic holiday homes and cottages around the rugged coastline of this beautiful county. Book a stay and enjoy one of these wonderful reasons to visit Cornwall in the autumn.
