Penzance
Sunset House
From £750 per night
Embark on an unparalleled getaway at Sunset House, a remarkable five-bedroom home nestled along the stunning Penwith North coast. Accommodating…
Penzance
Penzance is a proper working town with a creative streak. The promenade sweeps along Mount’s Bay, the Scillonian sails from the harbour, and the streets around Chapel Street are full of independent shops, galleries and good cafés. Take a dip in the Art Deco Jubilee Pool, walk the prom towards St Michael’s Mount, and you’ll soon see why so many people make it their base for exploring the far west.
Penzance – galleries, independent shops and the gateway to West Penwith
Penzance has been a market town since the 1300s, and it still has that busy, lived-in feel. Artists have been drawn to this corner of Cornwall for well over a century, and Penlee House is the place to see why. It’s also the end of the line – the train from London stops here – which makes it the perfect starting point for Land’s End, St Michael’s Mount and the Isles of Scilly.
Getting your bearings in Penzance
Penzance looks out across Mount’s Bay in West Cornwall, with St Michael’s Mount to the east and the fishing harbour of Newlyn just along the coast to the west. The promenade runs the length of the seafront, Market Jew Street climbs from the station into the heart of town, and Chapel Street winds back down towards the harbour.
Our holiday cottages in Penzance are close to the prom, the shops and the station, and the town is easy to explore on foot. For days further afield, you’re well placed for the rest of West Penwith, from Mousehole and Lamorna to the wild north coast.
- Jubilee Pool, Britain’s largest Art Deco seawater lido, with its own geothermal heated pool
- Independent shops, galleries and cafés along Chapel Street and Causewayhead
- Direct trains from London, plus boats and helicopters to the Isles of Scilly
What makes Penzance special…
Good food and an independent spirit in Penzance
Penzance eats and drinks local. Fish comes in daily at Newlyn, just along the coast, and there’s even a distillery on the edge of town making spirits with Cornish botanicals. Chapel Street is the place to wander – look out for the Egyptian House and the Admiral Benbow – while Causewayhead is lined with independent shops worth a browse. And every June, the town throws Cornwall’s biggest street party for Mazey Day, the colourful highlight of the Golowan Festival.
Things we love in Penzance
45 Queen Street
A buzzy bar, kitchen and deli in a restored warehouse, breakfast, long lunches and cocktails.
Jubilee Pool
Seawater swimming for all ages, with a shallow learner pool for little ones and a poolside café for the grown-ups.
Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens
Work by James Turrell and David Nash in a subtropical valley, with views over St Michael’s Mount.
Morrab Gardens
A peaceful subtropical garden in the heart of town, banana palms, camellias and a quiet bench or two.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, though Penzance is more about the sea than the sand. Eastern Green is a long stretch of beach running from the station towards Long Rock, and Battery Rocks, next to Jubilee Pool, is a favourite spot for a sea swim. Marazion and Mousehole are both a short trip away for more sandy beaches.
Yes, easily. Penzance is the last stop on the main line from London Paddington: around five hours on a direct train, or overnight on the Night Riviera sleeper. Buses run from next to the station to St Ives, Land’s End and the villages of West Penwith, and the town itself is easy to explore on foot.
Yes. In season the Scillonian ferry sails from Penzance harbour, and helicopter flights leave from Penzance heliport, so a day trip to the islands is easy to plan. It’s worth booking ahead in summer.
St Michael’s Mount sits just off Marazion, around three miles east of Penzance. You can walk there along the prom and coast path, or it’s a short drive or bus ride. At low tide you can walk across the causeway to the island, and when the tide is in, small boats take you across in the warmer months.
Land’s End is around ten miles from Penzance, roughly half an hour by car, and buses run from Penzance too. It’s an easy day out, with Sennen Cove, Porthcurno and the Minack Theatre all close by.
Very. Eastern Green beach welcomes dogs all year round, and the prom is perfect for a long walk to Newlyn or Marazion. The beach from Newlyn to Battery Rocks has a daytime restriction from 10am to 6pm in July and August. Plenty of cafés and pubs in town are happy to see dogs too.
Mazey Day is the highlight of Golowan, Penzance’s midsummer festival, held every June. It’s often called Cornwall’s biggest street party, with music, colourful costumes and celebrations for the whole family.
Penzance celebrates the winter solstice with Montol on 21st December, a festival of masks, music, lantern processions and fire. The town lights up through December, and the famous Mousehole harbour lights are just a short trip along the coast.
Jubilee Pool is usually open from spring until early November. It’s an Art Deco seawater lido on the seafront, with a main pool filled from the sea and a geothermal heated pool that stays warm whatever the weather. It’s worth checking their website for times and booking before you go.
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Penzance
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Penzance
Trenwith
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