ST. MAWES

St Mawes has an easy Mediterranean charm, with villas and fishermen’s cottages, clustered on the south facing slopes, amongst scattered palm trees and mature pines. The occasional stylish restaurant, art gallery, boutique and hotels all cluster around the harbour and promenade and jostle for position with quintessentially Cornish bakeries, ice cream and fudge shops.

St Mawes is located at the tip of South Cornwall’s renowned Roseland peninsular. It is one of England’s most beautiful small coastal resorts and as such is an exceptionally sought after holiday destination for those ‘in the know’. It has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere and is a perfect spot for all ages to enjoy the seaside with the sheltered beaches, rock pools, and as a start point for numerous bracing coastal walks.

For children, St Mawes provides the perfect ‘buckets and spades’ holiday, with two lovely beaches, both within a minute or two’s walk of the Summer House. Tavern Beach, just down the steps from our cottage, has fantastic rock pools and even a swimming platform and Summer Beach is great for sand castles and barbecues on the beach (tremendous sunsets if you’re lucky !)

Crabbing from the harbour walls is a must and will keep children of all ages amused for hours and exploring St Mawes Castle (a perfect historic gem) is a treat in store: full of armour and real cannons ! A trip on the little ferry over the bay to ‘Place’ (A Disneyland concoction of turrets and pleasure gardens under private ownership) is a great adventure for children and the best place ever for crab races down the slipway !

The relaxed atmosphere in the village makes it easy to allow children a little more independence than they may be used to at home. It’s wonderful to be able to send the children down to pick up the papers and to buy fresh bread and saffron buns for breakfast from the harbour-side bakery, whilst you relax on the front terrace watching the boats go by.

Whilst there is not a night club or noisy bar in sight, teenagers will find plenty of evening fun with others met sailing or hanging out on the beach. When a little more excitement is in order, the bright lights of Falmouth, can be easily reached by
foot ferry or water taxi, or there might be a lift on offer on someone’s speed boat !

Water sports are a huge attraction for older children and adults alike. The thriving Sailing Club organises sailing lessons for children and also weekend adventures on a real Cornish tall ship (must be booked well in advance). The St Mawes Regatta in August sets the village abuzz and is part of the world-famous Falmouth Week. Boats of all shapes and sizes can be hired from Mylor Harbour across the bay and smaller boats and dinghies are available for hire a short distance up-river from St. Mawes –ideal for exploring hidden creeks and coves. Wind surfing and other excitements such as ‘dough-nutting’ and ‘banana rides’ all add to the fun and if this is not enough, surfing on the North Coast of Cornwall is only an hour away by car !

For non-participants, endless ‘deckchair’ entertainment can be gained from the small front terrace or open bay window of The Summer House, by watching the endless antics on the water below: racing gigs, colourful sailing flotillas breezing in and amongst the sleek yachts, special local yachts like Eve and Pinuccia, racing ‘working boats’, Falmouth Sunbeams and perhaps a luxury ocean cruise liner putting in to Falmouth. Meanwhile the traditional fishing boats and stoic little St. Mawes foot ferry-boats go on with their daily business, regardless of all the gadding about all around them !

This part of South Cornwall is also a delight for anyone keen on exploring the great outdoors, there is an endless range of world famous Cornish gardens in the area.These range from Lamorran Garden in the village to the sublime sub-tropical paradise at Trellissick (which now has a pontoon on the River Fal), the enchanting Lost Gardens of Heligan near Mevagissey, Trebar & Glendurgan on the Helford and the modern wonders of the Eden Project at St Austell. The St Mawes Castle and its matching pair across the bay, Pendennis Castle at Falmouth, are amazing, mysterious places to explore, hauntingly beautiful when lit up at night.

For those who are in need of a little exercise, to work off all the ice-creams, cream teas and seafood that are in such plentiful supply, there are masses of walks around the area. The National Trust coastal walk can be joined at St Mawes and provides an exhilarating experience, with spectacular ocean views and glimpses of maritime wildlife and a plethora of wild flowers in the spring and summer months. Gentler walks can also be taken, from a stroll along the Promenade or a pleasant meandering across the fields to the exquisite waterside church at St Just in Roseland. You can take a foot ferry across the harbour to Place and a short walk from here will take you to a whole series of little secluded beaches and bays, and on to St Anthony’s with its lighthouse, WW2 batteries and bird viewing hides.

There are endless places to visit within a reasonable drive – The Lizard peninsular, The Helford River, St Michaels Mount, St Ives and the Tate, the surfing beaches from Newquay to Polzeath, Truro, Bodmin Moor, Lands End etc etc !!

Rainy day entertainment is also on hand, with the spectacular and state-of-the-art National Maritime Museum, the new swimming pool centre and plenty of shopping across the bay in Falmouth (foot ferry from the harbour jetty, or The King Harry Ferry further up the estuary for cars).