Summary of Best Activities in Penzance
This Cornish harbour town is located near the westernmost and southernmost points of the British mainland at Land’s End and the Lizard.
The town is shielded by the stunning Mount’s Bay, encompassing St Michael’s Mount, a captivating tidal island.
Cornwall is one of the few regions in the nation where subtropical and Mediterranean flora thrive outdoors.
Take the time to stroll through the gardens in Penzance, surrounded by palms, ferns, and the large leaves of gunnera (Chilean rhubarb). The area features picturesque beaches, charming villages built from local light grey granite, and a rich cultural scene with galleries, a sculpture garden, and the magnificent Minack Theatre.
Let’s explore the best things to do in Penzance:
1. Minack Theatre
Situated in a striking gully with breathtaking views over the ocean and rugged Porthcurno Bay, Minack Theatre is a spectacle in its own right.
This venue hosts approximately 20 plays during the summer season, welcoming performers from throughout the UK and America, and remains open to the public at all other times.
Founded in the late 1920s by Rowena Cade in the garden of a home constructed shortly after the First World War, this Classical-style amphitheater has seats, boxes, and a stage hewn from the granite cliff, with succulent plants adding a touch of color to the gray stone.
Advance reservations are recommended for popular performances, such as Shakespeare plays, or equally fitting, Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert & Sullivan.
2. Penlee House Gallery and Museum
In the late 19th century, the Newlyn School emerged as an art colony based around the nearby village to the south of Penzance.
This museum, housed in the Victorian Penlee House, showcases works from prominent artists associated with the movement, including Walter Langley, Norman Garstin, Stanhope Forbes, and Lamona Birch.
Though the Penlee House Gallery does not have a permanent exhibition, it organizes displays that utilize its collection of local art, and typically closes between these exhibitions.
The museum narrates six millennia of history in west Cornwall, featuring Neolithic and Bronze Age pottery, tools, weapons, navigation instruments, coins, and a 17th-century carving from a ship.
In front of the house, visitors will find the granite Penlee Cross, which was carved in the 11th century and previously stood at Penzance’s Green Market.
3. Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens
Opened in 2012, this 22-acre garden is nestled in a secluded valley and features a rich array of subtropical and exotic plants intertwined with art installations.
Renowned international artists such as James Turrell, Tim Shaw, Richard Long, and David Nash have contributed works that harmonize with this diverse mosaic of bamboos, ferns, succulents, and palms.
Additionally, the gardens are situated on raised ground, providing glimpses of St Michael’s Mount through the trees.
Visitors can acquire art, ranging from sculptures to paintings, ceramics, and prints at the recently opened Tremenheere Gallery.
4. Morrab Gardens
Located just a short distance from Penzance’s town center, this delightful three-acre garden encompasses a stucco villa.
The ensemble, created in the 1840s, was acquired by the local council in 1888 and subsequently opened to the public.
The property features the Morrab Library, while the garden showcases Victorian elements, including a fountain and a bandstand, both of which are now listed as historic sites.
Diverse subtropical and Mediterranean plant species thrive here, flourishing in Cornwall’s temperate climate, having been planted in the late 19th century through generous contributions from local estates.
5. Long Rock Beach
Situated just east of Penzance, Long Rock Beach rests on the northern curve of Mount’s Bay, nestled between the town and St Michael’s Mount.
Due to its proximity to the center of Penzance, Long Rock Beach is popular with local families, particularly because of the shallow shoreline and light surf.
The beach consists of sand interspersed with a band of pebbles along the wash.
During the summer, lifeguards monitor the eastern end of the beach, and across the A30, just behind, there is a commercial estate with supermarkets and eateries.
6. Market House
A prominent landmark and Grade I-listed structure, the Market House is easily identifiable by its dome and Ionic portico.
Constructed during the latter half of the 1830s, this multipurpose edifice housed the town’s market hall on its west side and the guildhall (town hall) on the east.
The guildhall was situated atop prison cells, while above the market hall there was a corn exchange that also served as a theater.
Today, the Market House is home to a branch of Lloyds Bank, whose logo can be seen on both the dome and pediment.
7. Jubilee Pool
This Art Deco gem, the Jubilee Pool (1935), is situated on Battery Rocks, extending into Mount’s Bay.
Despite suffering significant storm damage in 2014, this emblematic feature of the town reopened in 2016 following a restoration effort that cost nearly £3 million.
The pool operates throughout the summer, providing sunbathing terraces sheltered from coastal winds by high walls, allowing relaxation in deckchairs while admiring the view of the bay towards St Michael’s Mount.
The facility includes a café, designated area for infants, and a busy schedule of activities, ranging from yoga to paddleboarding.
8. St Michael’s Mount
Similar to Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, St Michael’s Mount is a remarkable tidal island accessible via a man-made granite causeway at low tide and home to approximately 30 permanent residents.
The National Trust maintains the island, which is crowned by a castle and chapel dating back to the 1100s and has been the seat of the St Aubyn family for over 350 years.
Visitors can explore the castle, where they can appreciate the historic weaponry in the Garrison Room and the exquisite plaster frieze in the “Chevy Chase Room,” before ascending to the turrets for a panoramic view of Mount’s Bay.
The castle’s gardens feature subtropical plants arranged on steep terraces that benefit from the saline air, while the village green offers dining options and live music during the summer months.
9. Tanglewood Wild Garden
Located four miles west of Penzance, Tanglewood Wild Garden showcases remarkable plant life thriving in Cornwall’s climate within an informal garden designed to attract a range of wildlife, from butterflies and bees to herons and kingfishers.
Visitors are welcome to bring dogs to Tanglewood Wild Garden and enjoy picnics on the lawns.
The garden is primarily composed of native plants, though it features a few exotic species, while brambles, nettles, and thistles are left undisturbed to provide food sources for insects, birds, and mammals alike.
The woodlands are home to a variety of birds, including woodpeckers, snipes, buzzards, owls, and jays, making for an enjoyable nature experience, particularly in spring and summer when waterfowl frequent the ponds.
10. Praa Sands Beach
Situated a short 15-minute drive east of the town, Praa Sands Beach is located between two headlands, Hoe Point and Rinsey Head.
This mile-long beach boasts unusually white sands, formed from seashells crushed into fine grains by the surf.
Lifeguards are present from April to September, and the gentle slope allows children and less experienced swimmers to paddle in the shallow waters, while surfers can enjoy the waves further out.
The beach area is complemented by a village with shops and dining options, alongside intriguing sights to discover, including a 1,500-year-old peat bed and a 16th-century tower associated with Pengersick Castle.
11. Chapel Street
It is essential to stroll along this street, which runs through the heart of Penzance and is lined with striking flat-fronted houses, numerous restaurants, galleries, and boutiques.
As you head downhill to the east, you will notice the tower of St Mary’s Church, which, contrary to appearances, dates back to the 1830s.
At the west end of the thoroughfare stands the Grade I-listed Egyptian House, believed to have been constructed in the same decade.
This vibrant structure is impossible to miss, adorned with pillars, busts, window frames, and bold stucco embellishments, a style that gained popularity following Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt.
12. Trengwainton Garden
Located on the grounds of a country estate on the outskirts of town, Trengwainton Garden features exotic shrubs and trees well-adapted to Cornwall’s mild climate, offering stunning views over Mount’s Bay and towards the Lizard.
The property has been managed by the National Trust since 1961, with its walled gardens dating back to the Elizabethan era, showcasing species that are not found growing elsewhere in the country.
Many are hybrids that emerged from Georgian botanical explorations in Assam and Burma, alongside a eucryphia from South America and a styrax typically found in tropical Asia and South America, as well as a stewartia native to Asia and North America.
13. South West Coast Path
In Penzance, you will find yourself on this National Trail, which encompasses over 600 miles of scenic coastline surrounding Britain’s South West Peninsula.
This information is particularly advantageous for hikers, as every inch of the coastal path is well-maintained and clearly marked.
For a leisurely walk, consider the two-mile trek east to Marazion, enjoying views across Mounts Bay and towards the Lizard and Mousehole.
If you are feeling adventurous, a visit to Land’s End may necessitate an overnight stay, but it is a worthy trip to experience England’s most westerly point.
Keep your eyes peeled for nesting guillemots, kittiwakes, and fulmars on the cliffs during springtime.
14. Mousehole
Located along the coast from Penzance, the charming fishing village of Mousehole has preserved its traditional character.
This labyrinth of narrow streets features houses constructed from local granite, now home to tearooms, family-run shops, and art galleries.
The picturesque harbour exudes old-world charm and possesses a narrow entrance, which is fortified with wooden beams during winter storms.
In 1595, a Spanish raid decimated the village, leaving only one house standing—the Keigwin Arms pub.
This residence still exists today as a private home, and a plaque recounts the tale of a squire who was slain in defense of the property.
15. Golowan Festival
This celebration of the midsummer, featuring bonfires and ancient rituals, historically took place across Cornwall until the 19th century and has roots in pagan traditions.
The Golowan Festival in Penzance was revived in 1991 and has become the town’s most significant annual event.
This ten-day festival coincides with the Summer Solstice and includes a series of captivating processions, including one to the quayside, led by a figure holding the skull of a horse, known as Penglaz.
This event occurs on Mazey Eve, St John’s Eve on 23 June, but throughout the festivities, spontaneous street performances and market stalls abound.
