Top 10 Reasons to Visit Cornwall in Summer

Summer in Cornwall is everything you'd hope for in a county known for its coastline: the water's swimmable, the days run long and the county's best spots open up once the season arrives.

Here are 10 reasons it's finally time to book that trip.

Cornwall's coastline has plenty of beaches that look like they could be somewhere abroad, and in summer they’re at their best.

You have Fistral for surfing, Watergate Bay for beach walks, and a few, like the cove below Mawgan Porth, for just lying down with a great book and taking the time to rest.

Make the most of days like these with our Barefoot Beach Club; a two-night break with dinner, bed and breakfast, spa sessions and wellness classes.

Cornish water sits around 10-11°C in winter. By August, it can reach 17-18°C in sheltered bays, warm enough to swim in and come out feeling refreshed.

Wetsuits are still sensible for a long session, but a quick dip after a beach walk becomes quite appealing rather than something you talk yourself into.

This far south, daylight can hang around until about 9.30 pm, and later than most places in England around the summer solstice.

That means plenty of time for an evening walk, a slow dinner outside, or a drink on a terrace while the sun sets over the water.

It's one of the top reasons people come back to Cornwall summer after summer. The day simply doesn't feel rushed.

The South West Coast Path runs for miles around the Cornish peninsula, from Bude in the north to Cremyll in the south.

Summer gives you sunshine, dry paths, wildflowers like thrift and foxglove along the cliff edges and sea views that stretch for miles.

There’s plenty of wildlife to spot in summer! Common dolphins and grey seals haul out on quieter coves such as those near Godrevy and Padstow. They're visible from boat trips, and the cliffs themselves if you’re lucky.

Choughs are also back on the clifftops around the hotel. Cornwall's county bird, with its red beak and rasping call, was more or less gone from here, but it's now nesting a short walk from the front door.

Cornwall takes its food seriously all year, but during the summer it's at its best.

Padstow has built a small food scene of its own around Rick Stein’s seafood restaurants. Healey’s Cornish Cyder Farm near Truro is worth a stop for a tasting and a wander around.

Or enjoy seasonal veg, grown locally with sustainably caught fish and farmed meat at Ogo restaurant; a three-course dinner is included in our Barefoot Beach Club each evening.

There’s plenty to do in Cornwall during the summer.

The Eden Project, near St Austell, houses its Rainforest and Mediterranean biomes with zip lines and outdoor gardens around them.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan cover around 200 acres of restored Victorian gardens and woodland near Mevagissey.

The Minack Theatre, an open-air amphitheatre carved into the cliffs above Porthcurno, stages productions through the summer with the sea as a backdrop.

St Michael's Mount and Tintagel Castle cover the historic side of Cornwall and are well worth a visit in summer.

Inland, Cardinham Woods and Bodmin Moor offer a quieter contrast to the coast, with wide-open spaces and granite tors that allow for walking away from the crowds.

Cornwall's surf breaks work all year, but summer brings warmer water and calmer conditions, from the beginner-friendly waves at Towan to the bigger sets at Fistral.

Paddleboarding and kayaking are both options, too, and there's no better season to try one than in the settled weather of August.

Summer in Cornwall isn't just about beautiful beaches and walks. It's also the easiest time to justify doing very little, whether that’s a spa afternoon, a slow morning with a coffee, or an evening that ends with a cocktail.

If a beach-first, slow-morning sounds like your kind of trip, our Barefoot Beach Club is for you. It's a two-night break with breakfast and dinner included, use of the adult-only spa and pools, and a jug of cocktail or mocktail for two to see out the evening.

It's the kind of stay that makes your inner glow match the sunset.