iKnow Cornwall
Mounts Bay Accommodation
Art & Craft Workshops and Galleries in Porthleven, Check out Julia Mills
Beautiful Porthleven Harbour - the perfect place to relax!
Porthleven Harbour with Defences
Porthleven Quay/Pier
Great Cornwall Family Beach here at Porthleven - close to shops & cafes
Porthleven Harbour Scene
Porthleven Beach Walking - Quiet and SecludedSt Michaels Mount Porthleven Marazion Mounts Bay Cornwall
The big attraction in the Mounts Bay area to the east of Penzance is of course St Michael's Mount. Visitors come from far and wide to see it, and along with the Tate Gallery at St Ives it's one of the most visited attractions in Cornwall. Mind you, surfers visiting Mounts Bay will have Praa Sands and Porthleven beaches on their mind - both are excellent experienced surfer territory! Sailing in Mounts Bay is also extremely popular, and there's an excellent sailing club based in Marazion (see weblink right). Marazion is a popular seaside resort along the Mounts Bay Coast, with an RSPB wetland reserve situated adjacent.
Moving further east you'll discover idyllic fishing village Porthleven. Perfect as a peaceful retreat, Porthleven not only has a superb golden sandy beach, but is crammed with delightful specialist arts and craft shops, and has a picture postcard Cornish harbour. Great pub inns and cafes abound here too.
St Michael's Mount
Undoubtedly one of the biggest attractions in the area is St Michael's Mount - and definitely a little adventure. Hook into the relatively cheap ferry across to visit the mount which has the odd legend attached to it, one being it was once the home of a giant. St Michael's Mount has been found recorded in records as far back as the fourth century, and it began as a port used by local Marazion fishermen. Then, cor gawd blimey, some sailors had a vision in the 5th century (might have been a bit tipsy perhaps?) that they saw St Michael - on the Mount. After this by the 8th century they'd built a church and monastery on the mount. Followed by dissolution by Henry VII, then use as an arms storing fort by the Royalists during the English Civil War. The St Aubyn family took it over, finally donating it to the National Trust although a St Aubyn still lives on the Mount.
Lots to do once you're across the water. St Michael's Mount has a castle with some pretty steep steps upto the entrance. There's a little harbour too with quaint shops, a cafe and great views of the coast and out to sea. You can stroll around the beautiful St Michael's Mounts gardens also.
St Michael's Mount, Manor Office, Marazion, Cornwall, TR17 0EF. Tel: 01736 710507, Tel: 01736 710265 (Tide & Ferry).
Porthleven & Praa Sands Beaches
Experienced surfers visiting Cornwall will no doubt have Porthleven beach at the top of their surf visit list. Porthleven Beach is actually quite small, consisting of sand and single. Lots of amenities are here, including ample local parking, toilets, and lots of cafes, and shops, including a superb pasty shop. This beach isn't lifeguarded, although there is an emergency beach centre (see the A1 surf link right for details). Both the Porthleven Reef and the undertows and steep gradients associated with the Loe Bar (which Porthleven sits within) are safety issues to watch out for. Experienced surfers are best on Porthleven. See A1 Surf information right for full details.
Porthleven is a beautiful fishing village, with an attractive harbour. The village plays host to an array of craft workshops, art galleries, handcrafted jewellery and specialist clothing shops and beautiful arts and crafts ceramics outlets. There's also some wonderful crafted shell work to be had here, plus local artists displaying their wares. Porthleven is perfect for all year round romantic Cornwall breaks. Plenty of idyllic cottages and apartments available too!
Praa Sands Beach is one of the most popular Cornwall beaches in this area. It's a blue flag beach, with fine golden sands and superb views across to Rinsey Head and the Lizard. A restaurant is adjacent, and ample facilities are available including parking, Gentler than Porthleven with it's Reef!, Praa Sands is popular with surfers and families alike. Check out the A1 surf link right for details.
Mounts Bay Sailing
Marazion on the Mounts Bay coast is a particularly popular haunt for dinghy sailing. Mounts Bay Sailing Club in Marazion holds a family sailing week annually welcoming visitors - check their weblink right for details.
You can become a temporary member of the Mount's Bay Sailing Club (see right for details), and tap into all their facilities and equipment, with club house on-site. Numerous sailing and champion sailing events are held along this stretch of the Cornish coast annually.
Mount's Bay Sailing Club, Godolphin Steps, Marazion, TR17 0EN. Tel: 01736 710620.
