NatureViews, Penzance

Stroll across the granite causeway where a legendary giant once walked and follow the footsteps of pilgrims. Boat hop to an island where modern life meets layers of history, discover a medieval castle, a sub-tropical paradise and a close-knit island community. Delve into the history of a fortress, a priory, a harbour and a home. Stray from the mainland on foot or by boat and get up close to the beguiling beauty of the castle-topped isle standing proud in Mount’s Bay. Come ashore for a family outing, a tour of the castle or a garden visit. Scale the fairytale turrets for dazzling views. Listen to live music on the village green and tuck into fresh local food in the Island Café or the Sail Loft Restaurant. Infuse your senses with colour and scent in the unique sub-tropical gardens basking in the mild climate and salty breeze. Clinging to granite slopes the terraced beds tier steeply down to the ocean’s edge, boasting tender exotics from places such as Mexico, the Canary Islands and South Africa. https://www.visitcornwall.com/things-to-do/attractions/west-cornwall/marazion/st-michaels-mount

Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens’ dramatic landscape, combined with large-scale exotic, sub-tropical planting, provides the backdrop to contemplative and inspiring art by internationally renowned artists. A major attraction near Penzance in West Cornwall, Tremenheere can be found in a beautiful sheltered valley, overlooking St Michael’s Mount, with woods and a stream, interwoven with an evolving programme of contemporary artwork. The creations of artists such as James Turrell, David Nash, Richard Long, Tim Shaw and Peter Randall-Page interact with the setting to create site-specific permanent work, which harmonises with the landscape. Within this breath-taking location, Tremenheere hosts its sculpture garden, gallery, shop, nursery and restaurant. Tremenheere is one of the most unique all-year-round gardens to visit in Cornwall. The very favoured microclimate of kindly winter temperatures and shelter from the wind allow exotic and half-hardy plants to flourish. The planting schemes are appropriate to the varying individual habitats, but carry a unifying theme of sculptural forms, textures and colours, which complement what nature has already provided. https://www.visitcornwall.com/attraction/tremenheere-sculpture-gardens

At low tide access to St Michael's Mount is by way of a granite causeway, once walked by pilgrims. Whilst at high tide a gentle boat ride takes visitors to the historic castle on the island. Simply relaxing and soaking up the atmosphere of this enchanting beach is pleasant enough but with windsurfing, kitesurfing, jet skiing and sailing all on offer there is plenty to keep even the most energetic busy. The long sandy beach is very safe, and a short walk along the sand dunes will enable you to find a private sun trap. There are rock pools to explore around Chapel Rock and Marazion Harbour, and a well-equipped play park is situated just above the beach. Facilities for sailing and windsurfing are available, with a windsurfing school situated at the far end of Marazion beach. https://www.visitcornwall.com/beaches/lifeguards-seasonal/west-cornwall/marazion/marazion-beach

Lamorna is the place where the 2013 movie Summer in February was filmed. The cove has a small pebble beach beside the harbour and quay with lots of large boulders, especially at low tide. The cove is on the South West Coast Path between Porthcurno and Mousehole. A nice quiet spot for swimming and a good spot for scuba diving, though no lifeguard cover provided. https://www.visitcornwall.com/beaches/west-cornwall/lands-end/lamorna-cove-beach

Perranuthnoe beach is located on the south coast around a mile to the east of Marazion, with fine views of Cornwall's jewel, St Michael's Mount. At low tide Perranuthnoe is a sandy beach with some shingle and at high tide, the beach is mostly claimed by the sea. The beach is a popular one with surfers. Known by locals as Perran Sands, the beach can be confused with the beach of the same name at Perranporth on the north coast. https://www.visitcornwall.com/beaches/good-beach-guide/west-cornwall/penzance/perranuthnoe-beach

For those of you with a nose for gardening, this horticultural hotspot is home to walled gardens that are crammed with tender exotic plants from all over the globe and five sections of a productive kitchen garden. This historical garden was once residence to the Cornish Arundell family but was landscaped by Sir Rose Price of Penzance. Price planted conifers with elm, oak, ash and beech, as well as nine-walled gardens whose ramped beds remain a feature to this day. When the estate came into the hands of the Bolitho family, they built the present carriageway and developed the gardens with the help of their cousins, the Caerhays. Seeds sent back from plant-hunting missions were expertly hybridised by the head gardener, Alfred Creek, who was responsible for planting a stunning series of rhododendrons. Alongside the intriguing evidence of yesteryear, now you can follow a stream garden through the valley, which was planted later in the 1950s with skunk cabbage, meconopsis, primulas and other bog plants. Escape to the intimate tranquillity of this woodland garden, and from the rich collection of rhododendrons, magnolias and camellias, meander up to a terrace boasting beautiful views of Mount's Bay to The Lizard. https://www.visitcornwall.com/things-to-do/attractions/west-cornwall/penzance/trengwainton-garden