Autumn holidays: A Cornish Gems guide to 3-night breaks

Arrive in the late afternoon and let the village ease you into the pace. Take a short wander down toward Trevaunance Cove – not a long walk, just enough sea air to reset your nervous system after the drive.

For dinner, go straight for warmth and atmosphere at The Driftwood Spars – a proper Cornish pub with fireside energy and the kind of food that tastes even better after a salty walk.

Finish the night with a quiet drink back at your base. Autumn evenings invite early comfort: conversation, music and that first night feeling of we’re away.

Start with a morning walk along the South West Coast Path – St Agnes delivers some of the most satisfying cliff drama in Cornwall, with minimal effort and maximum reward.

A perfect autumn route may include a wander to Chapel Porth, which is renowned for its ‘hedgehog’ ice creams. If you’re fancying something more, the cafe has equally delicious warm lunches, and it’s an ideal dog-friendly pitstop.

In the afternoon, head to Healeys Cyder Farm, to get a real taste of Cornwall. Whether it’s rain or shine, this is a perfect activity for adults, whatever your choice of beverage, as you’ll be spoilt for choice on cider, wines, gins and more.

Dinner tonight should feel special but relaxed. Stay local again, or head slightly outward for something seasonal and quietly celebratory – autumn is when menus get richer, deeper and more comforting.

This is your wander day. Take the small lanes, stop when something looks beautiful and let the coast lead.

Some of our autumn favourites near St Agnes include:

• Porthtowan Beach (big, open, energising)
• Portreath (good for a windy walk)
• A detour to Wheal Coates at golden hour – one of Cornwall’s most iconic silhouettes, and somehow even more atmospheric out of season

For your final dinner, bring it back to cosy: a table somewhere warm, local, and unhurried. Perhaps the Peterville Inn may take your fancy, St Agnes’ own award-winning pub.

Before you leave, take a short morning loop – something easy but scenic – and grab a coffee to go. Autumn departures should feel like a gentle exhale, not a rush.

Arrive and lean into the season. Autumn evenings on the Lizard are made for slowing down: unpack properly, put something on low in the background, pour a drink.

For dinner, book The Terrace at Housel Bay for something warming, or head to a proper local pub-style dinner nearby (the Lizard has a wonderfully grounded food scene).

Afterwards: no agenda. Just the sound of wind outside and the feeling of being somewhere far from busy.

Start with a walk that feels like therapy. Autumn light on the Lizard is golden and cinematic – the cliffs glow, the sea looks darker and the air feels sharp in the best way.

Our perfect routes include:

• Kynance Cove (dramatic, iconic, but calmer out of season)
• Lizard Point (the southernmost edge – expansive, powerful)
• Church Cove (quiet, tucked-away, very “we found this”)

Lunch should be seasonal and slow – somewhere warm enough to take your coat off and stay a while. Perhaps slide into Wavecrest Cafe, while you visit Cornwall’s southernmost point.

In the afternoon, choose wellness that suits the landscape: not flashy, just deeply restorative. Think a massage or a long soak back at your base, with the windows cracked open to the sea air.

Dinner tonight: make it a proper autumn dinner – seafood, something rich, a bottle of red you don’t overthink. Consider dining-in with our friends at Yhangry.

This is where the Lizard wins. In autumn, it’s not about attractions – it’s about the feeling of discovery.

Go slowly, explore:

• Mullion Cove (pretty, peaceful, very photogenic)
• Cadgwith (tiny fishing village energy, timeless)
• Coverack (harbour calm, soft light)

If you want a memorable final meal, book The Three Tuns, St Keverne. It’s the kind of place that feels warm and real, with seasonal food and a setting that suits the slower months.

Start with coffee and something small and sweet – then take one final short walk (even 20 minutes is enough) somewhere like Church Cove or a quick viewpoint stop at Lizard Point.

Autumn on the Lizard has a way of lingering. Leave it as late as you can.

Arrive, unpack and take a short evening walk down to the water. Portwrinkle in autumn feels like a whisper – calm, private, quietly romantic.

For dinner, head to The Finnygook Inn – it’s welcoming, cosy and ideal after a travel day. Fireside atmosphere, good plates, no fuss.

Start with a coastal walk along the Rame Head area. Autumn makes this feel even more cinematic: big skies, wind in your face and that post-walk glow.

Lunch should be a “we’ll remember this” moment at Bewsheas By The Beach – if the sun’s out, it’s unbeatable. Order something light, share, and let the sea do the talking.

For your afternoon wellness, book an in-Gem treatment with WiseSage, or perhaps even a yoga class.

Dinner tonight: keep it simple, local, and cosy.

This is the magic of Portwrinkle. Take the small roads and stop often.

Some of our autumn favourites include:

• Seaton for a gentler shoreline feel
• Kingsand & Cawsand for pastel houses and quiet harbour wandering
• A long walk along the coast path where the only sound is the sea

Final dinner: somewhere you can linger. Somewhere warm. Inn On The Shore would be the perfect place to close this chapter.

Before leaving, take coffee and do one final short clifftop loop – Portwrinkle delivers big scenery without big effort.

Leave with that calm, coastal clarity autumn gives you: like you’ve been properly reset.

Arrive and go straight to Porthcurno Beach. Even if it’s windy. Even if it’s nearly dark. The view is still unforgettable.

Dinner: head into Mousehole for something intimate and atmospheric at The Old Coastguard – seasonal cooking, sea views and a mood that suits autumn perfectly.

Start with a morning visit to the Minack Theatre. Out of season, it feels even more dramatic, carved into the cliff, overlooking the Atlantic, impossibly cinematic.

Then take a coastal walk nearby – short, scenic, and satisfying.

For lunch, keep it light and coastal. Somewhere you can warm your hands around a mug and feel like you’ve earned the rest of the day. The cafe at the top of the theatre is perfect for light refreshments.

In the afternoon, go full wellness: book a session at Mor Holan (worth the drive for a proper reset), then return to your base feeling restored and soft around the edges.

Dinner tonight should be a little special. Autumn is for candlelight, seafood and staying out later than you planned because the conversation is good.

Take the coast road and explore:

• Sennen Cove (wild, open, exhilarating)
• Cape Cornwall (quieter, moodier, deeply beautiful)
• Small coves you stop at simply because you can

For your final meal, make it memorable and intimate: The Shore, Penzance is a perfect out-of-season “big night” table – seafood-led, romantic and quietly exceptional.

End with one last walk. Autumn sunsets in West Cornwall feel slower, softer – like the day doesn’t want to end either.

Start with coffee in Penzance or a small local spot on your route out, then take one last stop at the coast for a short walk.

Porthcurno has a way of staying with you. Leave it gently.