Helston

Helston is the most southerly town in Cornwall, sitting at the neck of the Lizard and the Helford River - the last town you pass through before the landscape opens out onto the Lizard proper. Each year on 8 May (unless it falls on a Sunday or Monday, when it moves to the preceding Saturday) the Flora Day Furry Dance fills the streets with four separate dances throughout the day, including the Hal-an-Tow and the grand midday procession. It is one of the oldest surviving customs in Britain.

Things to Do

The Museum of Cornish Life on Market Place has free entry and covers Cornwall’s social and industrial history through exhibits including Victorian kitchens, mining artefacts and textile collections. The Blue Anchor on Coinagehall Street is one of Cornwall’s oldest pubs and still brews its own Spingo ales on site. Flambards theme park and RNAS Culdrose, the Royal Navy’s largest helicopter base, sit on the edge of town. A walk south along the River Cober leads to Loe Pool, Cornwall’s largest natural freshwater lake, within the Penrose Estate managed by the National Trust.

Beaches and the Lizard

Helston serves as the main service town for the Lizard, with Lizard Point - the most southerly point on mainland Britain - roughly 10 miles south. Kynance Cove, known for its serpentine rock formations and turquoise water, is just beyond. Porthleven, a working harbour with well-regarded restaurants, is 3 miles south-west. Mullion Cove and Poldhu Beach are both within a 15-minute drive.

Where to Stay

With over 45 holiday properties in the area, Helston works as a practical base for the Lizard and west Cornwall. Accommodation ranges from town-centre apartments to rural cottages on the surrounding farmland. The A394 connects Helston to Falmouth (12 miles east) and Penzance (15 miles west).