Located where the River Pol meets the English Channel, Polperro is an enchanting village on the south coast of Cornwall. It is clustered with historic fishermen’s houses and traversed by England’s longest waymarked footpath, the South West Coast Path.
Occupying a former pilchard factory is the Polperro Harbour Heritage Museum, where you’ll find 19th-century photographs, model ships and vintage fishing equipment. You can discover Polperro in miniature at the Polperro Model Village, which boasts a model railway and animated folklore displays that bring Cornwall’s history of pirate raids and smuggling to life.
Passing through Polperro is the long-distance South West Coast Path, which links Dorset with Somerset across more than 1,000 kilometres. For a shorter stroll, head to Polperro Beach, a picturesque cove with crystal clear waters that are ideal for swimming. On the other side of the headland is Chapel Pool, a natural swimming hole that offers scenic coastal views.
Getting there
Polperro is around 45 minutes’ drive from Plymouth and an hour from Cornwall Airport Newquay, which has seasonal flights to destinations across Europe. Renting a car is the most convenient way of getting to Polperro and the village is small enough to explore on foot.