Campsites in Penzance for pottering around Cornwall’s west
Taking pride of place in Cornwall are these campsites in Penzance, a market town famed for being the very last stop on the old Great Western train line (and far more well known recently as the setting of smash-hit TV series Poldark). The most westerly town in the county was a busy port for centuries before that aforementioned train line was built and it became an even busier holiday resort.
And not much has changed since. The town and its surrounds continue to pull in tons of tourists eager to stroll across the white sands of Porthcurno, poke around the stately home on top of St Michael’s Mount and catch a cliffside play in the open-air Minack Theatre.
Coming to Cornwall? Then place yourself at a campsite in Penzance (or go for a glamping site or caravan park) for a first-rate time.
From basic campsites in Penzance to luxury glamping accommodation: where’s best to stay?
Campsites in Penzance are mostly on the outskirts of town, with a handful inside laidback country farms offering a pick-your-own-pitch service for peaceful stays among fields grazed by animals. If you’re after a beach break, there are also parks close to the coast – have a look around Sennen and Praa Sands in particular.
Less bothered by location and more interested in facilities? Whether you want a bar on the grounds to chase rural explores with a few local ales or would prefer to settle in for lively evening entertainment, click on the filters to the left and whittle down your choices.
Now we come to the tricky question of money… Are you after somewhere cheap or chic? Our selection of campsites in Penzance, which includes budget parks for hols that won’t bruise the bank balance, as well as lavish options for a luxury break, has you sorted whatever the contents of your wallet look like.
If you fancy investing some cash in a well-priced hol, consider off-grid glamping near Penzance on the Lizard Peninsula, stays at safari tents suspended above the trees on a lakeside site and cutting-edge camping pods at a park with a swimming pool, hot tub and sauna.
Things to do in Penzance and around when holidaying in western Cornwall
Get your bearings in Chapel Street, a thoroughfare flanked by art galleries and vintage antique shops; the centre of town is also seeing a glut of trendy restaurants pop up. Cutting-edge eateries – many serving seafood in inventive ways – are also to be found in nearby villages like Newlyn.
Also in town is the Jubilee Pool, an art deco dazzler that was Britain’s biggest outdoor lido when it was first built. Given a fancy renovation in 2016, it’s a fab spot for a dip if your campsite in Penzance doesn’t have a pool (parks with outdoor swimming pools).
For ocean submerges, the surf at Sennen is around a 15-minute drive from town, as are the sugar-white beaches of St Ives and the sheltered sands of Porthcurno. Folk love to bathe – and paddleboard – in the calm harbour when camping near Mousehole as well (pronounce it properly as ‘Mowzahl’ to sound like a local…) before skipping around the streets of this postcard-pretty town.
Walking is always worthwhile in Cornwall – cross over to St Michael’s Mount, an isle only accessible on foot at low tide, or drive the 10 minutes to the Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens for ambles around 22 acres of grounds sprinkled with artworks. A lot of wandering is also to be done on a tour of the Poldark filming locations: around secluded Porthgwarra beach, for instance, or the UNESCO-listed Levant Mine.
Alternatively, simply pick a part of the South West Coast Path near Penzance – it covers the whole of Cornwall – like the 40-minute stretch from Sennen to Land’s End for a satisfying seaside strolls.
Penzance is also the main jetting-off point for sailing to the Scilly Isles just off Land’s End, the most southerly point in mainland Britain, for boat trips and archipelago explores.
For a stay somewhere else in the stunning south west of Cornwall, consider finding a place around Falmouth.
