Five years ago, we stumbled on Polperro at the end of a coastal walk from Talland Bay. My youngest was four, the sun was out, and the village appeared around the cliff edge like something from a painting – wonky cottages, bobbing boats, glassy harbour water. We ate on the rooftop at The Three Pilchards, wandered the lanes, and left saying we’d come back and stay. It took us five years, but we did – and we even got to recreate the photo.
Polperro is the most picturesque fishing village on the south coast of Cornwall – and a great place to base yourself if you want to experience the real Cornwall beyond the day trip. We visited again earlier this year, and the timing was perfect. Quiet enough for locals to stop and chat, warm enough for coastal walks, and with just enough open to feel like we had the village to ourselves. Here are the best things to do in Polperro, whether you’re visiting for the day or settling in for a few nights.
Best things to do in Polperro at a glance
- Walk the South West Coast Path to Talland Bay (30-40 mins each way)
- Swim – or just sit and stare – at Chapel Pool, the natural tidal pool
- Explore Polperro harbour and the narrow, traffic-free streets
- Visit the Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling and Fishing
- Take the kids to Polperro Model Village and Land of Legend
- Catch the Polperro Wreckers singing sea shanties on a Wednesday evening
- Eat fish and chips at the Blue Peter Inn or The Three Pilchards
- Take a boat trip along the coast in summer
- Day trip to Fowey, Lerryn or Golitha Falls
Explore Polperro harbour
We wheeled our suitcases down from the car park, past a stream that winds between cottages and under stone bridges, dodging the little tuk tuks that zip up and down the lanes. By the time we reached the harbour, I remembered exactly why this place had left such an impression.
Polperro harbour is the heart of the village, and it’s where you’ll end up no matter which lane you wander down. This small harbour is still at the centre of a working fishing village – around a dozen boats head out regularly – with a small fish market where you can sometimes buy the day’s catch directly. At high tide, the pretty harbour fills with clear, blue-green water and the reflections of the cottages lining the quay are ridiculously photogenic.
Walk up to The Warren on the headland for the best views back over the harbour and village of Polperro. From here, you can see how the village is squeezed into a valley between steep hillsides, with cottages clinging to the slopes on either side. It’s the kind of view that makes you reach for your phone, then put it away and just look.
Wander the narrow streets
The old part of Polperro is traffic-free, and it’s a joy to get lost in. Narrow lanes twist between fishermen’s cottages, past small shops and tea rooms selling locally made ceramics, art and Cornish fudge. What struck us most was how friendly everyone is. The lady in the ceramics shop stopped what she was doing to chat about local walks. A shopkeeper gave the boys recommendations for rock-pooling spots. It’s that kind of place – people have time for you here.
Keep an eye out for The Shell House – a cottage decorated with shells collected by a sailor called Samuel Puckey in the 1930s. It’s now a holiday cottage and one of the most photographed houses in this picturesque village.
Fair warning: prices in the village shops are higher than you’d find in a town. Everything has to be transported down those narrow lanes, so it makes sense. If you’re staying in the village, you can get supermarket deliveries – a useful trick we discovered.
Walk the South West Coast Path to Talland Bay
This was the highlight of our trip – again. Head left out of the village (east) along the South West Coast Path, and it’s roughly a 30- 40 minute walk to Talland Bay (longer if you keep stopping for views as we did). I think it’s one of the prettiest stretches of coast path in southeast Cornwall. There’s a steep climb out of the harbour, but the views back over Polperro make the effort worthwhile. We spent the whole walk chatting about the lighthouse in the distance, how far we could spot boats out to sea, pointing out dream houses tucked along the cliffs, and exchanging cheery greetings with other walkers. It was one of those walks where nobody complained – which, with two boys, counts as a win.
Talland Bay has two small beaches, rock pools to explore, and the Talland Bay Beach Café – where we rewarded ourselves with a Cornish pasty and chocolate brownies. The walk back is just as good, because watching Polperro come into frame from the coastal path is something you don’t tire of. I wrote about this walk in detail in our Talland Bay to Polperro walk guide.
Heading west (right out of the village), the coast path towards Polruan is more challenging and takes around 3 hours, passing the secluded bays of Lantivet Bay and Lantic Bay along the way. From Polruan, you can catch the passenger ferry across to Fowey. On weekdays, there’s a bus from Polperro to Polruan if you’d rather not walk both ways – worth checking timetables in advance.
For a shorter option, the Polperro Harbour and Headlands Walk is a 4.7 km (2.9-mile) loop taking around 1–1.5 hours. It covers both sides of the harbour and climbs up to Crumplehorn above the village.
Swim in Chapel Pool
Chapel Pool is Polperro’s natural tidal swimming pool, carved into the rocks on the western side of the harbour. As the tide drops past halfway, sea water is trapped behind the rocks, and you’re left with a sheltered pool separate from the open sea. We watched several swimmers brave the icy water during our stay – and while we didn’t have the right kit to join them, we sat on the rocks and stared at the impossibly clear water.
Access is down stone-carved steps, which aren’t great for anyone with mobility issues, but fired the boys’ imagination – they spent ages debating who carved them and why. The great spectacle is watching the pool completely disappear at high tide, then reappear as the water recedes. We’ve promised ourselves a return trip in warmer weather for an actual dip.
Visit the Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling and Fishing
Housed in a former pilchard factory right on the harbourside, this small museum punches well above its weight. It tells the fascinating history of Polperro – from thriving fishing port and notorious smuggling hub in the 18th century through to the village you see today. The collection includes photographs dating back to the 1860s, ship models, and stories of the infamous Zephaniah Job – a local merchant known as “The Smuggler’s Banker” who controlled much of the contraband trade through the village. Smuggling here dates back to medieval times, but it reached its peak in the late 1700s when brandy, gin, tea and salt were rowed ashore under cover of darkness from ships crossing the Channel.
The kids were gripped by the tales of goods being rowed ashore under cover of darkness and hidden in caves along the coast. It’s a manageable size for families – around an hour will cover it – and gives real context to the rocky coastline and hidden coves you can see from the harbour wall.
Open: Easter to end of October, 10:30am–4.30pm daily (10am–5pm in high season). Admission: Adults £3, children under 16 go free.
Polperro Model Village and Land of Legend
The Polperro Model Village and Land of Legend has been running for over 60 years, having survived both fire and floods. It’s a miniature recreation of the village, complete with Cornish myths and legends, and it’s a hit with younger children. The owners, Lee and Julie Gregory, are friendly and welcoming – dogs are allowed too. It’s one of those old-fashioned Cornwall attractions that still has real charm.
Take a boat trip
During the summer months, boat trips depart from Polperro harbour and are a brilliant way to see the coastline from the water. Options include 30-minute pleasure cruises along the coast, one-way trips to Looe, or half-day excursions to Fowey with a couple of hours to explore the town. You can also arrange a fishing trip from the harbour. Check at the harbourside for sailing times and availability, as these are weather dependent.
Catch the Polperro Wreckers singing sea shanties
We loved catching the Polperro Wreckers performing during our stay. They’re an offshoot of the Polperro Fishermen’s Choir – formed in 2009 – and they sing a mix of Cornish songs, sea shanties, folk and golden oldies. My youngest was particularly taken because one of his favourite songs is Wellerman by Nathan Evans, so the shanties had him transfixed. But beyond the music, it was great to feel part of the rhythm of the village – locals singing, visitors joining in, pints in hand. It’s one of those moments that makes you feel like you belong somewhere, even as a visitor.
The Wreckers typically perform on Wednesday evenings during the warmer months. Check the Polperro Fishermen’s Choir website or ask in the pubs or The Legion for the latest schedule. Polperro also holds a music festival during the summer in the small square – another reason to time your visit well.
Eat and drink in Polperro
We’ll have a full post on the best places to eat in Polperro, but two pubs deserve a mention here.
The Blue Peter Inn is cramped, noisy and brilliant. Squeezing up against the bar with the chatter and clatter around you is part of the charm, and the fish and chips are excellent. It’s a proper Cornish pub with real ales on tap and live music at weekends. Emma Thompson reportedly became a fan of the pub’s chips and Tribute ale while filming Down Cemetery Road (Apple TV+) in Polperro in 2024. Our Airbnb host Chris – who looks after several of the grander homes clinging to the clifftops – told us he’d had the pleasure of looking after Thompson during the shoot. How the Oceans Studio down by the harbour had been transformed into a newsagent for the cameras. Having watched the show myself, it’s hard to reconcile the moody on-screen village with sunny, cheerful Polperro.
The Three Pilchards sits right on the harbour and has a rooftop terrace. Sitting up there watching the sun set over the water is one of those quietly special moments. We spent several evenings up there – it became our spot. Matt, behind the bar, was a mine of local knowledge. “Have you seen the cool guy scooting down the lanes with his dog?” we asked. “Yes, well, he owns the pizza bar,” Matt informed us, without missing a beat. That’s Polperro – everyone knows everyone.
Explore at low tide
When the tide goes out, a whole other Polperro reveals itself. Polperro beach appears just outside the harbour walls – a small sandy beach mixed with shingle and backed by cliffs, accessible down steps from the sea wall. Kids will love poking around the rock pools looking for starfish, small fish and crabs. It’s a dog-friendly beach with some seasonal restrictions on leads before 6pm in summer.
At low tide you can also explore the caves along the shoreline, including the one known as Willy Wilcox Cave – named after a Polperro smuggler who drowned inside while hiding from Customs men. It’s on the western side of the beach and adds a bit of drama to the rock-pooling.
Stay for the evening – or even a few days
Most visitors come to Polperro for the day, and it has a completely different energy once they leave. The lanes quieten, the light softens, and the village settles back into itself. It’s the people who make this place so special – as much as those oil-painting views.
There’s the local who sits at the same spot every evening with his trusted dog, Fred at the bar. The friendly shopkeepers who’ll stop whatever they’re doing to chat. The guy who scoots through the lanes with his dog – who, as it turns out, owns the pizza bar. In Polperro, everyone seems to know everyone, and after a couple of days, they start to know you, too.
I know Cornwall is full of beautiful villages, coastal towns and bays, but there’s something rather special about Polperro. It still retains a charm that feels untouched. You can imagine the smugglers sailing into the cove under the cover of darkness. It’s like the village has been captured in a bottle – while the times have moved on, it still exists partly in the past. And that, for me, is the magic of the place.
Best day trips from Polperro
Fowey
With its cool independent shops, waterside restaurants and upmarket yachting vibe, Fowey is well worth a day trip. You can walk there via the coast path to Polruan and catch the foot ferry across, or drive and take the car ferry at Bodinnick to save time. We love Fowey – it’s one of our favourites in Cornwall – and Polkerris beach nearby is a stunner, with Sam’s on the Beach for lunch.
Looe
We’ve stayed in Looe before and have a real soft spot for it. The town of Looe is about 1.5 hours’ walk along the coast path via Talland Bay, or a quick drive. It’s busier and more commercial than Polperro – you’ll find bigger shops, amusement arcades that the boys loved, beautiful beaches and a lovely harbour to wander. If you’re a fan of BBC1’s Beyond Paradise, you’ll recognise Looe as the filming location for the show. Keep an eye out for Looe Island just offshore – a nature reserve managed by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. I often get a cab or bus rather than walk back again.
Lerryn
This tiny riverside village, about 20 minutes’ drive northwest, is well off the beaten track and was one of the loveliest surprises of our trip. Stepping stones cross the River Lerryn at low tide, The Ship Inn dates back centuries, and the surrounding Ethy Woods – said to have inspired Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows – are magical to walk through. Hidden in the woods are the overgrown ruins of Tivoli Park, a pleasure garden built in the 1920s inspired by Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens. It once had fountains, a bandstand and a plunge pool – now reclaimed by nature, which somehow makes it better. We absolutely loved it here. So peaceful, so beautiful – we spent the afternoon dreaming of riverside cottages and enjoying treats from the lovely cafe, Lerryn River Stores.
Golitha Falls
About 35 minutes north, on the edge of Bodmin Moor, Golitha Falls is a series of cascades along the River Fowey through ancient oak woodland. The walk is free, the car park is free, and the woodland feels ancient – mossy, damp and atmospheric. It can get muddy, so wear decent shoes. In the car park, you’ll find Inkie’s Smokehouse – an award-winning BBQ cabin serving slow-smoked meats, burgers and stacked pancakes. It’s open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am–4pm, and the smell of smoked food drifting through the trees is almost unfairly tempting.
Siblyback Lake
Close to Golitha Falls, Siblyback Lake has a flat, easy 5 km circular walk around the reservoir with views across Bodmin Moor. There’s the Olive & Co café on site, a children’s play area, and water sports in summer – you can hire paddleboards, kayaks and canoes. A good option for a gentler family day out.
Lanhydrock House
Lanhydrock (National Trust) is one of the prettiest National Trust properties we’ve visited. It’s a magnificent Victorian country house near Bodmin with beautifully preserved kitchens, family rooms and a Jacobean Long Gallery with a spectacular plasterwork ceiling recently restored after a major conservation project. The gardens are stunning, particularly in summer when the herbaceous borders and woodland rhododendrons are in full bloom – worth the visit for the gardens alone. My eldest loved the nursery with its rocking horse and the kitchen rooms downstairs. It’s grand without being stuffy. Check seasonal opening times on the National Trust website before visiting.
Lostwithiel and the Duchy of Cornwall Nursery
The ancient stannary town of Lostwithiel is known as the antiques capital of Cornwall, with independent shops and a relaxed feel. Nearby, the Duchy of Cornwall Nursery is far more than a garden centre – the Orangery restaurant serves excellent breakfast and lunch with views across the Fowey Valley towards Restormel Castle, and there’s a tipi with outdoor seating too. We all enjoyed a cream tea here! The nursery itself is beautiful, packed with plants and upmarket homeware. A short walk from the nursery takes you to the medieval ruins of Restormel Castle (English Heritage).
If you’re looking for a bigger day out, the Eden Project is about 30 minutes’ drive west of Polperro – its giant biomes are one of the most popular tourist destinations in Cornwall and well worth a visit with children. We’ve been a few times over the years and highly recommend it.
Where to stay in Polperro
Staying in the village rather than visiting for the day gives you a completely different experience. We stayed at The Lobster Pot, a beautifully maintained Airbnb hosted by Chris, who was wonderfully welcoming and full of stories about the village – from which houses he looks after on the clifftops to the time Emma Thompson came to film. His insider tips led us to half the places in this post, and his warmth set the tone for the whole stay.
For the best selection of holiday cottages, apartments and B&Bs in and around Polperro, use the widget below to search and compare accommodation options.
Practical information for visiting Polperro
Getting there and parking
Polperro is on the south coast of Cornwall between Looe and Fowey. From the A38, cross the Tamar Bridge into Cornwall and follow the A387 towards Looe and Polperro. There is one large car park at the top of the village – you cannot drive into the village centre. From the car park, it’s a 15–20-minute walk downhill to the harbour.
The car park is cash only – bring coins. There is no parking within the village unless you’re dropping off luggage.
Tuk-tuks and luggage taxis
Small tuk-tuks run between the car park and the village – handy if you don’t fancy the walk, though they don’t always operate every day. We found it amusing watching Dolly Part Van (yes, really) zipping up and down the lanes. If you’re staying in the village and need to get luggage down, Alex runs a luggage taxi service – call him on 07896 536317 and book in advance.
Best time to visit
Polperro is busy during the summer months, particularly July and August, when holidaymakers fill the lanes, and it can feel crowded. For a quieter experience with fewer tourists but most things still open, visit in late spring (May–June) or early autumn (September–October). Off-season visits are peaceful, but many shops and restaurants close – check before you travel.
Getting around
The village is small and walkable, though steep in places. For public transport, bus routes 72 and 73 connect Polperro with Plymouth via Looe. The nearest train station is Looe, on the branch line from Liskeard.
Frequently asked questions about Polperro
Is Polperro worth visiting?
Yes. Polperro is a popular tourist destination for good reason – it’s one of the most atmospheric fishing villages in Cornwall, with a working harbour, beautiful walks along the coast, great pubs and a fascinating smuggling history. It’s particularly rewarding if you stay overnight rather than just visiting for the day.
How long do you need in Polperro?
A day trip gives you time to walk the harbour, explore the streets and have lunch. But to walk the coast path, catch the sea shanties and experience the village after the day trippers leave, stay at least two nights.
Can you drive into Polperro?
No. You must park in the car park at the top of the village and walk down (15–20 minutes). The car park is cash only. Luggage taxis and tuk-tuks can help with heavy bags.
Is there a beach in Polperro?
Polperro has a small beach that appears at low tide, accessible by steps from the harbour wall. It’s a mix of sand and shingle with rock pools and caves to explore. Chapel Pool, the natural tidal pool, is a popular swimming spot when the tide is right.
What is the best time to visit Polperro?
Late spring and early autumn offer the best balance of open facilities and fewer crowds. Summer is the liveliest but busiest. Winter is quiet and atmospheric, though many businesses close.
Are there boat trips from Polperro?
Yes, during the summer season. Options include short pleasure cruises, trips to Looe and half-day excursions to Fowey. Check at the harbour for times and availability.