Falmouth’s friendly, arty, subtropical port

with real life pirate stories

… not always cute

Queer students mix with shanty singers; hedge fund yachties; generational liveaboard folk; naval types; vanlifers; queer noise & trad silver bands.

There’s castles & galleries, historic quays & megayacht marinas & expansive cruise ship docks; a pub-bookshop & a radical cafe bookshop, a folklore museum, a National Maritime Museum, botanical gardens, seasonal community arts .. & a naturist beach.

Lights of a harbour town at dusk as seen from a quay with railings and lights..

Packet Station for British imperial seafarers & Atlantic port of last resort, Falmouth hosts palm trees, town beaches & the deepest natural harbour in Western Europe. At the heart of & yet also yet out of town is the fortified headland, watched over by Pendennis Castle, commissioned by Tudors to defend England from Spain, which local pirates used to commandeer ships, with canons.. that is, until (apparently) Sir Walter Raleigh encouraged the opening of inns instead to secure the town a bit more repeat business..

Quieter, older, upriver, Penryn is the original harbour, once home Glasney College a medieval centre of Cornish scholarship equivalent to Oxford & Cambridge, now once again home to two international universities. Mineral & maritime legacy is everywhere here, set against magnificent coastal landscapes..

harbour filled with white boats in a pink evening light

Come rain or shine, whatever it is you’re seeking, there’ll be something right here that you want to find..

Walks of various lengths by prior arrangement

Contact

  • I would definitely recommend her
    for the local area hikes

    Zoe was cheerful, informative,
    very helpful and a wonderful tour guide. 
    Caroline S
    July 2024

  • Great Guide, Went Above & Beyond

    We booked a walking tour but it began to rain just as we arrived. Zoe took it upon herself to bring her vehicle & we started our tour from her vehicle until it stopped raining. She has a keen interest in the arts & is very knowledgeable on the evolution of Falmouth from the early days to recent times.
    James A
    July 2023

  • Companionable, Easy-Going, Informative & Enlightening 

    Zoe greeted us warmly at the Cruise Terminal for our walking tour. Bonus: prearranged, her lovely dog, Brioc, walked with us
    Alson K
    April 2025