Experience the best of Falmouth

Falmouth stands on the south coast of Cornwall, at the mouth of the River Fal, where the deep waters of Carrick Roads shelter boats of every size. A long main street of independent shops, galleries and cafés runs beside the harbour, and Pendennis Castle, a fort built for Henry VIII, guards the headland. Across the water, its twin St Mawes Castle is reached by a short ferry crossing, and the National Maritime Museum Cornwall stands on the waterfront.

Gyllyngvase and Swanpool beaches are a short walk from the centre, with Maenporth a little further south. On the Helford River, the valley gardens of Glendurgan and Trebah run down to the water, and upriver the gardens at Trelissick overlook the Fal estuary. The cathedral city of Truro lies a short way inland, and the Lizard peninsula, with Britain's most southerly point, lies to the south.

Oysters from the Fal, crab, mackerel and pasties are the local food, and a cream tea in Cornwall puts the jam on first. An oyster festival fills the town in October. The climate is mild and rarely frosty, spring brings early flowers to the gardens, and summer is busy with sailing and boat races.