Most of the county’s rivers empty into the sea along its protected south coast and its many estuaries provide shelter for numerous ancient fishing ports that are now central to Cornwall’s tourist industry. The rugged cliff-hung coastline provides fine seascapes, many of which are only accessible from the South West Coast Path. It is not hard to imagine why this isolated coast lent itself so easily to smuggling.

The towns that lie along its estuaries are as unique as their locations. Classic riverside ports can be found along sheltered banks, whilst medieval harbours closer to the open sea are designed to withstand the battery of the elements. Many of these towns have replaced fishing with tourism as their main industry and provide a warm welcome and great facilities.

Inland, South Cornwall provides some of the finest tourist attractions in the county such as The Eden Project and The Lost Gardens of Heligan. The National Trust offers an impressive range of houses, large and small, to visit. Truro is the county’s capital and the southernmost city in England. Its neo-gothic cathedral is one of the finest of its kind and the city also houses the county’s best museum.