20 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Cornwall - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Cornwall

Cornwall, England

St Michael's Mount

A island reachable by a causeway at low tide is possibly one of the earliest Western European locations to be identified in text.

Cornwall, England

Lost Gardens of Heligan

400-year-old garden, restored to beauty.

Cornwall, England

St. Nectan's Kieve

A unique waterfall that some believe attracts the fairfolk.

Cornwall, England

The Eden Project

The largest greenhouse in the world is home to over one million types of plants.

Cornwall, England

King Arthur's Stone

A 6th-century stone lies at the site of the mythical battle waged between King Arthur and his nemesis Mordred.

Cornwall, England

Restormel Castle

The ruins of an 11th-century Norman castle with a rare, perfectly circular shape.

Cornwall, England

Tregothnan

Grab a cuppa at England's first and only domestic tea plantation.

Cornwall, England

Minack Theatre

A open air theatre built on a cliff by an eccentric British woman.

See All 20 Things to Do in Cornwall See All 20 Places

Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Cornwall

Cornwall, England

The Eden Project

The largest greenhouse in the world is home to over one million types of plants.

Cornwall, England

Tregothnan

Grab a cuppa at England's first and only domestic tea plantation.

In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with Get Your Guide

Guided Tours Nearby

Atlas Obscura Trips

Southern England: Lore of Dartmoor

Explore Cornwall, England

Launch Map

Cornwall Leaderboard

Places Added

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent Cornwall Activity

naveedanwer932 wants to go to Tregothnan

nicoladavies24 wants to go to St. Nectan's Kieve

holliewalker07 wants to go to The Eden Project

holliewalker07 wants to go to Lost Gardens of Heligan

florieharding wants to go to Gwennap Pit

Stories About Cornwall

The <em>De Gallant</em> at sea.

For Sustainable Coffee, These Ships Take to the High Seas

The old-fashioned way is also the carbon-neutral way.

by Frankie Adkins

If you look closely, you can see the shape of the nettle leaves covering the cheese.

How a 400-Year-Old Cheese Got Its Groove Back

The secret ingredient? Stinging nettles.

by Richard Collett

February 3, 2022

In September 2021, thousands came to Cornwall to see the <em>Ordinalia</em>, a cycle of three, 14th-century religious mystery plays originally written in Cornish.

The Centuries-Old Plays Helping to Revitalize a Once-Lost Language

One challenge: finding actors who speak Cornish.

by Richard Collett

November 18, 2021

Some of the boats are well over a century old.

Europe's Last Sail-Powered Fishing Fleet Faces a Stormy Future

Can this age-old industry weather both COVID-19 and climate change?

by Katherine Waters

The castle on St. Michael's Mount towers over precarious gardens.

Wanted: An Expert Gardener to Oversee a Castled Cornish Island

St. Michael’s Mount requires a horticulturalist with the agility of a mountain goat.

by Sabrina Imbler

Pieces of ceramic and glass that Atherton has found in the Thames, interspersed with more recent trash.

The Artist Making Tapestries Out of Aquatic Trash

Jo Atherton's colorful works turn our plastic crisis into a meditation on memory and time.

A hearty "click, whistle, squeak" to England's first known resident pod of bottlenose dolphins.

Found: England's First Resident Pod of Bottlenose Dolphins

A "dolphin census" proved that they weren't just on holiday.

by Vittoria Traverso

December 20, 2017

Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.