10 Reasons To Visit Cornwall In Autumn

If you’re a fan of an early night, but also adore nothing more than catching a sunset, autumn is the ideal time for you to enjoy some of the UK’s most epic sundowner sessions. As the nights draw in earlier each evening and the clocks go back in October, there’s no need to sacrifice getting to bed on time with enjoying one of nature’s free pleasures. Let your eyes behold the dreamy pink, violet and orange clouds as dusk turns to night, whilst still getting your beauty sleep – it’s a win, win.

One of our favourite autumn activities in Cornwall has to be a trip to a pumpkin patch. Whether you’re in search of the plumpest pumpkin for carving and displaying proudly on the front porch, or you’re shopping for hearty soup ingredients – visit one of Cornwall’s many pumpkin patches and revel in this wholesome day out. We recommend Trevaskis Farm in Hayle. 

Offering wild moorland, mysterious shipwrecks, ancient ruins and abandoned mine shafts, Cornwall is a beautifully haunting place with many unexplained myths and spooky folklore. If you’re thinking of spending Halloween in Cornwall, be sure to get these top 10 haunted spots on your radar.

📸: Aerial Cornwall

When the weather is misbehaving and the autumn mizzle threatens to rain off your day at the beach – there’s no need to panic. Our county has far more to offer than just our beautiful coastlines. Visit museums and indoor attractions that cover every topic, from marine history, Cornish art, music, and film, to conservation, mining, pirates, and witchcraft. For more ideas, have a read of our ultimate rainy day guide to Cornwall.

Remember, remember, the fifth of November. Bonfire night is one of the best autumn activities in Cornwall – whether it’s catching a fireworks show from afar or heading to a bonfire party for candyfloss, fairground rides, sparklers and toasted marshmallows.

Humans aren’t the only ones who benefit from visiting Cornwall later in the year. Dogs are barking up the right tree when it comes to a Cornish holiday in autumn. Our county offers over 400 beaches to explore, and out of season you’ll often find lots of them fairly empty.

An extra ‘bone’-us? Most Cornish beaches will lift their summer dog bans in autumn and winter, meaning you’ll find plenty of coastal canines for your pooch to become pals with. Even better, this autumn, dogs stay free at The Greenbank!

One of the most wholesome and enjoyable autumn activities in Cornwall is going for a hot chocolate. We’re talking piping hot cocoa, served in a chunky mug with all the trimmings. Whipped cream, marshmallows, cinnamon, you name it. Cornwall is blessed with some of the most gorgeous spots for enjoying a hot drink in an amazing setting.

Visit Cornwall in autumn, and you’ll be timing it perfectly for spotting some of our beloved sea creatures. Whilst seals can be found splashing around in Cornish waters all year round, your best bet for getting a glimpse of them is during seal breeding season – between mid-September and January.

During this period, you may spot seals and their pups on undisturbed beaches. One of our top recommendations for seal-spotting in autumn is Mutton Cove in Godrevy, on the north coast of Cornwall.

With a change of season, comes a whole new plateful of ingredients and flavours in our food. We’ll be saying goodbye to the light bites and barbecue grills, in favour of warming stews, batches of soup and indulgent desserts.

For soulful food with playful twists always centred around seasonality, venture in from the cold and dine waterside with us. Head Chef Bobby Southworth’s new autumn-winter menu is reason alone to visit Cornwall this year.

Yes, we said the C word. We can’t ignore the magic that Christmas brings to Cornwall, particularly towards the end of autumn, as the festivities begin to ramp up from mid-November onwards.

Sleepy fishing villages and harbours come to life with strings of twinkling lights. Shop windows get a dusting of glitter and ‘snow’ ready for eager yuletide shoppers, and the pubs begin to fill with the scent of mulled cider and wine, ready for the weeks of merriment ahead. Check out what’s on at our harbourside hotel this Christmas.