One pretty little fishing village is so beautiful it’s been compared to a Greek island, complete with whitewashed cottages and turquoise waters. Unlike popular Cornwall escapes, it’s remained relatively off the tourist radar, with a much quieter and more relaxed feel than other places in the county during summer.
Visitors can expect independent shopping, quaint pubs and, of course, fish and chips, without the hustle and bustle of many seaside escapes. As you approach the village, local shops selling handicrafts and artworks dot the sleepy road that snakes down towards the harbour. Once you reach the water and look back, you can see white houses climbing up the pretty green hillside.
It has been compared to a Greek island by Park Holidays, which said the sea turns an “Aegean shade of turquoise” on sunny days.
It added: “With whitewashed cottages and boats bobbing in the tiny harbour, Polperro feels more like a tucked-away Greek island than a Cornish fishing village. Narrow, winding streets lead to cafés and shops with serious Santorini charm,” reports Cornwall Live.
With no train station, Polperro is slightly harder to reach, however, those who do travel there have raved about the seaside experience.
One visitor wrote on TripAdvisor: “This is one of our favourite villages in Cornwall. It’s like going back in time.”
Another added: “It’s well worth it when you get there, with quirky little alleyways, cute smugglers cottages, a working harbour offering boat trips and plenty of traditional Cornish pubs.”
Many artists have made Polperro their muse over the years, and visitors can unsurprisingly pick up local art from one of the several galleries. Due to its links to smuggling in the late 1700s and early 1800s, the village also has its own Smuggling Museum.
In Polperro there is a small shingle beach when the tide goes out, however, the pretty Talland Bay beach is just a mile away, which can be reached on foot by the scenic South West Coast Path.