5 Best Places to Visit in Fowey, Cornwall

January 31, 2025 Victoria Clark

Hi! I'm Victoria and back in 2017 I saved the public toilets at Readymoney Cove on the gorgeous south coast of Cornwall by opening Readymoney Beach Shop. Fowey is a fantastic place to visit at any time of the year so here's my 5 best places to visit in Fowey.

Readymoney Cove

Well, I was always going to start here wasn't I? My family and I moved to Fowey back in 2015 (read my story here) and the 15 minute walk through beautiful woodland to reach the secluded sandy beach at Readymoney Cove was definitely one of the main draws for us. Opening the beach shop in May 2017 notched that up a level as I now spend a lot of time at Readymoney!

One of the reasons Readymoney Cove draws such appeal is its iconic turrets on the old lime kiln next to the beach. So memorable and the view across the sandy cove is a favourite with so many. There are handy benches on top of the old lime kiln for sitting and enjoying the view as well as a covered shelter next to the lime kiln, overlooking the beach.

The beach itself is super safe with a gentle slope, virtually no hidden rocks (although watch out along the sides) and a designated no boat swimming zone from May to October. In the summer months a swimming platform appears in the cove, always a huge hit.

My little shop is open every day of the year (except Christmas Day) to keep you refreshed for your visit to Readymoney Cove. You'll find barista brewed coffee, Cornish tea, Cornish ice-cream, traditional Cornish pasties, homemade cake, cold drinks, shelves packed with lovely locally sourced gifts and souvenirs and everything you need for a day at the beach including buckets, spades and even bodyboards and deckchairs to hire. Definitely number one in my 5 best places to visit in Fowey!

Fowey town centre

Approximately 10 minutes walk along The Esplanade (with amazing views across the estuary and over to Polruan on the other side) you'll find the twisting streets of the main part of town, packed with a brilliant range of independent businesses: shops, cafes and takeaways.

My favourite cafe in town is the long-running Brown Sugar, worth booking a table online during busy periods. I can also highly recommend the delicious Middle Eastern takeaway boxes from Olive Branch. Shops not to miss are Liga Eco Store, Pebble & Salt and Boheme by Salt Society.

Fowey has 4 pubs right in the middle of town: The Galleon has amazing views over the river, The King of Prussia is building a well deserved reputation as a foodie favourite; The Ship Inn with its roaring open fire, quiz nights and live music and the more traditional Lugger, perfect for those looking for an authentic Cornish pub experience.

North Street

People often think that Fowey stops after the town centre but that couldn't be further from the truth and the North Street area deserves a mention as one of the 5 best places to visit in Fowey. The jewel in the crown is the amazing North Street Kitchen, a relaxed seasonally inspired foodie heaven which won Best Local Restaurant in the South West for 2024.

From spring to autumn just across from North Street Kitchen at Berrill's Yard you'll find Captain Hanks Crab & Snack Shack, offering riverside seafood from a charming Citroen H van. There are tables outside so why not sit and enjoy the view across the river past the lifeboat pontoon to Ferryside (the former home of Daphne du Maurier).

Berrills Yard is also the home of Fowey's lifeboat. The lifeboat station and RNLI shop are just across the road and during the summer you can take part in a guided tour of the lifeboat (subject to weather and operational requirements). The RNLI shop is run by volunteers and is great way of shopping to support this essential emergency service.

Across from the lifeboat next to the boatyard is one of Fowey's cutest shops: White Doll Arts. White Doll has been a popular part of the Fowey scene for decades but has recently been taken over by talented potter Laura Lane. White Doll has always had an emphasis on stocking quality handmade ceramics and you will see more of the same under Laura's ownership as well as beautifully carved wooden spoons made by Laura's son Felix. Laura also hopes to run run workshops in the in-house pottery studio, exciting times!

St Catherine's Castle

Back down the other end of town and overlooking Readymoney Cove you'll find the ruins of St Catherine's Castle. Definitely ruins rather than a full on castle experience, it is absolutely worth taking the 5-10 minute walk up from Readymoney Cove to check out the views. Either take the steps directly on the beach or the less steep path up through the woods, signposted between the cottages at the back of the cove

St Catherine's Castle is maintained by English Heritage and is open all the time with free access although there are open steps and steep drops so do be careful of children and keep dogs on leads.

The views in both directions really do make the castle one of the 5 best things to visit in Fowey, it's always good to watch the big cruise liners leave from up there too (click here to find the latest cruise timetable and find out what's due in when). The castle is on the coast path so if you fancy more of a walk you can walk along to one of the next coves: Coombe Haven, Poldridmouth Cove or even along to Polkerris.

Old Grammar School Gardens, Fowey, Cornwall

The Old Grammar School Gardens

This is definitely rather a hidden gem and chances are that even if you've been to Fowey before you might have missed this special little garden. You'll find the little gated entrance to the gardens on The Esplanade, just after Pintxo (an excellent spot for a glass of wine and some tapas plates).

The buildings above the garden on the opposite side of the Esplanade used to be Fowey's grammar school and the old school gardens have been beautifully laid out by a local garden designer with lots of hidden corners and places to sit and enjoy the view. Find out more about the history of the gardens here.

The multi-level gardens are a dog-free zone unfortunately. If you are looking for a place to enjoy a spot of peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the town then this is definitely one of the 5 best places to visit in Fowey.