Since Victorian times, picturesque portside town Penzance has enjoyed a reputation as a fine base for enjoying the best of Cornwall.
St Ives, Mousehole, St Michael’s Mount, Land’s End, the Minack Theatre, the best of the South West Coast Path and many more ‘West Country greatest hits’ can be reached in minutes. Meanwhile, it’s your embarkation point for the Isles of Scilly.
More recently, however, visitors are wising up to the fact that Penzance is a star Cornish attraction in itself. It has a buzzy arts scene and colourful array of indie shops and galleries. There are pubs with plenty of rum-soaked atmosphere, and also cocktail bars serving up a mean mojito. Award-winning food, historic architecture and an authentic Cornish vibe are all encouraging more visitors to stick around.
But where to stick around?
Filed in the good-problem-to-have category, our town has several distinct quarters you’ll need to choose from.
Here’s our guide to the best areas to stay in Penzance.
The Queens Hotel
Great for…stunning views of Penzance Promenade, Newlyn and Mount’s Bay
Distance from bus/ train station: 0.8 miles
While the Queens Hotel is clearly not a district, it’s legendary enough – and big enough – to earn its own spot in our list of where to base yourself in Penzance. This grande dame of Penzance accommodation was built in 1862 and offers 70 en-suite rooms, many with sweeping views over Mount’s Bay and St Michael’s Mount.
The hotel was a notable destination on the 19th century circuit and the chandeliers still ring with the sound of a thousand Victorian soirees. (And the reception, quite frankly, with its polished wooden counters, post box and sweeping stairs, makes us feel like we’re stepping into a particularly good Agatha Christie story.)
The period character is complemented by a restaurant with lovely people-watching views over Penzance prom and the Bay. And don’t discount a visit in the off season. Nowhere in Penzance is better for watching the wild winter sea crash against the Promenade, its awesome power rocking the very foundations of your perfectly crumbly scone topped with jam and cream.
Alexandra Road and the Victorian Hotel Quarter
Great for… lovers of the traditional English B&B and guest house experience
Distance from bus/ train station:1 mile
Ahhhh, Alexandra Road. There’s something about this wide, gently sloping tree-lined street ending by the sea that raises a smile among Penzance natives and visitors in the know. Guesthouse and B&B central, it developed during the 1850s shortly after the arrival of the railways in 1852, and the tourism economy that followed.
This is a beautiful, leafy district by all accounts, wafting the aroma of buttered toast and freshly squeezed orange juice from a fair few dozen B&Bs. Not only is it very handy for observing the vistas over the bay at Penzance Promenade, it’s also a short walk to nearby working harbour town Newlyn for fine fish and ice creams. Oh, and a mere magnolia’s aroma away from the famous subtropical Morrab Gardens, too!
Alexandra Road and the Victorian Hotel Quarter
Penzance Promenade and Western Seafront
Great for…Rooms with views. Full stop.
Distance from bus/ train station: 0.9 miles
For those of you who think civilisation has gone to hell in a hand cart, you should probably visit Penzance Promenade. From dawn to dusk, locals and visitors are walking, running, skating, ambling and chatting along this stretch from Jubilee Pool to Newlyn with views of St Michael’s Mount, the Lizard Peninsula and Newlyn.
Yes, it’s almost as if servicing the attention economy and peering endlessly into screens never happened – Penzance Promenade is an embodiment of a healthful and wholesome way to spend your days.
Along the way, you’ll encounter famous fish and chips shops, pubs, amusement arcades, outdoor sports venues (tennis, bowling, basketball, outdoor gyms), two seaside kids’ play areas, gardens, the pebbly beach of Penzance/Newlyn and a general sense that the world is a lovely and sane place after all.
Choose accommodation along Penzance seafront and you’ll have all of this on tap.
Promenade & Western Seafront
Chapel Street and the Old Quarter
Great for…quirky architecture and ancient pubs
Distance from bus/ train station: 0.4 miles
In 1595, the Spanish set fire to Chapel Street and other parts of Penzance in retaliation for English raids on Spanish ports. Since then, Spanish influence has been limited to some very moreish tapas, alongside a tasting menu of other cuisines in Penzance’s historic central quarter.
The historic bit first. The street’s beguiling procession of medieval, Georgian, Regency, early Victorian and (yes, really) Egyptian revival buildings reveal an utterly fascinating history. You can read about that architecture and history here. Bookish Brontes, sneaky smugglers, half-cut sailors and be-powder-wigged Georgian high society all make an appearance in Chapel Street’s story.
The street leads down to the historic quayside, which is packed with ale houses and award-winning eateries.
You’ll eat, drink and sleep well here. And you’ll need that sleep, too. Because, in the morning, there will be enough indie shopping in Chapel Street and the great Penzance beyond to keep you busy all day.
Chapel Street and the Old Quarter
The Garden Quarter
Great for…lush, subtropical gardens by the sea
Distance from bus/ train station: 0.6 miles
In 1889, Morrab Gardens opened as Cornwall’s first public garden. And with the elegant bandstand, fountain and giant leafy beauties, it reflected the era’s utter obsession with exotic planting. Bananas, tree ferns and Gunnera loll across borders and pathways like teenagers. Elegant magnolias provide splashes of colour. And bamboo, olives and cordyline palms contribute to a jumbly, jungly environment that you simply couldn’t create anywhere further east in the UK.
Meanwhile, a stone’s throw from Morrab Gardens, Penlee Park offers a more spacious setting with open green fields, canopies of trees and a delightful walled garden. The very beautifully situated and friendly Penzance tennis club is also in the park, where you’ll enjoy the thwack of ball on strings and the clink of spoon on teacup at the courtside café.
The Garden Quarter
Penzance is the buzzing portside town that’s packed with places to eat, drink, shop and stay – and stunning Mount’s Bay views. With an unhurried vibe, it’s a bit of proper Cornwall and the gateway to our county’s world-famous attractions. Find out more at the Love Penzance website.