One of my favourite towns in South Cornwall, there are plenty of thing to do in Fowey. This maritime town is on the banks of the river Fowey and is home to independent shops, restaurants, and cafes.
There are several walks starting in the town, beautiful views over the estuary, and even a beach. If you love having a potter around followed by a drink and a bite to eat then it’s well worth a visit.
On my first visit to Fowey, I discovered on a Tourist Information sign that we had been pronouncing the name of the town wrong! It’s pronounce “foy” as in joy, not phonetically as “fowey”.
Read on to find some of the best things to do in Fowey.
Where to park in Fowey
When we’ve visited Fowey, we’ve parked in an all day car park at the top of the town. Parking is quite limited in Fowey but the Main Car Park which is about a five minute walk down a steep hill to the town itself – it takes slightly longer on the way back up!
Things to do in Fowey
Explore the town and harbour
Fowey is a really pretty little harbour town and we spent hours just pottering around the narrow streets and the estuary. There are lots of independent shops and pubs with outdoor seating areas – which suited us just fine – and lots of pretty houses overlooking the estuary which immediately made me want to move to Fowey.
On our wanders we also stumbled across Fowey Parish Church which dates back to the 12th century. It’s a really impressive, beautiful building.
Take the ferry to Polruan
We also took the Polruan Ferry across the estuary to Polruan where we stopped for refreshments at a pub overlooking the estuary. The ferry is dog-friendly which made it perfect for our trip and it operates every 10-15 minutes so you can nip between the two.
Readymoney Cove
Where to eat in Fowey
Sam’s Fowey
Sam’s is an American-style diner set in a 13th century building in the heart of the town.
Game of Cones
We picked up some delicious ice cream from an ice cream shop with the best name ever – Game of Cones. There are lots of different flavours and I went for honeycomb which was amazing – the perfect treat on a beautiful day.
Where to stay in Fowey
We stayed in a three-bedroom holiday cottage in Cardinham, around a 35-minute drive from Fowey. We absolutely loved our stay in this cosy cottage which had a log burner and a hot tub outside.
It has a secluded location in the countryside and you can hear the sound of a nearby stream from the house. There were also horses in the field next to the house when we stayed.
If you have a car, it’s in an excellent location for exploring both the south and north coasts of Cornwall as it’s in the middle of the two.
If you’d prefer to be in Fowey itself, then there are some great options for accommodation including holiday cottages, hotels, and traditional B&Bs.
Save: The Ship Inn, Fowey
Splurge: Fowey Hall Hotel
3 Responses
Kids would love to come here, been meaning to travel down for a few years but the 6 hour journey always seems a slog!
You’re right – it definitely is a long way to go! I do think it’s totally worth it but I’ve always made really good times on my journeys, I’ve heard about people getting stuck in traffic and it taking NINE HOURS!