Boat Trip from St Mawes to Falmouth


Boats in the harbour at St Mawes, with people boarding the boats ready to set sail

Boat trip from St Mawes to Falmouth along the Fal River

I had friends to stay last week and one of the things my visitors wanted to during their stay in Cornwall was a boat trip!

It was a sunny August day, we parked up easily in the main car park at St Mawes and took the short walk to the ticket office passing some independent shops selling local art and Cornish gifts as well as several traditional pubs, hotels and restaurants. You could easily spend an hour or two having a look around and having a bite to eat before hitting the water.

We boarded the Duchess of Cornwall on the beautiful River Fal which was to take us over the water to Falmouth. For the time of year the boat was pleasantly quiet which meant we had plenty of space to sit on the top deck and take in the views of St Mawes Castle and the Roseland as we took the leisurely 20 minute cruise.

On arriving in Falmouth we decided to wander through the bustling, bunting lined streets, popping into the local shops as we went. Just a stones throw away from the pier the children found the Falmouth Crystal Shop and handpicked some beautiful little pieces to take home. Further along they found the Falmouth Bookseller, all 3 children are keen readers so were in their element as the shelves were packed full of books that appealed to all their interests.

After all the shopping we felt a little peckish so found a spot on the vibrant Discovery Quay to enjoy our picnic. Discovery Quay is home to plenty of cafes and restaurants so there is plenty to choose from if you decide to eat out. Here you will also find the National Maritime Museum, which my son and I have previously visited and is well worth a visit. Children under 5 are free and entrance fees for those paying are reasonable with all revenue made reinvested back into the museum.

After lunch we took a little stroll back through the town to the pier before catching the Duchess of Cornwall back across to St Mawes. The children decided to sit downstairs on the way back and had fun waving to the other boats on the water whilst my friend and I took in the spectacular views across the glistening water.

Tickets for St Mawes Ferry or one of the other routes Fal River can be booked online with a 10% discount.

Enjoy a break in Cornwall

If you would like to enjoy a break in Cornwall and have some adventures of your own we’d love to see you. We’ve got a range of cottages which sleep 4-12 people and we’ve won many awards because we are passionate about sustainability – find out more and check availability.

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Action Nan and the rest of the team are always busy writing posts that we think you’ll like – from top tips on where to take the kids, to what’s likely to be going on in the local area when you stay – we’ve got it all in our blog!