"Penzance" Top 5 Page for this destination Penzance by psychocy

Penzance Travel Guide: 78 reviews and 211 photos

Penzance

Brought to fame by Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Pirates of Penzance' play, Penzance is a wonderful seaside town with a number of interesting sites and shops. It isn't huge, with a population of 20,000, but it feels quaint while offering the amenities of larger communities. It would serve as an excellent base for exploring West Cornwall, since it's proximity to landmarks like St. Michael's Mount, Land's End, St. Ives, and Minack Theater is unrivaled. Penzance is the westernmost town in all Britain - go further and you just find farms and villages. Go even further and you fall off some big cliffs and wind up floating around in the Atlantic Ocean.

A Bustling Market Town

A Bank In Penzance

The name Penzance is from Pen Sans, an ancient Cornish term meaning 'Holy Headland'. Penzance has been a market town since it was settled at least 1000 years ago, and it offers an impressive number of shops, cafes, hotels, museums, parks, and churches for its size. Everything in town is within walking distance of town center, and there are many interesting little side streets with cool pubs and shops. Keep an eye out for Causeway Head and Chapel Street - my two favorite shopping and eating areas in town.

Plenty To Do

Sir Humphry Davy Is A Good Pub WIth Great Food

From the bus/train station (right in the center of town) you can see St. Michael's Mount in the distance and Mousehole and Newlyn a few miles west along the shore. These are good places to stroll through and explore. In the other direction you'll find the ancient town of Marazion. Stay a while and you'll find great pubs, street musicians, long beaches, and restaurants filled with fresh seafood from neighboring Newyln.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Lots to see and do, good shopping, excellent transportation facilities to take you all over West Cornwall.
Cons:I've heard it is quite crowded during the high seasons.
In a nutshell:Use it as a base of operations, or at least stop and check it out.

Last visit to Penzance: May 2005
Intro Updated Sep 7, 2006
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Reviews (10)

Morrab Gardens Things to Do (4)

Located close to the promenade, just behind the library, this pleasantly decorated park is tidy and quiet. It is also... more travel advice

Model Boaters Sail Even On Cloudy Days - Penzance

Penzance's Boating Pool Off The Beaten Path (1)

Penzance sports it's own boating pool in an area of Penzance called WherryTown which is sandwiched between Newlyn and... more travel advice

Stay Warm & Dry What to Pack (1)

Have a day pack or one strap backpack handy for days out in Penzance. There are great shops around - you're gonna buy... more travel advice

Monkey Rides National Express - You Can Too! - Penzance

Penzance Is Easily Accessible Transportation (1)

You can get to Penzance on the A30 or A38 motorways, in your own vehicle or on a coach. There are coach services at the... more travel advice

Restaurants (1)
Eat Local - Pasties!

Hotels (2)
See All Great Breakfast & Central Location

Comments (5)

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850prc Jan 30, 2010 at 12:30 PM

gotta admit, my first thought was "Gilbert and Sullivan", my personal connection for the town of Penzance. Nice page here, Ken. We'd definitely take part on the ghost walk, love that kind of stuff.
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evaanna Mar 3, 2006 at 11:28 AM

Penzance seems to have everything I want from my holiday: a harbour to watch the boats, some exotic plants and even a ghost walk. Did you actually see any ghosts? (noticed that light at the back of the headstone?) Excellent photos and interesting tips.
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HORSCHECK Jan 19, 2006 at 2:27 PM

Fantastic little page with brilliant photos of Penzance. Your page brings back many memories of my time in this lovely cornish village. I once used Penzance as a sort homebase from where I explored Cornwall. :o)
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aadil Jan 13, 2006 at 11:34 PM

Great to see your pics and info on Penzance, brought back fond memories of my trip there!!! Always good to walk around the city especially when it is so small and easily walkable. I had a great time walking there. Thanks for sharing on VT!!!
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hayward68 Jan 13, 2006 at 1:08 PM

You've certainly discovered more of Penzance than I have and I've been numerous times! The wind as you walk the Promenade can be fierce, but I still love the walk.