Polperro: exploring a small, Cornish fishing village
Cornwall is one of the best preserved and most beautiful places in the UK. It is dotted with small fishing villages, quiet and peaceful little dreamy towns. Polperro is one of them. It is just a 10 minutes drive or 20–30 minutes by bus from the slightly bigger town of Looe. It sits in a steep valley along the southwest coast path between Looe and Fowey.
If you are a visual person and like watching videos, you might want to check out my YouTube vlog about Polperro.
In this article, I will share my experience of Polperro and my suggestions in case you choose Polperro as your next holiday destination.
If you are interested in an easy to read 3 days Polperro itinerary that you can personalise, check this link to my itinerary on the Boop app.
Table of contents:
Where to stay in Polperro
What to do in Polperro
Where to eat in Polperro
Additional organised tours and activities to do in Polperro
Where to stay in Polperro
The Penryn House Hotel is a highly rated, boutique-style property located right at the entrance of Polperro village, making it one of the few places in the area that offers the rare on-site private parking in a village where vehicles are otherwise restricted. The hotel offers modern rooms with a relaxed bar for guests.
When I visited Polperro, I went on a day trip from Looe, so I didn’t need accommodation. However, this is what I would go for if I had to stay for a few days, which I highly recommend!
View of Polperro Beach from the rocks
What to do in Polperro
Explore the village
Have a wander around the cute fishing village and enjoy the views of the old cottages. Polperro is famous for its beautiful 13th-century cottages. There is not much space in the valley, so the cottages are tightly packed together. The cottages are built using traditional Cornish slate and granite, then covered in a layer of whitewash to protect the stone from coastal salt spray.
This is a car-free village. The village lanes are too narrow for standard cars. Visitors can park at the top of the hill and walk down or take a local shuttle. This makes the village even more peaceful.
Polperro Harbour
Polperro Harbour is a picturesque, small fishing port, highly affected by the tide. It is surrounded by fishermen's cottages lining the quay.
Polperro Beach and Caves
You will now find yourself nearly close to the beach. This is a nice, little beach, the only one in the small fishing village of Polperro. The beach is highly affected by the tide, so check the tide times before going!
Checking the tide times is especially important if you decide to explore Polperro's famous Willy Wilcox's Cave. This cave, facing the beach, is linked to an 18th-century smuggler who used a secret tunnel to move contraband from the cavern directly up to his cottage! The sea completely fills the cavern at high tide, meaning you can only walk inside safely during low water.
There are a few caves in Polperro. They become quite narrow very fast, making it a pretty quick exploration but it is still a fun activity for families and travellers in general.
View of the entrance to one of the caves in Polperro Beach
Polperro Model Village and Land of Legend
If you like to learn about the history of Polperro and its folkore, head to the The Polperro Model Village. This museums houses a perfect scale replica of the actual village. In the same museum, you can also explore the Land of Legend. This is a walkthrough attraction that uses lights, sound effects, and animated puppets to bring local history and folklore to life.
Ebenezer Gallery
If you are interested in art, you should check out the Ebenezer Gallery. The Ebenezer Gallery in Polperro is housed inside a 19th-century Methodist chapel and it is the official permanent home of the Polperro Arts Foundation. It is run entirely as a cooperative by resident artists, showcasing fine art, pottery, jewellery, and photography made exclusively in Cornwall.
View of Polperro Beach
Where to Eat in Polperro
The Plantation Tea Rooms
Tea rooms where to drink tea and coffee and eat scones are very popular here. The Plantation Tea Rooms in Polperro offers a spacious, dog-friendly riverside garden with covered outdoor seating. It’s a pretty, peaceful place for breakfast.
Kitty’s Seafood Shack
In Polperro, there are a few kiosks where you can get fresh crab and lobster. Kitty’s Seafood Shack is one of them. One way to eat crabs is in a sandwich. Traditional crab sandwiches are made of fresh white crab meat on thick buttered brown bread with a simple squeeze of lemon and a pinch of black pepper. Delicious!
Something interesting to know, local fishermen still catch crabs the traditional way using mesh traps. This method targets large males while letting smaller crabs and females escape, keeping the fishery highly sustainable.
The Three Pilchards
The Three Pilchards is widely recognised as the oldest pub in Polperro, dating back to the 16th century. I had a fantastic crab soup here! They have amazing food and fantastic views, thanks to the elevated outdoor terrace tucked into the hillside. I highly recommend spending at least one evening here.
Crab soup at The Three Pilchards in Polperro
Additional organised tours and activities to do
From Polperro, you can go on boat trips to explore the coast or even do a return trip to Fowey. Fowey is another small, popular fishing village in Cornwall. Check the times before you go! You can find all the information at kiosks in Polperro Harbour.
A board with information on prices for some of the boat tours from Polperro (2025)
If you enjoy travel videos, I created a video on Polperro and it is available on YouTube. This is a relaxing walking tour of Polperro with calm music and information on the village; click the image below to watch it. It might be your cup of tea!
YouTube video on Polperro. Relaxing walking tour of Polperro
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