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Irkutsk to Cornwall: Penzance and St Ives

Irkutsk → Penzance → St Ives

St Michael's Mount
"St_Michael's_Mount_View.jpg" by Werner Wilmes, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Headland near Newquay harbour (5946) (Newquay)
Photo: Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Coves, cliffs & Cornish art Best season (general guide): May–Sep

Cornwall, at the south-west tip of Britain, has a rugged coastline of coves, cliffs and fishing harbours, and the mildest climate in the country. This route spends three nights in Penzance and three in St Ives. From Irkutsk you'll connect through Moscow and Istanbul or another hub to London, then fly to Newquay or take the train.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Penzance: day one, the harbour and Chapel Street; day two, St Michael's Mount; day three, Minack Theatre and Land's End. Then spend days four to six in St Ives: day four, coast road to St Ives; day five, Tate St Ives and the Hepworth garden; day six, Coast Path walk towards Zennor.

From Penzance, a causeway crosses to St Michael's Mount at low tide, an island with a castle on top, and boats run when the tide is in. The Minack Theatre is an open-air stage cut into the cliffs above the sea. Land's End, the westernmost point of mainland England, is a short drive further.

Along this coast stand the ruined engine houses of old tin and copper mines, part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape listed by UNESCO. Botallack, where mines once ran under the seabed, is one of the most dramatic sites.

St Ives is a harbour town with sandy beaches and narrow lanes. Artists have been drawn here by the light for more than a century. Tate St Ives shows modern art overlooking Porthmeor Beach, and the Barbara Hepworth Museum displays her sculptures in her former garden studio.

The South West Coast Path runs around the whole peninsula. The section from St Ives to Zennor is wild and rocky, and a bus can take you back. Cornish pasties, filled pastry turnovers, are the local snack.

May to September is the best season. July and August are busy with school holidays.

Good to know: A car helps, but roads are narrow and parking in St Ives is limited, so use park-and-ride. Check tide times for the causeway to St Michael's Mount, and book Minack tickets in advance.

Suggested outline

  1. Irkutsk

    Start

  2. Penzance

    By air · 3 nights suggested

    Gateway to St Michael's Mount, the Minack Theatre and Land's End.

  3. St Ives

    Overland · 3 nights suggested

    Harbour town of sandy beaches, Tate St Ives and the Hepworth sculpture garden.

    St Ives, Cornwall
    "Stives1.jpg" by waterborough, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Penzance — Arrive; the harbour and Chapel Street· Irkutsk → Newquay (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day, then Newquay → Penzance (overland)
  2. Day 2 · Penzance — St Michael's Mount
  3. Day 3 · Penzance — Minack Theatre and Land's End
  4. Day 4 · St Ives — Coast road to St Ives· Penzance → St Ives (overland)
  5. Day 5 · St Ives — Tate St Ives and the Hepworth garden
  6. Day 6 · St Ives — Coast Path walk towards Zennor
  7. Day 7 · St Ives — Travel home from St Ives· St Ives → Newquay (overland), then Newquay → Irkutsk (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Penzance

Nearest airport: Newquay Search fares · Newquay ↗

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