Holiday rentals in Marazion

Holding an enviable position at the western end of Cornwall’s south coast, Marazion is one of the United Kingdom’s oldest towns, connected by a causeway to St Michael’s Mount, the small tidal island with a castle and church that’s an iconic Cornish attraction. Tucked into a wide bay behind Cornwall’s far western headland, protected from the Atlantic waves, Marazion is not a surf spot — for that you’ll head to the west coast, fewer than 30 minutes away — but its wide, sheltered beaches are great for swimming.

Tiny untrammelled coves and little fishing villages punctuate this craggy coastline, from the wide Praa Sands and Gunwalloe east towards the Lizard Peninsula to nearby Prussia Cove, a tiny nick of perfection accessed by a single-track lane. Around the bay, Penzance has pirate-themed attractions and a sleek Art Deco lido. Then there’s arty Newlyn and the picture-book harbour of Mousehole. Marazion, like much of western Cornwall, is an artists’ haven, with half a dozen galleries of its own. As most visitors only come to see St Michael’s Mount, you’re in on a secret if you spend time in the town.

Summer is divine in Marazion, when residents compete to outdo each other with their floral displays. In the peak summer school holidays, the town can feel very crowded. Late spring or September are more relaxed and ideal times to stay in a local cottage. While much in Cornwall shuts down for winter, some adore the bigger surf swells and dramatic sea storms that roll in. The town goes a bit over the top for Christmas holidays, when locals create festive scenes in their windows and the streets light up as if they’re Oxford Circus. All sorts of festivals are held from spring through autumn, including a traditional Cornish midsummer Mazey Day Golowan celebration in Penzance in June, and St Ives Food and Drink Festivals in May and September.

Tremenheere Sculpture Garden

Like Alice’s Wonderland transported to the jungle, these subtropical gardens have drama in equal measure, from large-scale exotic plants to sculptures by internationally renowned artists. Palm trees, skyscraping bamboo, ferns, succulents, and rainbow-bright flowers flourish in the microclimate of the sheltered valley they inhabit. A gallery hosts more star artists, and there are occasional theatre performances and rare plant fairs.

Paddle around St Michael’s Mount

In summer, when crossing the causeway to St Michael’s Mount feels akin to being crammed into an office-block lift, see it instead with the breeze in your hair and a sense of peace by hiring a kayak or stand-up paddleboard to float around it and do your sightseeing from the sea.

Marazion Marsh

When you’ve had enough of the sand, head inland to this RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) nature reserve to spot grey herons, egrets, sparrowhawks, chiffchaffs, and many other species that come and go with the seasons, like tourists.