Cornwall · Camper Van Road Trip
The Full Cornish
A camper van loop from the Tamar to Land’s End and back — roughly a week of surf-and-cream-tea north coast, wild far west, and sub-tropical south, with the Eden Project saved for the drive home.
There’s a moment, somewhere on the A30 past Bodmin, when the hedgerows close in, the light goes silver off the moor, and you realise you’ve crossed over. Cornwall doesn’t announce itself so much as slowly take you in. Do it in a camper and you get the best of the deal — the freedom to chase the weather, park up where the view earns it, and swap a schedule for a coastline.
This is our pick of the county in one unhurried loop. It keeps to A-roads where the bigger vans are happiest, and we’ve flagged the couple of stretches where a smaller campervan has the edge. Settle into two proper base sites along the way — St Ives and the Roseland — and let the rest unspool between them.
The route · 6 days · 9 stops
Pick a day, tap any stop to zoom in, or hit Open route to send it straight to Google Maps. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Lanhydrock
Cross the Tamar and your first stop is a gentle one. Lanhydrock is a grand National Trust house wrapped in 900 acres of parkland, and its real gift to camper travellers is the cycle network — flat, waymarked estate tracks that suit everyone from wobbly first-timers to seasoned riders. There’s a big level car park with room for the larger motorhomes, and the wider estate is happy to have dogs along for the walk. The perfect way to shake off the drive and ease into Cornish time.
Padstow & into St Ives
Point the van at the coast and make for Padstow, the working harbour that long ago decided it was also a food destination. Wander the quay, queue for something from a pasty shop or a Rick Stein counter, and if you’ve packed the bikes, ride out on the traffic-free Camel Trail towards Wadebridge. One tip: park at the top of town and walk down, because the harbour lanes were not built with a motorhome in mind.
From there it’s west to St Ives, and your base for a couple of nights at Ayr Holiday Park. It’s one of the very few sites you can genuinely walk into town from — ten or fifteen minutes downhill on the coast path, with the whole sweep of the bay laid out below you. The trick with St Ives is simple: park the van at Ayr and leave it there. The town’s cobbled hills are no place to be reversing a camper, and everything you want is on foot from the site.
Land’s End, Sennen & the Minack
Give the far tip a full day. Start at Sennen Cove, the last village before the end of the country: a mile of white sand, proper Atlantic surf and a working lifeboat station. Rather than paying to park at the Land’s End complex, walk the coast path out to the headland — it’s the better way to arrive, and it’s free.
Round the corner is the county’s showstopper. The Minack Theatre is carved straight into the cliff above the turquoise water of Porthcurno, and whether you catch a matinee or simply pay to wander the sub-tropical gardens, it’s a place that rearranges your idea of what a view can be. Book ahead if there’s a performance, and arrive early with a larger van — the car park is compact.
Porthleven & Kynance Cove
Track east along the south coast to Porthleven, Cornwall’s most southerly port and, quietly, one of its best places to eat. Harbourside restaurants and galleries ring a working harbour that turns dramatic when the winter rollers come in, and the shops and pubs are properly dog-friendly rather than merely tolerant.
Then down the peninsula to Kynance Cove, near Lizard Point — the most southerly place in Britain. Serpentine rock stacks, white sand and water so blue it looks imported. The National Trust car park sits at the top (check the height and length barriers before you commit a big van), and it’s a steep walk down to the beach, so keep half an eye on the tide tables or you’ll be sharing the sand with the sea.
St Mawes & Trethem Mill
Cross to the softer side of Cornwall. The Roseland peninsula is all sunken lanes, tidal creeks and sub-tropical calm, and Trethem Mill near St Mawes is the immaculate, multi-award-winning touring park our customers keep coming back to. Take the King Harry chain ferry across the Fal — a small adventure in itself — and walk out to Porthcurnick beach, where the Hidden Hut serves the kind of lunch you’ll talk about for weeks. This is the day to slow right down.
The Eden Project
Save the biggest for last. The Eden Project, near St Austell, makes a brilliant final day — those vast biomes, a rainforest under glass, and enough to fill several hours before you point the van back towards Devon. Arrive for opening to park close and beat the crowds, and hang on to your ticket: it’s valid for a full year, so if Cornwall has got its hooks into you, you’ve a reason to come back.
Three quick things
On van size
Most of this loop suits any of our vans, motorhomes included. Think twice at St Ives (always park at Ayr and walk in) and the deep Lizard lanes around Kynance. In doubt? Ask us when you book and we’ll match the route to the van.
On dogs
Cornwall is one of the most dog-welcoming corners of Britain, and so are we. The coast paths, Porthleven’s harbour and the Roseland beaches all welcome four-legged crew — just check seasonal beach restrictions in high summer.
On campsites
Our two anchors — Ayr Holiday Park and Trethem Mill — are on the map, and your free Camping & Caravanning Club membership opens up plenty more. Book popular sites early for peak weeks.
Ready to run it?
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