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City guide

Penzance, UK

Penzance is a town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, England. It lies 64 miles (103 km) west-southwest of Plymouth, 255 miles (410 km) west-southwest of London, and 9 miles (14 km) east of Land's End.

Type CityPopulation 20,734

Why go

  • Town in Cornwall, England.
  • Served by Land's End Airport (LEQ).

History

Penzance is a town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, England. It lies 64 miles (103 km) west-southwest of Plymouth, 255 miles (410 km) west-southwest of London, and 9 miles (14 km) east of Land's End. Penzance railway station is the terminus of the Cornish Main Line and is both the southernmost and westernmost station in England. Situated in the shelter of Mount's Bay, the town faces south-east onto the English Channel. As well as Penzance itself, the parish also includes the fishing port of Newlyn and the villages of Mousehole, Paul, Gulval, and Heamoor. At the 2021 census the population of the parish was 20,734 and the population of the Penzance built-up area as defined by the Office for National Statistics was 14,960.

Restaurants & places to go

Regional, Fast Food · EZ PZ Restaurant Fresh local produce, served by the sea Opening hours: Th-Sa 17:00-21:00, Su 12:00-19:00 · 10 Albert Street, Penzance,… · instagram.com
Indoor
Burger, Fast Food · Opening hours: Mo-Su,PH 06:00-23:00 Features: outdoor seating, takeaway · Penzance, TR20 8YE · mcdonalds.com
Indoor
Restaurant · Freshly home cooked food, fresh fish, highly recommended full English breakfast and much more · Wharf Road, Penzance, TR18 4AA · harboursidecafe.co.uk
Indoor
Chicken, Fast Food · Opening hours: Mo-Th,Su 11:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-24:00 Features: takeaway · Jelbert Way, Penzance, TR18 3RG · kfc.co.uk
Indoor
Coffee Shop, Snack, Toastie, Pastry, Cake, Cafe · Opening hours: Mo,Su,Su 09:00-16:00; Tu,Th 08:00-16:00; We,Fr 07:30-16:00 Features: outdoor seating · New… · newlynartgallery.co.uk
Indoor
Seafood, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Su 12:00-21:00 · New Road, Penzance, TR18 5PZ · mackerelskycafe.co.uk
Indoor
Cake, Coffee Shop, Ice Cream, Cafe · Opening hours: 24/7 · Beach Road, TR17 0EW · thehoxtonspecial.com
Indoor
Coffee Shop, Cake, Cornish, Cafe · Opening hours: Mo-Fr 08:00-15:30 · 8 Bolitho Road, Heamoor, TR18 3EH · cornerstonecompaniesltd.com
Indoor

76 more places in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →

Airports

St. Mary's Airport (ISC) 36 mi to the centre
St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly, ENG, GB — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor. ✈ 1 airline (Isles of Scilly Skybus) · direct flights to 3 destinations incl. Exeter, Land's End, Newquai (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 1 airline, 3 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor | Outdoor
Land's End Airport (LEQ) 5.8 mi to the centre
Kelynack, St Just, Penzance TR19 7RL, United Kingdom — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor. ✈ 1 airline (Isles of Scilly Skybus) · direct flights to 1 destination incl. ST MARY\'S (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 1 airline, 1 direct destination
  • Isles of Scilly Skybus Isles of Scilly Skybus (DHT, BNT) · 1 route: ST MARY\'S

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor | Outdoor
Lower Botrea 3.9 mi to the centre
Grumbla, Cornwall, ENG, GB
Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

Isles of Scilly ferry
Ferry terminal · 0.7 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Gwelva
Ferry terminal · 3.1 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Penzance - St Mary's (high tide)
Ferry route · Scillonian Ferries
Outdoor
Penzance - St Mary's (low tide)
Ferry route · Scillonian Ferries
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Land's End Airport (LEQ); 2 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: ISC has direct flights to 3 destinations on 1 airline (incl. Exeter, Land's End, Newquai). By water: 2 ferry terminals within 12 mi (nearest: Isles of Scilly ferry, 0.7 mi); routes include Penzance - St Mary's (high tide), Penzance - St Mary's (low tide).

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Penzance, UK. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Trains & rail

National rail

Coaches & shuttles

Intercity coach
Intercity coach

Tours & experiences

Sightseeing