Things To Do For Easter In Cornwall
Cornwall is a beautiful place to come on holiday at Easter. The weather is (usually) mild and spring flowering plants are dotting the fields and hedgerows with colour. There are also plenty of Easter activities in Cornwall – and a lot of celebratory food.
Here are a few ideas for your Easter holidays in Cornwall.
Go For An Easter Walk
In Cornwall, “Goody Friday” is a feast day and it is traditionally celebrated in a rather lovely way. Families load up with a hearty picnic and head out for a walk together.
In West Cornwall, pasty-packing families stride out along the coast path, stopping to chat with the many other walkers they meet along the way and looking for a good spot for their feast.
One of the loveliest stretches of coast path for the Goody Friday walk is between Lamorna and Mousehole. If you are staying in St Ives, head east for a laid-back walk or west for something more challenging (both routes are beautiful).
Eat Saffron Buns
We have already mentioned pasties: what else needs to go in your Cornish Easter picnic basket? If you are on holiday in Cornwall around Easter, saffron buns are a must.
Cornwall has its own version of the hot cross bun, the saffron bun. Also known as “revel buns”, these moreish treats are very like spiced hot cross buns, except with the addition of saffron. As well as giving the buns their distinctive yellow hue, the saffron also imparts that distinctive iodine flavour.
Pasties, saffron buns, and if you’ve any space left, a pack of fairings (buttery ginger biscuits). Picnic perfection.
Buy Cornish Chocolate
Staying with food… Easter would not be the same without chocolate and you can pick up some superb local confectionery here in Cornwall.
Try a bar from Kernow Chocolate or Josh’s Chocolate, which both feature stunning local artwork on their packaging. Head for pretty Mullion on the Lizard, home to Trenance Chocolate, where there’s a friendly cafe and craft centre as well as the lush chocolate shop.
Staying in St Ives for your Cornwall holidays? I Should Coco is a must visit for any chocolate lover and you can even book into a chocolate-making workshop as a special Easter treat.
If you want a Cornish chocolate that complements your Goody Friday coastal walk, try Chocolarder’s Gorse Flower chocolate. It really does have the sweet, biscuitey aroma of warm gorse.
Or Hunt For Easter Eggs
If simply buying chocolate is too easy, you can always hunt for it. As ever, there are plenty of Easter egg hunts going on across Cornwall. These lively trails are a fun way of bribing, sorry, encouraging the kids to explore some beautiful gardens.
The National Trust is the trailblazer for Easter egg hunts. You can search for your closest Easter trail on the NT website; however, we can recommend Lanhydrock, Trelissick and Trerice as three great Cornish venues.
There’s an Easter Quest at Pendennis Castle in Falmouth (English Heritage), which sounds like a lot of fun. Keep an eye on the Eden Project’s website to find out more about their family-friendly Easter programme.
Enjoy Springtime Gardens
You can also simply enjoy visiting a garden at Easter, without having to search the bushes for clues. Our mild Cornish climate means that gardens are lush and colourful earlier in the year.
The Eden Project is known for its spectacular springtime displays, as is its sister garden at Heligan. Glendurgan and Trebah gardens near Falmouth are lovely sheltered spots for a bit of spring sunshine.
Further west, stroll among the dappled paths of Trewidden Garden near Penzance, or admire the daffodils at its neighbour, Trengwainton Garden. Just the thing to walk off that hearty Easter roast you have just tucked into…
Attend An Easter Church Service In Cornwall
If you would like to attend an Easter Sunday service during your Cornwall holiday, the county has a choice of welcoming churches from a range of denominations.
St Ia in St Ives, St Mary’s in Penzance and of course, Truro Cathedral, are among the largest Church of England churches in the area. However, to feel a more traditionally Cornish way of life, seek out one of the county’s many small village churches.
St Senara at Zennor, home of the famous medieval mermaid carving, is one of the loveliest old Cornish churches. Follow the service with a traditional Easter roast at the pub or the nearby Gurnard’s Head, then a good stank (Cornish for hike) along the coastal footpath.
Book Your Cornish Holiday Cottage For Easter
Are you thinking of spending your Easter holidays in Cornwall? We still have some availability in our lovely Cornwall holiday cottages, including dog-friendly properties.
Book now and you’ll soon be eating saffron buns on the coast path like a local.
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