My day out: Mevagissey
Mevagissey is renowned for its pretty harbour and colourful boats. It is adored by photographers, amateur and professional, because the light here creates stunning shots of the boats, millpond-like water, harbourside activity and pretty cliffside houses. That, plus all its independent shops and restaurants, makes it a natural tourist draw.
While we’re not really tourists, we wanted to find what family activities there were in the town. We also set ourselves the challenge of having a day out in Mevagissey on a budget. The target budget was £10. Here’s how we got on…
Mevagissey attractions
There are a few attractions in Mevagissey at good prices. So we headed for Mevagissey Model Railway and Mevagissey Aquarium.
I took my 5 year old son. It was free entry for him at the Model Railway and £5 for me. Sadly the aquarium was closed but that would have been a donation. With our homemade packed lunch in our backpack, all we had to do was overcome the temptation presented by the lovely shops and the ice cream parlours!
Model railway villageRainy days with kids
We enjoyed exploring the tiny streets briefly and gazing at the tiny shops and cafes. Sadly it was probably the soggiest day of February half term, so we didn’t dilly dally! I made a mental note of the places I’d like to return to when we come back another time – with sunshine and pocket money in hand.
The harbour really was very lovely. We enjoyed looking at the boats, all their different shapes, sizes and colours. We even found a decent patch of sand to play on in a break in the weather.
The boats at Mevagissey harbourRain aside, given that it was half term we were surprised to find that the aquarium and quite a few shops were closed. The Model Railway was smaller than I realised too. So it didn’t take long to get around and our day trip was shorter than planned.
In and around Mevagissey
The Lost Gardens of Heligan is very close to Mevagissey. Although you could spend all day and more there, if it wasn’t raining we could have rounded off our day trip with a visit to the gardens. If you have a food fan in tow but don’t fancy walking, the farm shop and Heligan Kitchen and shop, might hold enough appeal.
And on a foodie theme, Mevagissey Feast Week usually falls on the last week of June (24–30 June 2018).
Your top tips for visiting Mevagissey:
- Check on a street map before you go how to find the Model Railway and Museum
- Get there early as it’s popular and parking is limited in peak season
- Avoid driving down the harbour streets (they are narrow and it gets congested in summer)
- Good shoes (it’s a beautiful place you’ll want to explore, so you’ll do more walking than you realise)
- Crab line and bait
- An umbrella or waterproofs if the weather is inclement!
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About the author: Hailee is customer services administrator and visited Mevagissey in February 2018. For her next day trip she is going to Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay.