2. St Michael’s Mount
Just a quarter of a mile offshore at Marazion, near Penzance, is the arresting sight of the old monastery, St Michael’s Mount, rising dramatically out of the waters of Mount’s Bay. It’s connected to the mainland by a cobbled causeway for low-tide visitors and the National-Trust-managed rocky island harbours a shop, cafe and hamlet of cottages. There’s an option to visit the gardens and castle at the summit, filled with a rich collection of historic artifacts and art. Before you leave, look out for the giant’s heart-shaped stone on the pathway, as well as Queen Victoria’s tiny footmark recalling her disembarkation on the harbour’s narrow quay in 1846.