Gulval is situated at the narrowest part of the peninsula which extends from St. Ives on the north coast and Penzance on the south coast to Land's End. The Coastal Path is in easy reach, as are glorious coves and beaches, sites of archeological interest, pretty villages and thriving towns.

Penzance Railway Station is a short bus journey or a 20 minute walk from the cottages. You can check train times and prices on Trainline.

Gulval Village

As you come into the village from the A30, along the B3311, you arrive in the part of the village known as Trevarrack. The road bends left at the former Methodist Church and Gulval Cottages are immediately ahead of you at the top of the hill and on your left. Past Gulval Cottages a road branches off the B3311 towards the other half of the village which developed around the parish church surrounded by its semi-tropical trees and plants. This is where you will find the popular Coldstreamer Pub, with its excellent food. If, instead of turning off towards the parish church you carry on along the B3311 up the hill, above the village there is a superb example of the many archaeological remains of the area - the Bronze Age village known as Chysauster Huts . A very welcome new addition to the village is the Tremenheere Sculpture Park . A beautiful garden set in the hills overlooking the bay, Tremenheere commissioned several contemporary artists to produce works that would fit in with this exquisite environment. A walk here can be combined very pleasurably with a meal in their wonderful restaurant, eating at a table in the open air, with a view of St Michael's Mount rising from the bay in the distance.

St. Michael's Mount

Just half a mile from the village is Mount's Bay with a beach extending to Marazion and St. Michael's Mount. The gently sloping beach is an excellent place for swimmers and wind-surfers. The Mount itself is a wonderful day's outing. Reached by foot across the causeway at low tide or by boat, visitors can roam its beautiful gardens while looking out over the sea, or they can climb up to the castle itself, and wander through its grand rooms, pausing at windows to watch the waves below.

The Coastal Path runs along the edge of the bay beyond Marazion and can take you out to The Lizard Peninsula. Around the bay there are many lively places to visit like Newlyn with its fish market and artistic tradition, and Mousehole. Further towards Land's End are the delightful coves and beaches of Lamorna, Penberth, Porthcurno (with the Minack Theatre high on the cliffs) and Porthgwarra which should not be missed.

St. lves

From Chyandaunce drive up the hill on the B3311, which offers splendid views over Mount's Bay, and within 20 minutes you are in St. Ives. Buses also come through the village to St. lves. You can catch them near the Methodist Chapel. St. lves is surrounded by long stretches of golden sand. Swimmers and surfers abound on Porthmeor Beach. The town itself is bustling with life and is home to a very active artistic tradition. In the centre of the town is the Barbara Hepworth house and garden filled with her sculptures and her workshop, left just as it was when she died. Above Porthmeor Beach is the new Tate Gallery which specialises in the modern art tradition which made St. lves famous. There is much to see and to do, and good eating to be had with splendid views over St. Ives bay.

Penzance

Penzance is less than a mile from Gulval Cottages, and is the nearest shopping centre, with excellent restaurants and shops of all sorts. The permanent exhibition of the Newlyn School of Artists is located in Penlee Gardens, where there is also a good cafe. In the spring, the National Trust gardens at Trengwainton are particularly glorious.

On the Penzance Promenade is the Lido, an attractive open-air swimming pool which fills with sea water. Further around the Promenade is the Queen's Hotel where you can eat a buffet lunch in their dining room overlooking the bay.

Boat trips to see seals or to fish for mackerel set out from the harbour here, as well as from St. Ives.

Slightly Further Afield

Discover the Fogou, an underground network of underground chambers dating from the Iron Age, near Pendeen Manor Farm .

At Land's End, the most westerly tip of mainland England, there are exhibitions, cafes, views and walks

For a city-based day, explore Truro with its Cathedral and shopping centre.

There are boat trips along the River Fal to Falmouth and its impressive maritime museum.

Garden-enthusiasts will love Glendurgan Gardens, maintained by the National Trust, and the Lost Gardens of Heligan

Apart from the many beaches, children may enjoy the exotic biosphere at the Eden Project, learning more about sea life at the Seal Sanctuary at Gweek, or bird life at The Birds of Paradise Park at Hayle. There's family fun to be had on the rides at Flambard's Theme Park at Helston.