The Old Coastguard

Rooms

The 14 rooms blend tongue-and-groove panelling, checked fabrics and the odd antique with jolly shades of mustard yellow, brick red and sky blue. They’re not exactly stylish, but they are extremely comfortable and packed with homely touches: blankets, Roberts radios, White Company toiletries, tea- and coffee-making kit, homemade biscuits, even books to browse.

Most have sea views, and many come with outdoor space - it’s certainly worth grabbing both if you can. On our first visit we stayed in Best Double, which overlooks craggy St Clement’s Isle just offshore. It’s one of the largest rooms, with armchairs, a huge bathroom with a spa tub, and patio doors opening onto a long balcony. We slept very well despite leaving the curtains open to make the most of the setting, dozing off to moonlight glinting off the sea and waking to the rosy glow of dawn above the waves. Most recently we stayed in Room 2; it had a slither of a sea view, across to St Michael's Mount, but we recommend going for one in the ocean-facing side of the hotel.

Better Double Room 5 is similarly spoiling to the Best Double, perched at the top of the hotel. It has an in-room tub where you can stare out over the harbour as you soak, plus a shower room and a terrace with views all around. Other good bets are Better Doubles Room 12 (also on the top floor with a balcony) and Room 3, which is a favourite with romantics, while Room 6 is a handy option for families, as it has 2 adjoining bedrooms (a double and a double/twin). The cheaper Doubles and Good Doubles are cosier but still a good size, and most offer glimpses of the water and the latter have terraces with pretty picket fences.

Note that bed types (double, twin or kingsize) vary across rooms, as do bathroom set-ups (shower only, separate tub or tub with overhead shower).

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• WiFi

Eating

The focus here is simple, tasty food done well. The lunch and dinner menus change regularly but always feature an excellent selection of surf and turf, together with a few tempting veggie options. Ingredients are mostly local (meat and dairy from Cornish farms, fish straight from the boats in Newlyn) and always seasonal.

The relaxed atmosphere is ideal for long, lazy meals, and you can eat inside or out. The restaurant becomes cosy by candlelight for dinner. Before the main event we kicked off with a Rhubarb Spritz, plus smokey padron peppers and olives. Everything we sampled was delicious: miso-coated purple sprouting, Asian-spiced mussels, a generous plate of pork chops with rhubarb ketchup, and buttery Newlyn hake with locally foraged greens. We rounded it off with a sweet blood orange and white chocolate rum baba and a delicate honey cremeux sprinkled with bee pollen.

Breakfast (included in the rates) was just as good - a buffet of fresh fruit, Cornish apple juice, homemade granola, plenty of pastries, local honey and marmalade, together with a choice of cooked options (the Full Cornish, American style pancakes, and lots of fish dishes such as smoked trout with poached egg and soda bread). The hot choices for vegetarians were lacking but you are welcome to order off-menu; I opted for simple scrambled eggs on toast after our indulgent evening prior, and they were cooked to perfection.

There are plenty of treats elsewhere too. The bar serves home-baked cakes, teas and cappuccinos, local ales, wines, a few carefully crafted cocktails - all best enjoyed in a fireside armchair or under the sun outside. If you're lucky (like us) you may even spot a whale or pod of dolphins passing by as you sip tea on the sundeck. Down at the water's edge, you'll find the Crabshack, serving drinks and seafood snacks during the day (weather permitting).

If you’re here for a few nights and want some variety, you’ll find a couple of good restaurants in the village, including the bistro-style 2 Fore Street. You can also drive out to The Old Coastguard’s sister property, The Gurnards Head, just across the moors - those on a dinner, bed and breakfast deal can transfer their table reservation at no extra cost.

Features include:

• Bar
• Kids' meals
• Organic produce
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Head through the gate at the bottom of the garden and go rock pooling in the shallows. You can also take a dip in the natural swimming pool that emerges from the waves at low tide
  
• Wander along the shore to Mousehole harbour, lined with galleries, delis and cafés, and watch boats come and go. There's a small patch of beach, too
  
• Follow the coastal path around the headland to rugged Lamorna Cove, where there's a shop selling starfish, shells and local crafts, plus a pretty little café
  
• Head to the world-famous Minack Theatre (a 20-minute drive), hewn from the cliff above the Atlantic, for an open-air play. If there are no performances during your stay, you can tour the stage and visitors' centre
  
• Swim and sunbathe at Porthcurno (just beneath Minack), where you’ll find sand so white and water so dazzlingly clear that you’ll struggle to believe you’re in England
  
• Sennen Cove has a vast, sandy sweep with a café, board hire and a surf school
  
• Stroll across the causeway from Marazion to St Michael’s Mount for sub-tropical gardens and the castle (home to the St Aubyn family since medieval times)
  
• Explore Cornwall’s industrial heritage at the haunting remains of the Levant Mine and Beam Engine (30 minutes away); if you want to learn more, you can head underground at the Geevor Tin Mine next door. Afterwards, recover over lunch at The Gurnards Head, a couple of miles up the road
  
• Gallery-hop your way around Penzance, Newlyn, St Just and St Ives, all within a short drive
  
• Or just soak up the sunshine in the garden and watch the daily rhythm of life on the water

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Boat trips
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Plantlife / flora
• Sailing
• Shopping / markets
• Surfing
• Swimming
• Theatre
• Wildlife

Best Time to go

Our Top Tips

Location

The Old Coastguard stands on the edge of Mousehole, a small fishing village on the Penwith Peninsula in the far west of Cornwall. It’s a 10-minute drive from Penzance.

By Air:
There are some flights to Newquay Airport (73km away) from London and other UK cities; if you’re coming from further afield, you’ll probably fly into Exeter (195km away), Bristol (293km away) or London Heathrow (479km away). Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving these airports.

From the Airport
If you’re coming from Newquay, you can catch a taxi to the hotel. If you’re travelling from Bristol, Exeter or London, your best bet is to take the train to Penzance or hire a car (see below).

By Train:
The nearest station is Penzance, which is served by mainline services from Exeter, Bristol, London and other UK cities. It’s also served by overnight sleeper trains from London Paddington, which can be a convenient option if you don’t want travel time to eat into your stay (the hotel will even give you a free breakfast on arrival!) - see Seat 61 for more information.

By Car:
It’s a long drive to western Cornwall from pretty much anywhere, but the hotel is easily accessible from the A30, the fast dual carriageway which traverses the county and joins the M5 near Exeter. If you want to hire a car, see our car rental recommendations. The hotel has a car park (free for guests).

Detailed directions will be provided when you confirm a booking through i-escape.

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