48 Hours in Cornwall, England - Best Itinerary for 2 Days in Cornwall

Today I want to share my guide to spending 48 hours in Cornwall with you. This county in southwest England is a great place to go to the beach, enjoy coastal walks, and eat good seafood.

48 Hours in Cornwall

After 15 unseasonably hot days of traveling in the Balkans, I expected to return to bitter cold weather in the UK. But when I arrived home, I was greeted by such warmth I wondered whether my flight had been rerouted to the tropics.

As it happened, Britain was experiencing a heatwave. It made me all the more glad I’d be spending 48 hours in Cornwall over the weekend.

How to Get to Cornwall

The heat showed no signs of abating on Friday morning when I met a friend at Paddington station for our train to Newquay.

A train company had generously given us first class tickets. After we boarded, we settled into large leather seats and enjoyed complimentary tea and biscuits as the trip to Cornwall got underway.

Unfortunately, our progress didn’t go as planned. Due to a signal failure en route, we missed our connection at Par.

We were told to stay on the train and travel to the next station, where “alternative rail transport” had been arranged.

That came in the form of a bus that arrived 31 minutes after we did. I was sad to be delayed an hour, but happy we eventually got to Newquay for our 48 hours in Cornwall.

Where to Stay in Cornwall

From Newquay station my friend and I took a taxi to our hotel in Cornwall, Bedruthan Hotel and Spa, which was located in nearby Mawgan Porth.

I had stayed there when I spent 2 days in Cornwall, and I was excited to have been invited back for another of their themed weekend breaks: Vintage Pleasures.

Upon arrival we checked into our large sea-view room, which the Bedruthan Hotel had offered us on a complimentary basis for our 48 hours in Cornwall.

Things to Do in 48 Hours in Cornwall

Our first order of business was to walk down to the beach to enjoy the last hours of beautiful weather in Cornwall that day.

The beach was gorgeous, and the coastal path that ran on either side of it provided us with stunning views of cliffs, fields, and rock formations.

After we returned to the hotel, we enjoyed a glass of wine on the outdoor terrace overlooking the water.

When it was dark, we walked down to the small village by the beach and had a great dinner at one of the restaurants there. The local mussels were excellent.

The next morning we woke up and continued our 48 hours in Cornwall with a great Cornish breakfast buffet at the hotel. The spread had everything from the full English breakfast to locally-sourced yogurt, fruit, bread, and jam.

After breakfast we went to the beach and explored the offerings of the Vintage Pleasures weekend.

First we saw the surfers jumping into the water for their activities. Then we walked up the beach and found vintage volleyball, skittles, and hula hooping.

On the edge of the beach was a cooking demonstration featuring the hotel’s chef. He was making Szechuan squid with chimichurri sauce and rocket, a dish that would feature on the menu of the hotel’s restaurant in the future.

At the end of the demo we were able to try the calamari. The dish was packed with spice and flavor. I was impressed the chef had cooked it on a camp stove on the beach.

The sample made us hungry, so we took the advice of some locals and continued our 48 hours in Cornwall by walking along the coastal trail from Mawgan Porth to Watergate Bay.

There we found ourselves in the middle of a farmers’ market. It featured goods from all over Cornwall, and we sampled everything from local Cornish beer to bread, milk, and chocolate.

At the end we had lunch from a restaurant stand right behind the market. It was the perfect meal by the sea.

Back at the Bedruthan Hotel, our 48 hours in Cornwall continued with more Vintage Pleasures fun. First we decorated cupcakes with everything from colorful frosting to sparkling sprinkles.

Then we perused several tables of beautiful vintage wares to get some inspiration for sewing our own cloth bags.

My sewing skills were nought, but with the help of the patient staff, my little polka-dot bag turned out okay in the end. More importantly, I had a lot of fun making it.

And there was more vintage fun to be had afterwards. My friend and I took a rock n’ roll dance lesson in the hotel ballroom. We learned basic steps for rock and jive, and by the end of the class we were able to do some turns as well.

Later there was a live band playing music to which people could test out their new dancing skills.

But before that we needed some sustenance. That evening we continued our 48 hours in Cornwall with a complimentary dinner at the Bedruthan Hotel’s restaurant.

The menu featured both contemporary dishes and vintage classics, and the dining room was decorated with festive bunting for the occasion.

My friend and I both had scallops in mashed potatoes to start. They were good, but came out of the kitchen at lightning speed, making us wonder how long in advance they’d been prepared.

I had the coq au vin for my main, and she had the veal ossobuco with risotto. The chicken was tender and the sauce had just the right balance of flavors to support it. I really enjoyed the dish.

The large dessert of chocolate cake was a great way to finish off the meal.

Speaking of meals, the next morning we continued our 48 hours in Cornwall by enjoying another round at the breakfast buffet. Afterwards we took one last walk on the beach before getting a taxi to Bodmin Parkway train station.

No trains run from Newquay to London outside the summer season, so we picked up the train in Bodmin and enjoyed another first-class ride along the coast and through the beautiful English countryside.