Land's End and Porthcurno with kids - at the very end of England

Land's End is the most westerly point of mainland England, at the very end of Cornwall. You cannot drive any further west, there is only the ocean. We were there on Sunday evening, 18 August 2019, and on the way back we stopped above Porthcurno beach next to the Minack Theatre.

In the morning we walked over the causeway to St Michael's Mount and looked for crabs. The plan of the whole trip is in our post UK road trip with kids.

Tower Park campsite in St Buryan

At about 15:30 we arrived at Tower Park Caravans & Camping in St Buryan, between Penzance and Land's End. We put up our tent, and the kids quickly found the playground with a slide. Land's End was only 9 km away, about 12 minutes by car.

Land's End - the end of England

We arrived at Land's End at 18:00. The car park is paid, at a machine. Right at the headland there are white buildings with shops and cafés, and behind them the cliffs and the ocean begin. In the evening sun the view was beautiful.

From the viewpoint we looked at the sea and the rocks through a telescope. Next to it is the famous First and Last House, a small white house that is now a gift shop. The kids liked its little model next to it, which you can look at from every side, and the playground with tall swings and a view of the ocean.

Porthcurno and the Minack Theatre

From Land's End we drove a few more kilometres to Porthcurno. The road is narrow, and we had to wait in a passing place to let a minibus coming the other way go past. The famous Minack Theatre was already closed, but from the cliff path next to it we admired the bay and the light sand of Porthcurno beach with turquoise water below.

Roads like this are normal in Cornwall. Away from the main roads, many of them are only wide enough for one car, with stone walls covered in grass and bushes on both sides, often higher than the car. Every now and then there is a wider spot for passing, and whoever is closer pulls in and waits. In a bigger car like our Ford, you have to drive slowly and look far ahead.

Fun fact

The Minack Theatre is an open-air theatre cut into the cliff above the sea. Rowena Cade started building it, largely with her own hands, and the first play, Shakespeare's "The Tempest", was performed here in 1932.

Evening at the campsite and the wind

We got back to the campsite for dinner at 19:30. In the evening the wind got so strong and gusty that our tent almost fell down.

Back to Dawlish

On Monday, 19 August, we packed up the tent and turned east. After 215 km (3 hours 10 minutes) we stayed again at Lady's Mile campsite in Dawlish. Our next stop was the magical Puzzlewood forest.

Practical info

• Getting there: Land's End is at the very end of the A30 road, past Penzance.
• The car park at Land's End is paid, at a machine.
• Time of day: we came at about 18:00, it was quiet, and the evening sun lit up the cliffs beautifully.
• Roads: the roads to Porthcurno and the Minack are narrow, with passing places. Drive carefully in a bigger car, and remember that in the UK you keep left.
• Minack Theatre: shows and visits have set times, and it may be closed in the evening. Check before you go.
• Where we stayed: Tower Park campsite in St Buryan, booked on pitchup.com, a grass pitch with electricity. Land's End is 9 km away.
• Wind: it is very windy at the end of Cornwall. Peg your tent down well and use all the guy ropes.