Penzance is a bustling resort with a climate so mild that palm trees and subtropical plants grow happily in the lush Morrab Gardents. The town commands fine views of St Michael’s Mount and a great sweep of clean sandy beach.

The town’s highlights:

• The main road through the town is Market Jew Street, at the top of which stands the magnificent domed Market House (1837).
• Chapel street is lined with curious buildings, like the flamboyant Egyptian House ( 1835), with its richly painted façade and lotus bud decoration, and Admiral Benbow Inn (1696), which has a pirate perched on the roof.
• The Penlee House Gallery and Museum has pictures by Newlyn School of artists, who painted outdoors, aiming to capture the fleeting impressions of wind, sun and sea.

Nearby to visit:

• Newlyn, Cornwalls Largest fishing port, is a short distance south of Penzance,
• To the north is Chysauster , a fine example of Romano-British village.
• From Penzance, regular boat services depart for the isles of Scilly, an enchanting, unspoilt archipelago with white-sand beaches forming part of the same granite mass as Land’s End, Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor.

 Good to know:

Along with tourism, flower-growing is the main source of income- fields of scented narcissi and pinks only add to the exceptional wild beauty of the islands.