Mevagissey is a pretty fishing port with a long history stretching back to the 14th century. The town is filled with narrow streets and bordered by steep valleys. It was once the center of Cornwall’s pilchard fishery. Watch fishing boats unloading their daily catch, dine on fresh seafood and stroll along the town’s attractive harbor.
Visit the Mevagissey Museum, with exhibits dedicated to the town’s history. The museum is set in an 18th-century building that was once used for constructing and repairing boats. Check out an original horse-drawn, rotating barley thresher, as well as a full Cornish kitchen, complete with a working cloam oven.
Learn about the region’s marine life at the Mevagissey Aquarium on the harbor’s west side. Housed in a 19th-century former lifeboat house, the museum has exhibits about British underwater life and the local marine environment. Watch the museum’s short movie examining the history of Mevagissey’s pilchard industry.
Take the kids to watch models of more than 30 trains traveling through diverse landscapes at the Mevagissey Model Railway. Try operating some of the larger trains and see the “Junior Junction” railway featuring Thomas the Tank engine characters.
Admire the 200-acre (80-hectare) Lost Gardens of Heligan a few miles north of Mevagissey. This beautiful Victorian garden fell into neglect for decades before undergoing extensive restoration beginning in the 1990s. Follow the boardwalk running underneath a canopy of bamboo and ferns to reach lakes and meadows in the garden’s Lost Valley.
A few miles from the village, find pretty Gorran Haven Beach. Protected below imposing cliff faces, this sandy beach is popular for swimming, kayaking and surfing.
One of the best times to visit Mevagissey is during June’s annual Feast Week, one of Cornwall’s longest-running festivals. Enjoy live music, dancing, parades, boat races, firework displays and other lively entertainment featured at the event.
Reach Mevagissey by car from St. Austell. A seasonal ferry service also operates between Mevagissey Harbour and Fowey.
