Season: summer
Bright sunshine, blue skies and turquoise water greeted me for this summer visit to beautiful St Mawes. As the tide fell away, affluent visitors trickled out of the well-appointed hotels, second homes and holiday lets, promenading down to the local shops and attractions in the harbour, perhaps to take the ferry over to Falmouth or to just enjoy the seasonal atmosphere. St Mawes is at its best in the summer, a chic and up-market way to enjoy being beside the seaside.
Lucy and Leo, by St Mawes Castle in the sunshine.
A fine vista at St Mawes on a summer morning.
Season: summer
Although it was cloudy with showers, St Mawes was full of visitors, disembarking from the Falmouth ferry or drifting out of the town’s hotels. Water sports were in full swing, helped by St Mawes’ access to excellent sailing and kayaking waters. The aroma of fresh pasties from the shop by the harbour wall and fresh coffee and baguettes from the cafes made this a very welcoming place to visit.
The release that the beach offers to Tim.
A gloomy, atmospheric start to the day in St Mawes.
Season: spring
It was a mild, blustery afternoon at St Mawes. The town was busy, catering for ferry passengers from Falmouth and those staying in St Mawes itself. On a falling tide, the rocks made ideal rock pools to explore, for anemones and crabs, or simply to wonder at the colours in the clear water.
With Stephen on the beach at St Mawes.
Season: winter
My winter return at dawn to St Mawes showcased the village in all its early morning glory, a counterpoint to my first night time manonabeach® the previous autumn. The setting was stunning and I heard from Sue what the beach means to her on Tavern beach below Hotel Tresanton.
Dawn breaks at St Mawes in Cornwall.
On Tavern beach in St Mawes.
Season: autumn
This up-market village sits near the southern tip of the Roseland Peninsula and was the venue for my first night time manonabeach®. I spoke to the manager of Hotel Tresanton and was struck by the lively atmosphere in the town mid-week. St Mawes has plenty of parking, excellent shops, hotels, restaurants and pubs, as well as a post office and newsagent. The daytime views across Carrick Roads or up the Percuil River are second to none and the town feels very welcoming. There is a distinct sense of escape from humdrum life here. St Mawes has the up-market detachment I was aware of in Fowey and, to a certain extent, St Ives.
My chat with Frederika in the courtyard of Hotel Tresanton.
Season: winter
Starting at St Mawes Castle, with St Anthony Head lighthouse blinking to my right, I made my way down the winding, narrow lane towards the harbour at high tide. A slim strand of beach was still visible in front of Hotel Tresanton and weekending visitors were beginning to mill about. St Mawes attracts well-heeled visitors in the summer and early January is a fine, more reflective time to enjoy its charms.
Beach testimonies from Sammy, Laura, Becky, Gill, Natalie and Beth, of The Roseland Gig Rowing Club.
St Mawes on a winter morning, as seen from the castle.
Your photos of St Mawes are really excellent. We continue to spread the word re your web site. Radio Cornwall gave you a marvellous plug, resulting in many of our friends up country thanking us for having earlier mentioned your website. Keep up the good work
The beach means freedom, fresh air, fun and happiness with my family and friends on holidays to St Mawes, Cornwall.
I treasure the memory of the day my son Sam age 5 at the time presented me with a small grey pebble and said” Mummy , look how beautiful this stone is…”
It made me feel so proud that despite everything available to children in modern day life Sam saw something special in this stone and had gained so much pleasure from exploring the beach and finding it.
Both Sam and Izzy have spent 10 years of holidays in and around St Mawes in all seasons and whatever the weather come rain or shine our happiest days are spent on the beaches, rock pooling, crabbing, surfing,swimming,walking and running.
We also love to take our boat out for the day to one of the beaches where we can moor up and the children can dive and swim off the back of the boat.
We are very keen observers of the ferry and boat traffic that comes in and out of the harbour and if we need any confirmation of just how good the St Mawes weather is we can check the level of sunbathing activity on the beach at any point during the day.
The beach means different things to me at different seasons, in the summer “Fun with the family, barbeques, swimming and messing about in boats”. In the winter “the noise of the waves, space to walk, the smell of the sea”.