Helston is the western gateway to the Lizard Peninsula and home to the famous Helston Furry Dance, a major folk event of the West Country. Helston prospered from 19th century tin and copper trading, as reflected in its handsome houses and streets in the oldest part of the town. The splendid Helston Folk Museum captures that spirit of the past.
The National Trust's Penrose Estate offers miles of delightful walking and the attractive old fishing village of Porthleven exudes a timeless, captivating spirit that defines overall the magic world of West Cornwall. Still a busy place today, Helston is an ideal base for exploring the Lizard area and the Helford Estuary.
The Lizard's famous serpentine rock with its variegated colours of red, green and silver has created a coastline of wonderfully sinuous and convoluted cliffs. The cliffs and inland heath support a remarkable variety of rare wild flowers and distinctive heathers making the area one of Britain's most precious natural environments. Add to this a fascinating bird life, including a breeding pair of Cornish Choughs, once common in West Cornwall though absent in recent decades - and still the county symbol.
Ancient landscape and modern technology meet on the Lizard at the Goonhilly Earth Station where huge satellite dishes cup their ears to the sky. At Gweek just three miles away is the National Seal Sanctuary. Flambards Village Theme Park near Helston is a great family day out.