Cottages in Fowey

Table of Contents

• At a glance: What should you know about renting a cottage in Fowey?
• Cottages in Fowey: find your perfect retreat
• Exploring Fowey: our top recommendations
• Activities: What are the top things to do and see in Fowey?

• Cottages in a working harbour town: Most lets are whitewashed fishermen’s cottages on the steep lanes above the quay, with courtyards, wood burners and estuary views rather than large gardens.
• Park once, walk everywhere: The old town is narrow and largely pedestrian, so parking is the amenity to check first; the Bodinnick and Polruan ferries handle the rest.
• Guests rate the small places highest: Our best-reviewed Fowey cottages score 9.8+ and are praised for their quiet lanes, sea views and walk-in-everywhere setting.
• Shoulder seasons suit slow stays: May and September bring open gardens, warm sea and far shorter queues than the August peak.
• Du Maurier country on foot: The Hall Walk, Readymoney Cove, St Catherine’s Castle and the Saints’ Way all start within minutes of the town.

Fowey’s cottages are mostly converted fishermen’s homes stacked above the harbour — slate floors, thick walls and windows angled at the water. Expect two- to four-bedroom terraces in the old town, a handful of quieter places towards Readymoney, and roomier cottages if you are travelling as a group. These features come up again and again:

• Allocated parking or a resident permit, which matters hugely in the narrow old-town lanes
• Wood burners and drying space for wet coast-path kit
• Courtyards, roof terraces or balconies with estuary views
• Washing machines and dishwashers for longer, slower stays
• Sea-facing sitting rooms

Book early for August and half term, when the harbour town fills quickly.

What are the best areas to stay in Fowey?

Stay in the Fowey town centre if you want the quay, the ferries and the restaurants on your doorstep. The table below details regions for specific interests:

What do our guests say?

Fowey’s cottages review well because they are small, personally run and close to everything: guests mention the walk to the quay, the quiet at night once the day visitors leave, and hosts who leave local bread and tide tables on the table. Our top-rated cottages hold ratings of 9.8+ across the past year.

Here are our top-rated cottages from the past year:

1. Cosy Cottage - 9.9+: A two-person cottage that takes dogs, praised for its snug sitting room and easy reach of the Fowey harbourside.
2. Below Deck - 9.9+: Sleeps two, with parking and a small yard — a rare combination in Fowey’s tight lanes.
3. Waterside - 9.8+: A sea-view cottage for two near the water, with a yard and a well-equipped kitchen for slow evenings in.

Fowey — pronounced “Foy” — sits on the west bank of a deep-water estuary in south Cornwall, where china-clay ships still pass the harbour mouth.

🥗Where to eat in Fowey?

According to Google Maps data and reviews, Píntxo Fowey is the best rated restaurant in Fowey. Below is a table showing the top 5 highly-rated restaurants hand-picked by our travel experts.

⭐Our guests’ recommendation: Our guest traveller Charlotte recommends the Quay Bakery in Fowey: she walked down from her cottage each morning for pasties and still-warm bread, then ate them on the quay watching the ferries work.

1. Sunbathe at Readymoney Cove
2. Climb to St Catherine’s Castle
3. Walk the Hall Walk to Polruan
4. Follow Daphne du Maurier’s Fowey
5. Spend a day at the Eden Project
6. Explore Lanhydrock house and gardens
7. Set off along the Saints’ Way

1. Sunbathe at Readymoney Cove

   Fowey’s own beach sits ten minutes’ walk from the town centre, a crescent of sand tucked below wooded cliffs at the mouth of the estuary. It shelters from the prevailing wind, which makes it good for swimming, paddleboarding and long afternoons with a book. There is a small café above the sand for ice creams and coffee, and steps at the far end climb straight into the woods towards St Catherine’s Castle. Come at low tide for the widest stretch of beach.

2. Climb to St Catherine’s Castle

   Built on Henry VIII’s orders to guard the harbour, this little artillery fort clings to the rock above Readymoney Cove. The climb through the woods takes only a few minutes and the reward is a clear view down the estuary to the open sea, with clay ships often working below. Entry is free and the ruins are open to the sky, so pick a bright day. The gun platforms below the fort are worth the extra scramble.

3. Walk the Hall Walk to Polruan

   One of Cornwall’s great short walks, the Hall Walk loops from Bodinnick high above the creek, through woodland with framed views back over Fowey, and drops into Polruan on the far side. It is roughly four miles, with the two foot ferries turning it into a neat circuit. Wear proper shoes — it is steep and muddy after rain — and stop at the memorial to Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch along the way.

4. Follow Daphne du Maurier’s Fowey

   The novelist lived at Ferryside in Bodinnick and later at Menabilly, the house behind Manderley in Rebecca. You can walk the lanes and coast path she used, look across at Ferryside from the quay, and reach Polridmouth Cove, the beach that closes the novel, on foot from Readymoney. The town’s literary festival each May fills the church, the quay and the halls with talks and music.

5. Spend a day at the Eden Project

   Twenty minutes inland, the huge biomes of the Eden Project rise from a worked-out china-clay pit near Bodelva. Inside, the rainforest biome runs hot and humid with cacao and bananas, while the Mediterranean biome holds olives, vines and citrus. Outdoor gardens, seasonal exhibitions and a long list of events fill the rest of the site. Book ahead in the school holidays and allow a full day if the weather is against you.

6. Explore Lanhydrock house and gardens

   This late-Victorian country house near Bodmin is one of the National Trust’s most complete, from the vast kitchens and servants’ corridors to the long gallery that survived the fire of 1881. The formal gardens are strongest in spring, when magnolias and rhododendrons take over the higher woods. Miles of waymarked cycle and walking trails run down to the River Fowey, which makes it an easy half-day with children.

7. Set off along the Saints’ Way

   The Saints’ Way crosses Cornwall from Fowey to Padstow, following the route medieval pilgrims used to avoid sailing around Land’s End. It starts at St Fimbarrus Church on the quay, so you can walk the first stretch up through fields and stiles towards Golant and turn back for lunch. The full path runs around 27 miles and is well waymarked if you want the whole crossing.