Helston
From St. Michael's Mount, a 10-mile (16-kilometer) jaunt along route A394 leads to the market town of Helston. Stop in at The Blue Anchor Inn (50 Coinagehall Street; (0)1326 562821; www.spingoales.com), housed in a thatch-roofed 15th-century rest house for monks. Sample the ancient local brew of Spingo. For a more tame Helston experience, visit the Helston Folk Museum (Market Place; (0)1326 564027; www.kerrier.gov.uk), formerly the town's market house, featuring regional archaeological gems and a timber cider press. Helston is the geographic gateway to the Lizard Peninsula, with its small sandy coves and picturesque villages.

The Lizard Peninsula
Make your first stop in the Lizard at The Lizard Pasty Shop—located in Beacon Terrace, near the Lizard's southern tip (The Lizard; (0)1326 290889; www.connexions.co.uk/lizardpasty/). Hike or drive less than two miles (3.2 kilometers) to Kynance Cove (follow road A3083), a glorious nook with island-speckled waters and numerous caves.

Cadgwith
Make your way across southern Lizard—all four miles (six kilometers) of it—to Cadgwith, a fishing village of whitewashed thatched huts and pubs filled with men singing sea shanties. Make time to meander the South West Coastal Path and discover your own favorite Lizard coves and Iron Age villages. Rest for the night at Trengilly Wartha Inn (Nancenoy, Constantine; (0)1326 340332; www.trengilly.co.uk/; doubles starting at £80), with its 6 acres (2.4 hectares) of gardens, meadows, and idyllic lake. Its Cornish name translates to "settlement above the trees." Dine at the inn's bistro, featuring all local meats and game, shellfish from nearby waters, and a Cornish cheeseboard.

Falmouth
Just 8 miles (13 kilometers) north, Falmouth boasts an array of attractions. Visit the National Maritime Museum (Discovery Quay; (0)1326 313388; www.nmmc.co.uk/; £7.95) for a lesson on Cornwall's maritime heritage, with displays of boats of all size, archives, and pieces of art. Head back outdoors for a stroll through Trebah Garden (Mawnan Smith; (0)1326 250448; www.trebah-garden.co.uk; £7), a 26-acre (11-hectare) subtropical ravine, listed as one of the top 80 gardens in the world.