Capt Sir Richard Francis Burton Museum

The Burton Museum sits in St Ives, a proper tribute to one of the 19th century's most restless minds. Richard Francis Burton was an explorer, linguist, soldier and translator - the sort of Victorian who couldn't stay still for five minutes. The museum houses his collections and documents, giving you a window into how obsessed this man was with mapping the world and cataloguing everything from weapons to ethnography.

It's not a massive place, so allow an hour or so. History buffs will find themselves digging deeper into the cabinets - Burton's life was genuinely bizarre and brilliant. Families with older kids interested in exploration and adventure might get something from it, though younger ones could find it a bit dusty. The local setting matters too; St Ives itself is worth a day anyway, so it slots in nicely between beach time and the coastal walks.

If you're staying at Polmanter or St Ives Holiday Village, you're right on the doorstep. Even further out at Haven Riviere Sands or Higher Trevaskis, it's a short drive to check out. Burton was obsessed with understanding cultures nobody else bothered with, and that contrarian streak runs through the whole experience. You won't get the crowds here like you do at some Cornish attractions. Whether that's refreshing or means you've stumbled onto something genuinely interesting rather than a tourist obligation - that depends on what you're after.