St Loy

The walk up to St Loy is deceptively steep - a proper leg-burner if you're not expecting it - but the payoff is genuine. You get Cornwall's southwestern edge spread out below you: a dramatic drop to the sea with Land's End visible off to the west, and on clear days the Isles of Scilly pencilling the horizon. The viewpoint sits above the tiny village of St Loy itself, which is little more than a scattering of cottages and a defunct tin mine, but that's rather the point. This is working coastline, not prettified, with industrial relics dotting the cliffs.

Allow 45 minutes to an hour for the walk and viewing combined. It's free, naturally - there's nothing commercial here. You'll want a clear day to make the journey worthwhile; mist rolls in fast along this coast and swallows everything. Families with older kids will manage the incline fine, but it's not a pushchair affair. The real draw is for walkers tackling the coastal path and geology types fascinated by Cornwall's mining heritage - the landscape tells that story if you know how to read it.

If you're based at Lands End Camping & Glamping or Roselands Caravan Camping Park, St Loy makes a solid half-day excursion from Penzance. It's quiet enough that you'll likely have it mostly to yourself, especially outside peak season. Go early or late to catch the light at its best. Wind can be fierce up there - bring layers.