10 Things To Do In Falmouth, Cornwall Under £5

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Falmouth oozes the kind of charm only a small coastal Cornish town can. Historic streets peppered with pretty, colorful shop fronts. Picture perfect harbor views whether lit by the summer sun or shrouded by the darkness of an incoming storm. And there are no shortage of things to do in Falmouth, Cornwall whether you’re in for the day or spending longer in the area.

But visiting a major tourist hub in one of the country’s most popular vacation spots has to be expensive right? Not necessarily. Lucky for us there are just as many free and cheap things to do in Falmouth, Cornwall making it a perfect budget destination without sacrificing the fun!

Where is Falmouth?

Falmouth is in a town on the east coast of Cornwall, the southernmost county in England. On the opposite coast from fellow popular hot spot St. Ives, Falmouth is about a half hour drive from Truro, Cornwall’s only city.

Don’t be fooled by this designation though. Falmouth is actually more populated than Truro, and is the second largest settlement in Cornwall after Redruth. Still, with only around 30,000 inhabitants it doesn’t manage to lose that small town feel.

A little history of Falmouth

Falmouth is a port town, in fact it’s the biggest port in Cornwall. Therefore you will see no shortage of boats and ships of all sizes in the harbor. Speaking of harbors, Falmouth has the 3rd largest natural harbor in the world by depth. It was also one of the areas where the vessels for the D-Day landings originated from.

Going even further back, Falmouth was the site chosen by possibly the most famous English King, Henry VIII, to defend the UK from invasion in the 1500s. He ordered Pendennis Castle be built over concerns of a threat from mainland Europe. You can still visit the castle today which overlooks the estuary leading to Falmouth harbor.

Things to do in Falmouth under £5

I love a good bargain. Holidays don’t need to be about spending a ton of money each day. You can often find fun, cheap things to occupy your time if you look hard enough. And these things to do in Falmouth are all either free or under £5 per person.

Falmouth Art Gallery

Along a steep little hill just a couple minutes walk from the main street of Falmouth is the Falmouth Art Gallery. Surrounded by the most colorful buildings you’ll see in the town, this free art gallery is more mighty than it first looks.

A fantastic permanent collection as well as shorter-term exhibitions, it’s a great place to check out work by local and national artists. Take home a local art souvenir from the gift shop, or keep an eye out for family art workshops.

Window Shopping

Many of the shops in Falmouth are wonderfully unique. They sell everything from local or Cornish crafts and products to delightfully intriguing antiques. Take home some Cornish sea salt, handmade greetings cards or locally made Cornish Gin. Or if you’re not in the mood for spending you can always just window shop. But where’s the fun in that?!

Farmer’s Market

Even more local products are on sale at the Falmouth & Truro Farmer’s Market, held every Tuesday on The Moor in Falmouth. Just a few steps away from the Art Gallery, you’ll be able to buy the most delicious handmade cakes (look out for the caramel slice which is to die for).

If you’re self catering in Cornwall, this is the ideal place to buy a few things for dinner – meats, cheese and produce are all abundant. There are also a number of craft vendors interspersed between the aromatic food stalls.

RNLI Lifeboat Station tour

Falmouth is by the sea, and so lifeboats are a necessity. Take a free guided tour of the important lifeboat station and its boats, and discover why the work the RNLI do is so vital. You don’t usually need to book, just show up. Although check for opening ahead of time since restrictions have been in place during various lockdowns in recent years. As the tour is free, consider a small donation to this registered charity.

Walk along the pier

It would be a shame to be so close to the water and not take in the views. The village of Flushing on the opposite shoreline, or St Mawes and its historic fortress in the distance. Then there are the literally hundreds of boats in every shape, size and color in between.

The Prince of Wales pier is just as interesting as the view. Opened in 1905, it was named after King George V who was Prince of Wales at the time he laid the foundational stone for the pier. The pier was also one of many sites in the area where the WWII soldiers set off from for the D-Day landings.

Spend time at the beach

Cornwall isn’t all high cliffs and piers, there are beaches too. One of the best things to do in Falmouth, Cornwall in the summer months is visit some of the nearby beaches. Beautiful beaches such as Gyllyngvase and Swanpool beach are on the other side of Falmouth as well as all the rocky beach paths in between.

They might not have the fine white sand of Hawaii or Spain, but if you have a book, some snacks and bottle of factor-30 you can have a relaxing afternoon out. Both of the major beaches have ocean view cafés with surprisingly extensive menus. Gyllyngvase is more restaurant than café, while Swanpool is ideal for a light lunch or snacks.

Take a boat ride

Not content with just looking at the water? How about a boat ride? That can’t possibly be cheap, I hear you say. It’s true, if you plan to rent a boat or go on a harbour tour then you’ll end up paying more for it. But there are other options.

You can take the ferry to St. Mawe, 20 minutes away for less than £7 one way, or under £10 return. But even cheaper is the 10 minute journey to the village of Flushing for only £3 per adult (£1 for a child) each way. Both are a good way to explore different areas around the coast.

Church of King Charles the Martyr

Us Brits love to look around a nice church or cathedral, whether or not we’re religious. And Falmouth has a lovely 17th Century church right in the middle of town. The Church of King Charles the Martyr is beautiful inside and out. If you’re around in the summer, keep an eye on the free summer concert series – usually Saturdays around noon. They don’t cost anything to attend but usually have a collection for the church.

Listen to some traditional Cornish music

Speaking of music, just across from the church along Church Street is The Cornish Bank. It’s a live music venue with great food, great drinks and local musicians who play live music in the evenings. It’s usually pay what you want – £3, £5 or £8 – and can be anything from jazz to indie to Cornish Celtic folk music.

Visit an old pub

While gin and rum are two favorite Cornish tipples, there’s nothing wrong with a good pint of beer. And if there’s one thing England is good for, it’s an old pub. Great news is there are a number of great pubs in Falmouth where you can get a pint for under £5.

For somewhere that will help with your budget visit Finn M’Coul’s Irish pub on the corner of Market Street. They don’t serve food so they let you bring your own in. Bring in something cheaper of your own and save the money you would usually spend on pub food and. Or spend it on a second pint!

Finding food in Falmouth

With all these fun things to do in Falmouth, Cornwall you’ll need to fuel up throughout the day. Lucky for you there are lots of great food options in the town, and many of them are very budget friendly.

As well as the ones already mentioned, there’s a great little café with to-die-for cake creations. Cavendish Coffee House will lure you in with their dessert filled window display – don’t resist the temptation!

For a budget lunch option that’s traditional Cornwall with a twist – try The Dog & Smuggler. A quirky little hole in the wall at the entrance to the Falmouth Custom House Quay, they serve Cornish pasties and cheap lunches and snacks to take away. Vegetarian and vegan options are plentiful here.

The only other food to rival Cornish pasties in this part of the world is fish and chips –the most well known of all British foods. With lunchtime specials for around £5, head over to Harbour Lights Fish & Chips. Eat your fish and chips straight from the the paper down by the water – a proper British seaside treat if ever there was one.

You’ll never be short of things to do in Falmouth Cornwall

For a small town, Falmouth packs quite the punch. Spend a couple of hours or a couple of weeks in this beautiful area of England. Either way I can guarantee you won’t be ready to leave at the end of it.

As Cornwall is a popular holiday spot in the UK, everyone expects it to also cost a lot of money. But with some lovely self-catering holiday homes and plenty of cheap/free activities you might be surprised at how far your money ends up going.

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