The name of Falmouth is inextricably linked with maritime history. Located on the sheltered bank of one of the finest natural harbours in the world, and at the mouth of a network of creeks and rivers, Falmouth was the port from which the renowned Packet ships set sail to the Mediterranean and the Americas in the seventeenth century.

The Fal Estuary's deep water and sheltered anchorage have been of strategic importance to the defence of Britain since Tudor times. Any enemy ship securing the waters could easily land an army on the mainland. Henry VII recognised this threat and built the sister castles of Pendennis and St Mawes on opposite sides of the Carrick Roads to protect the anchorage. Thus began one of the most compelling stories of British coastal defence spanning 450 years. Pendennis Castle is a showpiece of British history and one of Falmouth's principal attractions. As the premier resort of West Cornwall, Falmouth's four main beaches of Gyllyngvase, Castle, Swanpool and Maenporth are second to none. Wide expanses of sand dipping down to the seashore offer the perfect arena for sunbathing, swimming, sandcastle building or simply forgetting the rest of the world exists!

Falmouth's bustling town centre contains many of the expected high street names, alongside specialist craft shops, chandlers and vendors of all things nautical. Laced with many notable listed buildings such as the King's Pipe, which was used to burn contraband tobacco in the days of smuggling, the town has a reassuring warmth and offers an exciting range of opportunities and watersports activities.

In Victorian times Falmouth's worldwide links across the seas led to the development of large private gardens, later donated to the local people, containing wonderfully exotic plants. Owing to the incredibly mild climate, species such as Citrus, Daturas, Dracaena Palms, Camellias, Abutilons, Azaleas, Rhododendrons and many unusual species of Bamboo still thrive today, and at Fox Rosehill Gardens banana trees grow in the open! In addition to Falmouth's four central public gardens of Kimberley Park, Gyllyngdune, Fox Rosehill and Queen Mary, winner of the Green Flag Park Award for both 1998 and 1999, the vast gardens of Trelissick, Glendurgan and Trebah are all within easy reach.

Use the map of Falmouth below to zoom in or out to view directions or click the satellite button for an aerial view. For a larger version of this Falmouth map Click Here.