To the east of the Fal Estuary, the Roseland Peninsula is beautiful and unspoilt. The Hotel Tresanton and Idle Rocks ensure St Mawes gets the headlines, but the peninsula as a whole is a very special place indeed. A chunk of the land is owned by the Tregothnan Estate, while the southern coastline is largely protected by the National Trust. The Percuil River and Ruan Creek, both tributaries of the Fal, run deep in to the lush countryside.
It is almost impossible to find any blots on the landscape here, and villages such as Philleigh, Portloe, Portscatho, St Just in Roseland are all the stuff of film sets. From St Anthony Lighthouse around to Carne, there are wonderful long beaches and more Heritage Coast.
Further east again, Portloe was once described by Sir John Betjeman as one of the least spoiled and most impressive of Cornish fishing villages. Not much has changed, but today there is a boutique hotel called The Lugger which is another reason to visit.
A chain ferry links the Roseland Peninsula with the western side of the River Fal at Trelissick, where ships out of commission rest until they are needed again.