Unmissable Family Boat Trips
Published: Monday 10th Feb 2020
St Ives Boats
Best for: The seals
Calling all seal fans: this is the one for you. Setting off from the exceptionally beautiful St Ives harbour, St Ives Boats welcome you to join them for a tour around the aptly-named Seal Island or head across the bay towards Godrevy Lighthouse. The only accredited wildlife safe operator (WISe Scheme) in St Ives Bay, you will be able to see adorable seals in their natural habitat and snap that perfect picture to take home with you.
AK Wildlife Cruises
Best for: The wildlife
Offering multi-award-winning wildlife and sight-seeing tours, AK Wildlife Cruises based in Falmouth are very much the local pros. Experts in all things wildlife, they offer the chance to engage with and learn all about Cornwalll’s wonderful marine environment. Whilst on board, keep your eyes peeled for dolphins, basking sharks, seals, sea birds, sunfish and much more. For extra comfort, the boat also benefits from indoor and outdoor seating with a heated cabin, hot drinks and WC!
Charles Hood
Best for: The blue sharks
If you are looking for a really unique day on (and in) the water, you need to turn your attention to Charles Hood. Featured on the BBC’s One Show, this incredible experience takes you up close and personal with jaw-droppingly beautiful blue sharks. Leaving from Penzance you can climb aboard the specialist charter boat and enjoy the ride; you will enjoy a full-day excursion and have a 95% chance of seeing blues.
Cormorant Cruising
Best for: The backdrop
Leaving from the quaint harbour town of Mousehole, Cormorant Cruising is a wonderful option if you simply want to sit back and take in the setting. A 12-passenger boat, MCA-certified and manned by a local skipper, you will be in highly capable hands as you are taken past the sights, including the enchanting St Michael's Mount, Newlyn Harbour and Mousehole. It’s not just two-legged visitors who love this spot either, as a magnificent humpback whale was sighted here several times in 2019.
Fowey Cruise
Best for: The local history
If you love the water but don’t want to be out all day, a trip with Fowey Cruise is recommended. Appreciate a whole new perspective of Fowey River from the water as you are given a commentary by the skipper and learn all about its history and literary connections. As part of the 45-minute, dog-friendly boat trip, you will be guided up the river, past Daphne Du Maurier's house, Fowey docks and Place House. Get in touch here.
Padstow Sealife Safari
Best for: The coastal views
Offering a range of different boat trips including skippered boat hire, you can find exactly the right boat trip for you with Padstow Sealife Safari. Meet the boat at Padstow harbour and be led from there out of the spectacular Camel Estuary and onto the big blue sea. Boasting glorious views of the Cornish coastline and towering cliffs, this is one of the best boat trips in Cornwall for those looking to take inspiration from the amazing coastal views. Get in touch here.
Smuggler’s Boat Tour
Best for: The smugglers
Join in with the Smugglers Boat Trip and sail back in time as you navigate the North Coast. Regaling sailors with tales of Newquay’s colourful past, you will learn all about the Cornish smugglers, pirates and wreckers who ran the coastline many, many years ago. With a talented, enthusiastic crew at the helm, this is a great one for all the family and is sure to give you memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime.
