St Michael’s Mount and Marazion, Cornwall

St Michael’s Mount is a small tidal island located a short distance offshore from Marazion in Mount’s Bay close to the large fishing town of Penzance. It can be reached at low tide by crossing a cobbled causeway or small boat at high tide. Marazion is a pretty English seaside village with small independent shops, pubs and a nearby nature reserve. This is a fantastic location for photography as well as a stop on a Cornish road trip.

Castle in island in Cornwall

St Michael’s Mount

This is one of the most iconic spots in Cornwall and has been occupied for many centuries. Once an Iron Age trading point, it has also been a monastic abbey, castle and stately home. The Cornish name for St Michael’s Mount is Carrek Los yn Cos and translates roughly into “the grey rock in the wood”. An odd name for a tidal island but fossilised tree remains show that before the area was flooded in around 1700BC, this was indeed a rock surrounded by trees.

The Causeway

Today St Michael’s Mount is reached at low tide by a beautiful cobbled causeway made of golden blocks of granite. These are washed clean each day by the tide and are changing over time. The causeway is clear for two hours on either side of low tide. As the tide ebbs it slowly emerges and visitors chase the retreating water from either side meeting in the centre as the last of the tide clears the cobbles.

St michaels mount from beacon

The Village

St Michael’s Mount has a small community of 30 people who live on the island year-round and all the buildings are now in the care of the National Trust. Their homes are collected around the enclosed harbour, looking back towards Marazion on the mainland.

The buildings are all small traditional cottages which open straight onto the harbour wall. The harbour combined with the cobbled street and the old buildings takes you back to a time when the harbour was a bustling place.

In the 1800’s it was a flourishing village with 300 inhabitants and 53 homes. The buildings that housed the village laundry, pilchard press and even a traditional Victorian change house are still being used although for modified uses today! It is easy to let your mind wander on this small island. Look out for the bronze footprints close to the end of the causeway where Royalty stood on their visit to the island as well as the smaller details on the buildings.

low tide at St Michael's Mount in Cornwall

Castle Gardens

Surrounding the castle are beautiful formal gardens. Designed in the 1780’s the terraced gardens and the summer house are a feat of engineering and gardening skills. Built into the sheer rock face of the island it takes skill to maintain this unique garden. With succulents and plants from around the world, it is an assault on the senses with a bombardment of colour and scent all against the deep turquoise blue of the Atlantic Ocean.

stone building in St Michael's mount with castle behind

Exploring the Castle

After the steep walk from the village up to the castle the position on top of the island gives stunning panoramic views out across Mount’s Bay. Looking for the Giant’s heart (from the Cornish legend of Jack the Giant Killer) in the stone cobbles on the way up will distract you a little but it is a hard walk that is worth the effort. The castle has been developed through the centuries and has been owned by the St Aubyn family since the 1700’s. As you wander its large ornate rooms and dark corners its past as a priory and fort becomes obvious and intermingles with the stately home that it now is. Having been inhabited for over 1000 years there are a lot of stories and items collected over time that are displayed in the castle.

cannon at St Michael's Mount in Cornwall

Marazion

Marazion is like many other small Cornish villages. It is a busy seaside town with small independent shops, cafes and restaurants all opening out onto the expansive sand beach. The beach is perfect for walking and sandcastle building with it becoming quieter away from the town. Close to the causeway is a small rock which is great for rock pooling at low tide. Sand dunes at the far end are great for your own little bit of beach but it can be windy. Beyond the dunes is a small marsh that is a nature reserve, Marazion Marsh Nature Reserve and is home to wetland birds and sometimes a seasonal visit from the elusive bittern.

st michaels mount at high tide

Visiting Marazion and St Michael’s Mount

Marazion is just a short distance from Penzance on the A30. It is signposted as you come into the town along the A394. There is parking all along the beach at Marazion and then it is a short walk along the beach to the causeway or the ferry landings.  There is no parking once you reach the village centre and the road is narrow so it is better to use the main car parks. Remember to bring change for the parking meter.

Marazion has several self-catering and hotel options and this is ideal if you want to photograph the castle in the early hours.

As the tide plays a big part in visiting Marazion to photograph St Michael’s Mount make sure you always check tide times. Remember you can cross two hours on either side of LOW TIDE

I'm Suzanne the traveller and photographer behind Meandering Wild. With over 30 years of experience travelling to different corners of the world in search of wildlife and remote locations nearly all of the advice on this website is from my own exploring.