To See & Do
Wildlife and Wildflowers - visiting Cornwall in spring
Spring comes to Cornwall earlier than the rest of the UK, and tends to be mild, with average temperatures reaching 15C by May, but even before that sheltered spots in beautiful sunshine can feel much warmer. When the sun does shine, and the sea is calm, Spring’s quiet white sands and emptier beaches might lead visitors to feel that they have travelled further afield.
Flora and fauna
Snowdrops and daffodils start poking their heads out as early as January, carpeting woodlands and verges by mid-February. Fields of commercial daffodils and narcissi brighten farming landscapes. In Cornwall’s gardens, Champion magnolia, camellia and rhododendron are in full bloom from mid/late February onwards, with drifts of blossom appearing alongside through March and into April.
The Great Gardens of Cornwall - 14 of the most historically and horticulturally important gardens across the Duchy, including Trebah, The Minack, and The Lost Gardens of Heligan - offer a magical insight into viewing rare and unusual planting across Cornwall, from formal Victorian gardens to informal woodlands and cliff-top botanical showpieces.
By late-April Cornwall’s ancient woodlands and hedgerows are dotted with bluebells, and as May arrives, floors of blue are matched by the white of the epic wild garlic. On the cliffs and moors, the coconut scented yellow gorse is as far as they eye can see. Dancing sea pinks appear by early April and show their best around May. Wild orchids pop up in grasslands and dunes - from April onwards keep an eye out for early purple spikes and pyramidal blooms glowing pink above the cliffs.
Swallows and sand martins arrive by the end of March, Cornish choughs can be seen along coastal cliffs on The Lizard and near to Lands End, and on the moors the cuckoo can be heard. Migratory seabirds like terns and shearwaters begin to return from mid-April onwards, with puffins starting to appear at colonies off-shore.
Grey and common seals and their pups can be spotted, particularly near Godrevey and Newquay. The best sightings though are from the water. Wildlife watching boats head out from virtually all Cornwall’s harbours from around Easter onwards.
Spring walks
Spring is a great time for walking on Cornwall’s moors, ancient pilgrimage paths, or on the South West Coast Path, particularly sections like Kynance Cove and The Lizard, and Porthcurno, Zennor and West Penwith, taking in the UK’s most westerly and southerly points, where the paths are quieter than in the summer months. Walkers can spot rare wildflowers and nesting birds, and ancient stones; paths rise and fall in gentle undulations along cliffs and headlands, dipping to hidden sandy coves and mermaid pools before climbing back up to dramatic seascapes.
Trace ancestral footsteps from coast to coast on St Michael’s Way, ending at St Michael’s Mount, where the castle re-opens in March 2026, and the formal gardens (so steep that in parts that are tended to by abseiling gardeners) follow in May. Described as a “coast-to-coast micro-pilgrimage”, it is the only pilgrimage route in Britain officially part of a European Cultural Route, and is part of the Camino to Santiago pilgrimage.
Cornwall’s inland waters can often be overlooked in favour of coastal options, but the oak-lined banks of the ancient wooded creeks of the River Fal and Helford River are a joy to walk, where Kingfishers flash electric blue and herons stand motionless in the shallows. High on Bodmin Moor, the open expanse of Colliford Lake and nearby Dozmary Pool, steeped in Arthurian legend and said to be the inspiration for the Lady of the Lake, are atmospheric. Nearby, the 56m labyrinth, Kerdroya, created from granite and Cornish hedges, re-opens in March 2026.
What’s On?
Cornwall’s Spring Story celebration, when six champion magnolia have bloomed, marks the beginning of spring, and usually occurs around the end February, almost a full month earlier than the rest of the UK. At the start of March, the Duchy of Cornwall Nursery’s annual Celebration of Orchids with the Cornwall Orchid Society (6 - 8 March). The Tamar Valley has been home to daffodil growers for centuries; Cornwall’s Daffodil Festival is usually held mid-March, at Cotehele National Trust, near Saltash.
Dubbed the Chelsea of the south-west, Cornwall Garden Society holds their annual Spring Flower Show at the Royal Cornwall Showground (28 and 29 March). The 116th Falmouth Spring Flower Show takes place at the Princess Pavilion (21 and 22 March). Helston Flora Day is an annual traditional celebration held on 8 May.
Just off Cornwall’s coast, the Isles of Scilly come alive in spring. In mid‑March, Tresco’s Festival of Wellness (14–23 March 2026) celebrates the equinox with nature‑led activities, while April brings the enchanting Walk Scilly Festival (10–19 April), a chance to explore all five inhabited islands on guided walks and nature experiences. If conditions align, mid‑April’s Low Tide Event offers a rare opportunity to walk between Tresco and Bryher across exposed sands for a memorable island‑hopping adventure.
