A stalwart on Cornwall's luxury-hotel scene, this riverside beauty sits on the Helford's north bank, with country-chic rooms (some with sitting rooms), four lounges, a health spa, tennis courts, 13 hectares of parkland and even a private jetty. The feel is rather old-fashioned, but the setting is hard to fault. It's six miles southwest of Falmouth in deep Cornish countryside.
Budock Vean Hotel
South Cornwall
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
24.62 MILES
Looking like a cross between a lunar landing station and a James Bond villain's lair, the gigantic hemispherical greenhouses of the Eden Project have…
15.35 MILES
Looming up in the middle of Mount's Bay and connected to the mainland at Marazion via a cobbled causeway, this abbey-crowned island is an unforgettable…
17.24 MILES
After an 18-month, multimillion-pound refit, St Ives' most illustrious gallery reopened its doors, complete with a monumental exhibition space that's been…
10.15 MILES
A mile north of Lizard Point, this National Trust–owned inlet is an absolute showstopper, studded with craggy offshore islands rising out of searingly…
10.26 MILES
This wonderful medieval house and garden was the family seat of the Godolphin family who, during the 17th and 18th centuries, were one of Cornwall's great…
18.91 MILES
This is Cornwall's real-life secret garden. Formerly the family estate of the Tremaynes, Heligan's magnificent 19th-century gardens fell into disrepair…
8.84 MILES
Grandly located at the head of the Fal estuary, 4 miles south of Truro, Trelissick is one of Cornwall's most beautiful aristocratic estates, with a formal…
14.17 MILES
Two miles from St Agnes is one of Cornwall's most beautiful coves, Chapel Porth, a wild, rocky beach framed by steep, gorse-covered cliffs, owned by the…
Nearby South Cornwall attractions
0.5 MILES
Trebah Garden was planted in 1840 by Charles Fox, younger brother of Alfred, who established nearby Glendurgan Garden. It's less formal, with gigantic…
0.72 MILES
Glendurgan was established by Alfred Fox in the 1820s to show off the many weird and wonderful plants being brought back from the far corners of the…
1.02 MILES
If you were to sit down and design the perfect riverside village from scratch, chances are you'd come up with something pretty close to Helford. It's a…
1.27 MILES
It's a bit of a drive from Falmouth but this gorgeous kitchen garden near Constantine is well worth the detour. Rescued from dilapidation by its current…
1.33 MILES
This famous creek is an easy walk from Helford village, but it's much more evocative to explore by kayak or rowboat. Fringed by overhanging trees and…
1.82 MILES
This narrow river inlet is near the village of St-Anthony-in-Meneage. Locals can sometimes be spotted trigging (cockle-picking) in the nearby mudflats –…
2.18 MILES
Maenporth is the quietest of Falmouth's beaches, with facilities including a cafe, kayak centre and restaurant, the Cove. The 1978 wreck of the Scottish…
2.24 MILES
Touting itself as Cornwall's 'true' jungle garden (a sly dig at Cornwall's famous Heligan gardens), this is really two gardens in one: exotic jungle…