What Are The Best Sanctuaries in Cornwall?
You’ve probably clicked on this article to look for sanctuaries located at the bottom of the United Kingdom in Cornwall. Well, you’ve come to the right place as we’re going to go through the best list of sanctuaries within Cornwall!
Cornish Seal Sanctuary
One of the most highly rated sanctuaries in Cornwall is this adorable seal sanctuary titled: ‘The Sea Life Trust’ and is located near the very bottom of Cornwall.
Opening in 1975, their long-term mission has always been to rescue as many seals as possible. They rehabilitate and treat injured seals including around 70 grey seal pups from around the Cornish Coastline every season! Here, you can see many variants of seals from cute grey seal pups, to the adult sea lion, otters and even some penguins. Just alone you would be on the website’s gallery scrolling through the adorable pictures of the sea animals, so what an experience it would be to go there and visit?!
Wingz Bird & Animal Sanctuary
The ‘Wingz Bird & Animal Sanctuary’ is another great safe haven to venture off and see the beauty of the huge variety of animals. They care for many animals from cranes to meerkats, and marmosets to playful cockatoos here is a great attraction to see, and is highly recommended to visit this sanctuary!
Blue Reef Aquarium
Going back to the Marine types of animals, the Blue Reef Aquarium offers a stunning tropical aquatic view of various sea life animals located on the Cornish Coastline of Cornwall. With over 40 breeds of aquatic life, it brings many of the five senses to help you become part of the environment. With regular feeding displays, it brings many forms of entertainment turning the day into a fascinating one.
Wild Futures Monkey Sanctuary
Formed in 1964, Wild Futures brings a wild experience to those who wish to visit such a sanctuary. Right at the south Cornish coast in Cornwall is where Wild Futures care for a range of different variants and species of rescued and retired monkeys. Come take a gentle stroll around the stunning gardens and allow your kids to burn off some steam with the kid’s wild play area!
The National Lobster Hatchery
Head to The National Lobster Hatchery now to see what the lobsters are like at the different stages of their life! If you’re in or planning to visit Cornwall, then why not head to the Lobster Hatchery and observe the award-winning visitor centre. Based in Padstow and for a cheap entrance fee, you are given the opportunity to learn all about the lobsters and also surrounding marine life! This registered charity has the goal to help support the vulnerable lobster population and protect them from some fishers.
GoDolphin - National Trust
GoDolphin is part of the national trust and has been open since 1909! With a lot of history behind its core, GoDolpin is known for its natural beauty. It’s worth heading here for a great day out to breathe it’s Lucious air and river and to travel back to the 16th-century gardens, the most important historic gardens actually. That’s not all, you can even immerse yourself within the untouched woodland and visit the houses that were considered ‘fashionable’ in the 17th century.






The Eden Project is built over a historical clay pit which was in use for over 160 years! This site is quite famous too as films such as “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy” and after the visitor centre was built it was also used to film some scenes of the James Bond film “Die Another Day”. Many concerts have also been hosted by The Eden Project.
There are even some art exhibits that you can discover inside The Core which are constantly being rotated so there is always something new to see. One permanent installation, by Peter Randall-Page, is a giant oval-shaped sculpture which is titled “Seed”. This sculpture is made of stone, weighs around 70 tonnes and stands around 13 feet tall!


This is another great spot for surfing too as there are some surprisingly large waves that form further out. If this isn’t your scene there’s no need to worry as you could just grab a coffee and sit back on the beach soaking up the sun.
Just a 30 minute walk away is the famous Logan Rock which is an 80 ton granite rocking stone. Also close by is the fascinating Porthcurno Telegraph Museum which tells the story of how Cornwall played an important role in the pioneering days of global communications.
You can stray from the mainland on foot or by boat to get up close and personal to the castle-topped island that is standing tall in Mount’s Bay. Come with the family or take a tour of the castle and gardens by yourself, either way you will have a magical time exploring all the sights.
You can climb the castle turrets, straight out of an old movie, for amazing views and listen to live music on the greenery of the village that is close by. If you fancy a bite to eat, travel to the Island Café or the Sail Loft Restaurant which both serve fresh local food.
Visit the sub-tropical gardens which can be found clinging to the granite slopes, the terraced beds of the gardens travel all the way down to the edge of the ocean and boast many exotic plants from places such as the Canary Islands, South Africa and Mexico.
As mentioned earlier, you should make sure that the area you are visiting includes the activities you want to complete, and it should be easy to organise it around your time.
The activities you do should be more than one-sided. This is so that you are getting the most of the summer fun out of your holiday and enjoy more time with the family. For example, activities like bike riding are fun for the entire family, but they can be enjoyed along with going to the beach or can lead to the next activity. Activities should be enjoyable to both adults and children, especially during the school holidays within summer!
You should consider flexibility when booking activities, alongside having backups in place just in case anything happens that could cause plans to change. Things like what the weather is going to be like and how bad the traffic is going to be are not always predictable.
Problems can occur, so having plans in place that are flexible can help you to avoid being stuck doing nothing. Not all activities may be for you and your family as well. Consider looking into a various range of activities that everyone will enjoy.
This is especially important if travelling abroad! Not all countries have the privilege of free national health. You don’t want to add a bunch of hospital fees to your souvenir list!
Everyone is susceptible to getting ill, and this is especially true when on holiday as you may come across an illness your body is not used to. This alone can ruin the holiday let alone having no insurance and having to pay out of your own pocket.
Also, if you don’t have insurance, the likelihood of you being seen as soon as possible is very slim and you may end up having to stay there for a while. This affects the whole family and can lead to problems at home. This can vary from work-related dates to missing other important plans. Make sure you have good travel insurance and read between the lines so you aren’t left in the dust!
Travel insurance can literally be a lifesaver in some cases. There are some really nasty diseases out there and they are more likely to infect you, especially if it is your first time visiting a new location.
If you don’t have good travel insurance, you may get stuck in a hospital which may have low standards, alongside not receiving the best medical treatment possible. This can further delay going home and can lead to your problem getting worse. This is a terrible cycle leaving you with massive bills and even in rare cases can lead to permanent health problems. This is the last thing you need, so do the sensible thing and get your whole family insured on a good plan!






