Cornwall has everything you could dream of for a UK break — sandy beaches, beautiful country walks and above-average temperatures — so it comes as no surprise it is consistently ranked as the most popular place for a staycation.Indeed, UK caravan holiday park provider Parkdean Resorts hailed it as the most popular staycation spot for 2026, while Skyes Holiday Cottages named it this year’s best British summer location. And while most people think of visiting in the hotter months, how does it hold up when the days get shorter and the summer heat starts to fade? We visited the South Western county in autumn to find out what it is like during the so-called “shoulder season”.Our trip began with a five-hour drive from London, which we did in a Polestar 4. Its 366.6-mile range is almost the perfect amount of range for the journey between the capital and Cornwall, so it was a great way to put the EV to the test, more about that later.Upon arrival, we stayed in Cornish Gems’ Rockabye accommodation: an impressive converted barn in an equally impressive location. The holiday home felt quiet, nestled in the heart of the countryside, yet it was only a short 10-minute drive from the popular tourist town, Padstow, as well as lots of beaches and the South West Coast Path. This meant we could spend the day exploring the area before retreating to a home that felt properly removed from the crowds. During the trip, we tried surfing and a sauna at the beach, wine tasting at a local vineyard, and foraging along the beautiful coastline. What linked the travel, accommodation and activities so nicely was the focus on sustainability. From staying in a Cornish Gems property — a company that marked 10 years as a B Corp in January – to eating our own foraged food — generally better for the environment as there’s no mass production — reducing our carbon footprint felt effortless during the Cornwall staycation. Getting around by EV was easy too: the county has more than 500 EV chargers, so you were never too far from filling up.Here’s how we spent a Cornish autumn getaway.Trevibban Mill is home to award-winning British wines | JAMES MASON PHOTOGRAPHY / POLESTARWine tasting at Trevibban MillWe always try to sample local wine on any holiday, so a visit to the working vineyard and orchard, Trevibban Mill, was a must. The UK makes some incredible wines, and many were highlighted here. The tasting room is located on the top level of the main building, with panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. Immediately outside is a balcony and outdoor seating, which guests were enjoying during our visit, even on the slightly overcast day. The gorgeous rows of grapevines highlighted against a backdrop of rolling Cornish landscapes made it easy to imagine yourself somewhere in the French or Italian countryside, but it still had a cosy, distinctly British feel. Trevibban Mill produces its own Cornish wines, ciders, and even hummus, with guided tours offering an insight into how the drinks are made and tutored tastings giving you the chance to sip on five different tipples. The team’s passion came through during our tasting, as they gave clear descriptions of warming reds, delicious whites, and crisp sparkling wines, and we were impressed to discover how well many of their wines have done at the WineGB awards. Non-alcoholic options were also available for those who prefer. The experience felt relaxed — there was no rush to get through the samples, and the host answered our questions and genuinely wanted to know our thoughts. It was also a good reminder that Cornwall’s food and drink scene extends well beyond its famous seafood restaurants. Savouring a locally produced wine while looking across the vineyard felt like a very fitting way to spend the wild autumn afternoon.While wine production is seasonal, the tastings are not. Experiences are bookable throughout the year, making it the perfect place to enjoy both a pale rosé on a hot July day or a red wine on a cosy December evening.Trevibban Mill Cornish Vineyard & Orchards tastings start from £17.50, without snacksDinner at Barnaby’sAfter the vineyard tour, we didn’t have far to go for dinner. Barnaby’s is a cosy, Michelin-recommended restaurant located by Trevibban Mill.Nestled among the vines, it’s an easy place to tag onto a visit to the vineyard, but it is also worth visiting on its own accord. And if you’ve developed a taste for any of the drinks sampled during your tasting, Trevibban Mill wines and ciders are also available at the restaurant.Barnaby’s describes its food as a seasonal selection from land and sea, and its sharing plates are perfect for social dinners. Rather than everyone ordering a single main, we ordered a mix of dishes for the table.At the time of the visit, scallops with fermented chilli butter and nigella seeds were on the menu, which paired sweet, delicate scallops with a punchy butter. A succulent confit duck leg with plum sauce and khmeli suneli was also a highlight.For something more substantial, the ribeye came with baharat butter and almonds, and we picked a selection of sides, including St Kew cucumber served with sesame and almond, and flavourful crushed spiced potatoes.The meal was relaxed yet elevated, suiting the welcoming setting. Barnaby’s has a laid-back feel rather than being a formal fine-dining restaurant, and the menu makes the most of both local produce and bold flavours.Barnaby’s has a rotating menu and is available to book hereBarnaby’s features a rotating menu | JAMES MASON PHOTOGRAPHY / POLESTARScallops with fermented chilli butter and nigella seeds were a highlight | JAMES MASON PHOTOGRAPHY / POLESTARSurfing and sauna at Harlyn BayYou can’t visit Cornwall without a trip to one of its award-winning beaches, and we settled on a trip to Harlyn Bay. The beach is consistently commended for its excellent water quality, making it the perfect place to get slightly more adventurous in the sea.During our morning, we took part in a beginner surfing lesson, followed by time in a beachside sauna.The lesson was led by expert Alex Ashen at Nomad Surf and Lucy Campbell (an eight-time national women’s surfing champion who has represented Great Britain internationally), so we novices were in good hands.The water was perfect for beginners, we were told, but the sport was still as challenging as it looks. Thankfully, we were always given plenty of guidance and support by the instructors, and if you are keen to get involved during your shoulder season trip, there are plenty of surf schools on the beach to book a lesson with.Being in the water at Harlyn Bay with the beach and coastline around us was an experience to remember. We were sceptical when told the sea is the perfect temperature in autumn, but, to our surprise, it really didn’t feel too cold at all in our wetsuits.After quickly drying off, we headed straight to Saunas by the Sea to shelter from the wind that was starting to pick up. The hand-built sauna has large windows looking towards the coast, which would make it a great way to enjoy the beach’s breathtaking views on particularly cold days.Others in the sauna choose to throw themselves into nature by jumping between the warmth of the sauna and a cold plunge into the sea, but we weren’t quite so brave.No trip to Cornwall is complete without giving surfing a go | JAMES MASON PHOTOGRAPHY / POLESTARWe visited the award-winning Haryln Bay, Cornwall | GETTYForaging around Harlyn BayOnce fully dried off, we continued our submersion into the beauty of Cornwall’s nature, this time with foraging expert Stuart Woodman. Rather than simply walking along to the coast, we were encouraged to look much more closely at what was growing around us.Stuart has been teaching foraging in Cornwall and Devon for more than 10 years, and his knowledge made it easy to see the landscape in a completely different way. He explained how to identify what can be safely gathered and eaten.This was particularly useful when we came across nettles. Being shown that you can actually pick them up without getting hurt brought back memories of childhood nettle stings and how many of these could have been avoided.Learning that dandelions are far more than just a weed was another revelation. In fact, later that day, they were turned into a delicious, caffeine-free coffee that we sipped on for the rest of the trip. Stuart talked through seasonal wild plants, seaweeds and other forageable ingredients, explaining how they can be used in everyday cooking.It completely changed the way we look at the British landscape. Plants and weeds that we would normally have walked straight past suddenly became potential ingredients for delicious snacks, drinks, and garnishes. Booking onto a foraging walk is not an activity we have considered before, but it was a great alternative way to spend an afternoon that we would recommend to others.One of the best parts came later, when some of the ingredients we had found were turned into a delicious meal prepared by Stuart and his team. It felt like a fitting way to finish a trip focused on Cornwall’s landscape and food. Rather than simply visiting restaurants and beaches, we got to appreciate and understand the nature around us.Cornwall Foraging group foraging walks with Stuart start from £15pp, with private walks from £45. Private dining prices available upon requestStuart has been teaching foraging in Cornwall and Devon for more than 10 years | JAMES MASON PHOTOGRAPHY / POLESTARStuart helped prepare a meal from the foraged ingredients | JAMES MASON PHOTOGRAPHY / POLESTARWhere to stayRockabye by Cornish Gems Luxury ExperiencesThe restored barn, which sleeps up to 14 people, sits in the countryside just outside Wadebridge, with views towards the Camel Estuary and Padstow. From the moment we arrived, it was clear to see the home is designed for switching off. It combines traditional features, such as the barn’s original beams, with more contemporary artwork and homely decor. It is warm and cosy, with large windows bringing the surrounding countryside indoors and plenty of comfortable spaces to relax in.The open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area is the real heart of the property, while there is also a separate snug and garden room, featuring a pool table and bar. Outside, there is an EV charger, heated swimming pool, private tennis court and plenty of space to sit with a drink and take in the views. The primary bedroom also has doors opening onto a private terrace overlooking the estuary, which was particularly peaceful in the morning.Cornish Gems Luxury Experiences has a range of properties for all sizes and budgets, all with a focus on sustainability. Rockabye starts from approx. £6,000 in the low season to approx £10,700 in the high seasonRockabye is a spacious converted barn by Cornish Gems | JAMES MASON PHOTOGRAPHY / POLESTARThe stylish property sleeps 14 people | JAMES MASON PHOTOGRAPHY / POLESTARWe travelled from London to Cornwall in a Polestar 4 | JAMES MASON PHOTOGRAPHY / POLESTARGetting therePolestar 4Despite its popularity, Cornwall can be difficult to get to from many parts of the UK. Indeed, the 300-mile journey from London takes between five and six hours, whether travelling by train or car.So, understandably, we wanted to find the most comfortable way to make the trip. We were loaned a Polestar 4, which worked as a great test in this distance, with an advertised range of up to 366.6 miles. The car has a spacious cabin and smooth electric power that made the long drive feel relatively effortless, and the many customisations available were a nice touch – from different mood lighting, heated seat and back massage function. The dual-motor version we drove has all-wheel drive, 536bhp and 686Nm of torque, with a 0-60mph time of just 3.7 seconds.Finished in Magnesium with 20-inch Aero wheels, the car had a smart, understated appearance, while the Charcoal interior with Bridge of Weir leather added to its premium feel. One of the vehicle’s biggest quirks is that its back window is replaced by a camera, which allows extra room in the back seats. This was particularly useful when filling up the car with luggage. Having never owned an EV, we were curious to see just how well the charge worked on a journey of this length.We stopped once each way to recharge, and while the advertised range exceeded the miles of the trip, real-world range depends much more on driving conditions, speed, and temperature. On the journey to Cornwall, we topped the car up with about 40 miles of charge, and it was at three per cent upon arrival (down from 97 per cent). With some careful driving, the car might have made the entire route — but there was very little margin for detours or delays.We were surprised by the infrastructure for EVs on the route and around Cornwall, with plenty of fast chargers to choose from. The return journey also included one charging stop, with the car charging around 30 per cent in the time it took to pick up a coffee, so both journeys felt straightforward. The 100kWh battery claims to charge from 10 to 80 per cent in around 30 minutes, and while it didn’t work that quickly in our experience, making a well-timed coffee stop should be enough to add a useful amount of range. Overall, very little was lost visiting in the quieter periods compared to summer. In fact, mild temperatures with fewer crowds and lower prices could make autumn and winter one of the best times to visit Cornwall.