18 Egg-citing Things to Do in Cornwall this Easter

Fill your baskets with chocolate treats on Easter egg hunts and join in awesome activities across Cornwall during the Easter holidays. Cornwall’s sub-tropical climate means that early spring is often blessed with unseasonably warm weather, which is perfect for picnics on the beach or the cliff-tops, exploring woodland and gardens, hitting the waves and enjoying Easter-themed fun at plenty of Cornwall’s top attractions.

Here are 18 egg-citing things to do in Cornwall this Easter.

[Article Updated Feb 2023]

1. Try Traditional Easter Egg Rolling

Decorated eggs have been rolled down Duke Street in Padstow on Easter Sunday morning for as long as anyone can remember. Bring your own hard-boiled egg and join in this traditional Easter event that provides fun for families and is an important fundraiser for the RNLI.

2. Go on an Easter Egg Hunt at Lanhydrock

Families will love the Easter trails around the stunning National Trust gardens and estates throughout the Easter period. Our favourite spot local to Padstow is Lanhydrock, where you can hunt for clues through the magnolias, camellias and rhododendrons to win your chocolate egg reward.

3. Walk off your Easter Feast

Before the scorching days of summer arrive, Easter is also the perfect time to put a spring in your step and strike out along the South West Coast Path – where you’ll encounter all sorts of wildlife and gob-smacking scenery from your holiday cottage in Padstow. 

4. Go Alpaca Trekking on Bodmin Moor

For something completely different, swap Easter bunnies for Alpaca trekking. Not only do you get to experience Cornwall’s rolling moorland with your fluffy companion, you’ll also get a delicious cream tea at the end of the trek. Booking essential.

5. Go On An Adventure Quest at Pendennis Castle

Families will love this cracking adventure quest around Pendennis Castle – the picturesque Tudor castle overlooking the water in Falmouth. Hunt for clues and challenges, and discover traditional Easter games like egg rolling and the egg and spoon race. Kids can track down the Easter eggs and be rewarded with a chocolate treat and an adventurer’s certificate.

6. Hit the Waves

While the water’s still bracing from the winter chill, the line-ups are less busy – making Easter the perfect time to surf while the waves are less crowded. Head to a local surf school such as KingSurf in Mawgan Porth and Waves in Harlyn, and with toastie, high-tech wetsuits and all the accessories you need to keep you warm, you’ll be king of the waves in no time.

7. Catch a Family-Friendly Show at the Minack Theatre

Take a seat in the wave’s edge amphitheatre for a theatre spectacle like no other. This Easter at the Minack Theatre you can enjoy the riotous remaining of the legend of Corman the giant, in a family-friendly production in this famous location. 

8. Dine Out for Easter Lunch

Visitors should book early to dine at one of the many fine restaurants in and around Padstow over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. This is a particularly busy weekend for the restaurants, cafés and pubs, which will put on Easter Sunday lunches. For something really special try Greens of Padstow or the Cornish Arms in St Merryn. Or explore further afield and treat yourself to lunch at Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen in Port Isaac.

9. Join a Pirate Crew

Join the Pirate Academy at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, and find out what is was like to be part of the buccaneer area back in the golden age of piracy. Don a pirate costume with Rattlebox Theatre, make pirate accessories and join in the museum trail, alongside other hands-on maritime adventures.

10. Experience Easter at Eden

Take part in a host of indoor and outdoor games and activities for all ages at the Eden Project this Easter. Collect your Easter activity pack, loaded with adventures for the whole family to enjoy and get stuck into games designed to help you explore the great outdoors and witness all the beautiful signs of spring.

11. Listen to Music at the St Endellion Easter Festival

Tune into classical music and talks at the St Endellion Easter Festival in the beautiful setting of the 15th century Collegiate Church of St Endelienta. This year the programme includes performances of Elgar’s classic Dream of Gerontius as well late-night concerts with a more contemporary flavour. 

12. Visit Spring Animals on a Farm

Kids love seeing cute Easter animals such as lambs, chicks and bunnies and there are plenty of farms around where you can see and even stroke these springtime creatures. The best place to visit in the Padstow area is Old Macdonald’s Farm near Porthcothan Bay – a family-friendly visitor attraction where children can pet and feed animals, enjoy pony rides, take a spin on the pedal kart track or ride a miniature train.

13. Spring Into Nature at Newquay Zoo

Stroll from the African Savannah to Madagascar and enjoy close encounters with over 100 species of wildlife from all over the world at Newquay Zoo. Kids will love learning about creatures large and small, watching hands-on feeding sessions and zookeeper talks, and following an Easter-themed treasure trail. 

14. Get Active on a Coasteering Adventure

Be prepared for your knees to wobble and your heart to pound as you swim through gulleys, ride whirlpools, explore sea caves and jump into the sea from the cliffs. Cornish Rock Tors run coasteering trips for all ages and abilities, from easygoing routes for first-time families, to power coasteers (with the aid of a RIB boat) for extreme adrenaline junkies.

15. Hit the Cycle Trails

There are a few better ways to explore the beautiful Cornish countryside than on two wheels. For families, there are numerous safe, off-road trails to enjoy in Cornwall, including the Camel Trail between Padstow and Wadebridge, the Bissoe Trail between Devoran and Portreath and mountain bike trails in Cardinham Woods.

16. Celebrate with Easter Fun at Wheal Martyn

Head to St Austell’s china clay mining museum for a range of fun-packed hands-on activities that will get you creating, making and painting. Celebrate spring, delve into Cornwall’s mining history and take home an Easter-themed memento from your visit to the Wheal Martyn attraction. 

17. Have a Thrilling Time at a Theme Park

For a thrilling day out, families should check out Camel Creek Adventure Park near Wadebridge, where kids can enjoy exciting rides, an indoor play area, animal attractions and Easter activities. Meanwhile, Flambards in Helston offers guests some hair-raising rides and daily ‘Explosive Easter’ shows where madcap ‘scientists’ stage a series of explosive fun experiments.

18. Explore the Beach

Cornish beaches are magical places to spend some time, no matter what the weather. If it’s sunny and warm you can spend long days stretched out on the sand and exploring rock pools, or try a bracing dip come rain or shine. The RNLI lifeguard service in operation from the Easter holidays, and we have some of the best beaches here in the Padstow area. Local favourites include Harlyn, Constantine and Treyarnon.

Book Your Easter Holiday Accommodation

Whether you’re looking for a large family cottage or a cosy bolthole for two, we offer a huge range of self-catering accommodation for a stylish Easter holiday by the seaside in Cornwall. All of our properties are fully decked out with mod cons for all ages, and well-equipped kitchens ready to roast your spring lamb with all the trimmings. 

Please use the availability search on our main property page to find your perfect holiday home or cottage in or near Padstow.