Devon & Cornwall Blue Badge Guide
Private Driver Guide in Cornwall — Escape South West
Expert private driver guiding across Cornwall with a Blue Badge Tourist Guide. Coastal villages, St Michael's Mount, Eden Project, Tintagel, and the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site — longer touring days, fully bespoke.
What is a Driver Guide in Cornwall?
Cornwall is a destination that rewards time and local knowledge. A private driver guide combines expert interpretation with comfortable, flexible transport — allowing you to explore the county at your own pace, following interest rather than rigid schedule.
Michelle McHale holds the Devon & Cornwall Blue Badge, the highest tourist guide qualification in the UK, and has spent years exploring Cornwall's coastlines, heritage sites, and lesser-known corners. She guides in both English and Spanish.
Cornwall: A County That Rewards the Longer Day
Cornwall extends over a hundred miles from the Tamar Bridge at its eastern edge to Land's End in the far west. Its character changes dramatically as you travel: from the green estuaries and fishing towns of the south coast, to the wild Atlantic cliffs of the north, to the ancient landscape of Penwith beyond Penzance.
Getting the most from Cornwall takes time and flexibility — both of which a private driver guide provides. Browse our travel optionsto decide how you'd like to explore.
The South Cornish Coast: Fowey, Polperro & the Harbours
The south Cornish coast is one of the most beautiful in England — a succession of deep, wooded estuaries, rocky headlands, and ancient fishing villages. Fowey carries the literary legacy of Daphne du Maurier and hosts the celebrated Book Festival that bears her name. Polperro, perhaps Cornwall's most photographed fishing village, has colour-washed cottages tumbling down to a pocket harbour. Mevagissey, Charlestown, and Looe each carry their own distinct maritime character.
These villages feature in many of our signature Cornwall itineraries.
St Michael's Mount & West Cornwall
St Michael's Mount, the tidal island castle rising from Mount's Bay near Marazion, is one of the most iconic sights in Cornwall. At low tide you walk across the granite causeway; at high tide the island rises dramatically from the sea. West Cornwall — Penzance, Mousehole, St Ives, the extraordinary Minack Theatre carved into the cliff face, and the standing stones of the Mên-an-Tol — is extraordinary in its compactness and variety.
Tintagel & the North Cornish Coast
The north Cornish coast is wilder and more dramatic than the south — battered by Atlantic swells, its cliffs carved into stacks and arches of extraordinary form. Tintagel, legendarily associated with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, sits on one of the most dramatic headlands in England. Boscastle, with its extraordinary harbour carved into the cliffs, and Padstow, a celebrated foodie destination at the mouth of the Camel Estuary, complete a remarkable northern arc.
The Eden Project & Cornwall's Mining Heritage
The Eden Project, set within a reclaimed china clay pit near St Austell, is one of the great environmental and horticultural projects of the 21st century — its biomes housing the largest captive rainforest on earth. It combines beautifully with the Lost Gardens of Heligan, just a short drive away, for an exceptional full day.
Cornwall's Cornish Mining World Heritage Site tells a deeper story: the county was the birthplace of hard-rock mining technology, and the engine houses along the clifftops above Botallack are extraordinary monuments to an industrial past that shaped the world. Enquire about a mining heritage itinerary.
Shore Excursions from Falmouth
Cruise passengers arriving at Falmouth are positioned at the heart of Cornwall's most rewarding touring country. I collect from the quayside, manage all timings around your ship's schedule, and ensure a comfortable, timely return. From Falmouth, the Eden Project, the Lizard Peninsula, St Michael's Mount, and the south Cornish coast are all within reach for a well-planned private day.
Credentials & Qualifications
Michelle holds the Blue Badge qualification for Devon and Cornwall — the highest award for a tourist guide in the UK, issued by the Institute of Tourist Guiding after rigorous independent examination. She guides in both English and Spanish. Read more on the about page.