One Atlantic Watch - Fun Days Out

St Michael's Mount is a tidal island in Mount's Bay, near Penzance, linked to Marazion by a causeway of granite setts. At low tide you can walk across; when the tide is in, ferry boats run instead. On the island you'll find a historic village with cobbled streets, a harbour, shops, a café and a restaurant, all beneath the ramparts of the castle.

The castle has been home to the St Aubyn family since around 1650, and its history stretches back to pilgrims and monks. Climb to the summit for panoramic views across Mount's Bay from the battlements. There are also terraced subtropical gardens, and the Steward's House Art Gallery, which shows Newlyn School paintings of everyday life in west Cornwall. It is a good choice for anyone who enjoys history, views and a bit of a journey.

Tip: Check the causeway times when you book, as they decide whether you walk across or take a boat from the mainland.

Newquay Zoo is a 13-acre zoo and garden site in Trenance Leisure Park, in the middle of Newquay. It is the largest zoo in Cornwall, and its planted grounds have won a Britain in Bloom Gold award. Visitors can see hundreds of species, including lynx, penguins, otters, zebras, sloths and meerkats, in a mix of indoor and outdoor habitats.

There are keeper talks and live feeds, an outdoor play area near the meerkats and the Tarzan Trail behind the Savannah. Café Lemur, seasonal food outlets and plenty of picnic benches and lawns make it easy to stay for a while. Reviewers describe it as a smaller zoo that is good for young children who can't manage long distances, and a few hours is a typical visit. Some development work is under way, so parts may be temporarily closed.

Tip: Check the zoo's website for current opening times, ticket offers and parking details before you go, as these can change.

Tate St Ives is an art gallery in the Cornish town of St Ives, looking over Porthmeor Beach. It shows work by artists linked to St Ives and West Cornwall, including Barbara Hepworth, Marlow Moss, Naum Gabo and Patrick Heron. Displays from the Tate collection sit alongside modern and contemporary art from around the world in a changing exhibitions programme.

The building was built on the site of an old gasworks and was extended in 2017. There is a shop, and the Sea View Cafe and Bar looks out over the beach. A separate Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, her former home, studio and garden, is also run by Tate and needs its own ticket. It is within walking distance of the gallery.

Tip: The gallery has no car park and St Ives has narrow streets and limited parking, so consider the St Erth Park and Ride and its short train ride into town.

This was Barbara Hepworth's home and workplace in St Ives from 1949 until her death in 1975. Her living room is furnished as she left it, and the workshop is still full of her tools, materials and part-worked pieces. Photographs show the progress of her Festival of Britain commission, Contrapuntal Forms.

The secluded garden is the main draw. Hepworth laid it out with her friend, the composer Priaulx Rainier, and most of the bronzes stand where she placed them herself. It holds the largest collection of her works on permanent display. An audio story player helps you explore her life and work, and the museum is within walking distance of St Ives town centre and Porthmeor beach.

Tip: There is no car park, so leave the car behind and use the St Erth Park and Ride or the Trenwith car park shuttle bus. Booking ahead is recommended as tickets are limited.

The Leach Pottery in St Ives was founded by Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada. Its buildings grew from an old cow and tin-ore shed into a pottery, and it was reopened to the public in 2008 after a restoration that kept the original buildings and added an exhibition space and shop.

There are two exhibition areas. The Entrance Gallery shows work by Bernard Leach, Janet Leach, David Leach, Shoji Hamada, William Marshall, Michael Cardew and Kenneth Quick, while the Cube Gallery has a changing exhibition. Look out for the story of the Japanese climbing kiln, the first of its kind in the western world. The pottery also has a shop, and the website lists courses and workshops for anyone who fancies learning more about making pots.

Tip: If you have access needs, contact the pottery before you visit so they can help plan your trip.

The Minack is an open-air theatre at Porthcurno in Cornwall, about four miles from Land's End. It is built above a gully, with a rocky granite outcrop jutting into the sea, and it appears in many lists of the world's most spectacular theatres. Each year it stages its own productions and hosts visiting companies, with a wide range of music and theatre.

The story behind it is part of the appeal. Rowena Cade bought the land at Minack Point and, with her gardener and friends, built the theatre over many years, after The Tempest was first staged in her cliff garden in 1932. The theatre is open to visitors as well as audiences, so you can see the setting even if you are not catching a show.

Land's End is a headland and tourist complex at the western end of the A30 on the Penwith peninsula, about eight miles west-south-west of Penzance. It is the most westerly point of mainland England and the most south-westerly point in Great Britain, with the English Channel to the east and the Celtic Sea to the west.

The granite cliffs are the main draw, and the area is a popular spot for rock climbers. You can look out to the Longships, a group of rocky islets just over a mile offshore. The complex has children's playgrounds, and twice a week in August a night-time firework show called Magic in the Skies is held. The area is also designated an Important Plant Area for rare flora, and it is the traditional start or finish of end-to-end journeys with John o' Groats.

Tip: The actual Land's End headland is about 200 yards north of the main tourist complex, so make sure you walk over to see it.

Levant is a National Trust site on the cliffs of Cornwall's Tin Coast, part of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site. Its restored 1840 beam engine still runs on steam, and it is the last Cornish winding engine of its kind still in steam. Visits are by guided tour, taking in the engine house, the old mine buildings and the Man Engine Tunnel, where a disaster in 1919 claimed 31 lives.

The mine once ran tunnels out under the sea, which earned it the nickname "mine under the sea". A family tour offers a more interactive take on Cornish mining. Outside, the South West Coast Path runs along the clifftops past the mining ruins, and you may spot the rare Cornish chough. It suits history fans, walkers and families, though the routes are steep and uneven.

Tip: Book your tour in advance, as entry is by guided tour only. Parking is free at nearby Geevor Mine (sat nav TR19 7EW).