Are you planning a trip to Cornwall and wondering how to visit St Michael’s Mount?
St Michael’s Mount is one of Cornwall’s most recognisable landmarks. Its an island just off the coast, topped with a medieval castle and church overlooking the harbour.
At low tide, you can walk across the ancient causeway from the mainland, making the journey to the island extra special. If the tide is up, you need to take a little boat across. Watching the causeway appear is part of the experience, so try to time your visit around the tides.
I visited St Michael’s Mount in early September, right after the summer bank holiday weekend. I took the little boat over to the island, explored the castle and gardens and walked back across the causeway. It was good to get the full experience.
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What is St Michael’s Mount
St Michael’s Mount is a tidal island in Mount’s Bay, around 500 metres offshore from Marazion on the south coast of Cornwall. The island stands about 60 metres above sea level, well, if you include the castle on top of the hill!
The island has been a religious site since the medieval period. It was granted to the Benedictine abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy in the late 11th century. A church was then built between 1135 and 1144.
The castle has been rebuilt and renovated over the centuries. What you see today dates from the 14th and 15th centuries, with additions in the Victorian period.
In 1548 King Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church and took church lands for the crown, including St Michael’s Mount. It later passed into private hands. The St Aubyn family bought it in 1659, and their descendants still live in part of the castle today. The National Trust took ownership in 1954, while the family retained a long lease.
Today, you can explore the castle, church, harbour and terraced subtropical gardens.
How to get to St Michael’s Mount
St Michael’s Mount is located just off the coast from the small town of Marazion on the south coast of Cornwall. The town is less than five miles from Penzance.
By road
The easiest way to get to St Michael’s Mount is to drive to Marazion. There is parking right on the coast just a short walk to the causeway over to the Mount. From the north, take the A30 towards Penzance, then at the Newtown roundabout, take Newtown Lane towards Marazion (you’ll see signs for St Michaels Mount).
If you’re coming from Penzance, take the A394 and either turn down Newtown Lane, or you can follow the coast along Longrock Road. I drove down Longrock Road and out through Newtown Lane, both were fine in my campervan.
Where to park at St Michael’s Mount (Marazion)
There are several large carparks along the coast. The closest is Folleyfield Long Stay carpark. If you’re driving a large vehicle, like a campervan or motorhome, there is a separate section to this carpark across the road for vehicles over 5.5m. Be warned that if you’re coming from the west, there is a tight left turn to get into this carpark.
I read several negative reviews on Google regarding payment issues at this carpark, but the machines were working fine when I was there. There are ANPR cameras to capture your registration when you enter, and you pay on exit. I paid £6.25 for 3.5 hours.
By train/bus
You can catch a train to Penzance, and then take the #2 bus in the direction of Porthleven/Helston which stops at Marazion.
On foot
If you’re walking the South West Coast Path, it passes through Marazion, so you can simply walk over the causeway or take the boat.
Understanding the St Michael’s Mount Tides
St Michael’s Mount is accessible on foot by walking over the causeway around 2 hours each side of low tide. So, you’ll have about four hours to walk over and visit the island before needing to head back.
Of course, the low tide time changes each day, so it’s important to check the tide times before your visit. When I visited, I arrived when the tide was high and noticed people who were wading across the causeway, but the middle was still knee-deep!
As the tide floods in, there are small boats to take people over to the island and back. The boats seat 12 passengers at a time and are uncovered. The boats may not run if the weather is bad and the sea is rough. The boat ride takes about 5 minutes and costs £3.20.
Note: The boats to St Michael’s Mount run between 15 March and 30 October. Check the notice boards on the mainland to see which of the three landing points the boat is leaving from.
Walking the causeway to St Michael’s Mount
One of the coolest things about St Michael’s Mount is getting there by walking on the ancient causeway. The causeway was originally built in 1425 to allow pilgrims to cross over to the island.
The causeway we walk on today has been built up over the years, with major reconstruction taking place after severe storms in 2014 washed parts of it away. The causeway is made of large granite cobblestones called setts which are held in place with concrete and metal pins.
The causeway is around 500m long and around 4m wide. I was surprised to see that some (authorised) vehicles make the crossing over to the island. It takes about 15 minutes to walk across, allowing time to stop for photos, and the crowds!
Things to do at St Michael’s Mount
The Castle
The St Michael’s Mount Castle sits atop the hill on the island. The Castle has been the home of the St Aubyn family since the middle of the 17th century, and some family members live there still.
You can visit several rooms of the castle which detail the history of the castle and the St Aubyn family. Some of the notable things to look out for is the coat of arms in the Entrance Hall, the accurate scale model of the Mount made of champagne corks (made by the butler who worked for the family for almost 50 years!) and the large collection of weapons and armour in the Garrison Room.
The views from the terraces back across to the mainland are fantastic. You will understand the strategic importance of the island from here, and why there are canons pointing back!
TIP: The path up to the castle is steep with steps and rough cobblestones. Make sure you wear good walking shoes!
St Michael’s Church
There is a small church within the castle, dedicated to St Michael. The church was built in 1135 and rebuilt in the 14th century. Sunday services are held here from May to September.
Don’t miss the small statue of St Michael defeating the devil.
St Michael’s Mount Gardens
Along terraces on the hillside were designed in 1878 and feature a surprising variety of plants that you would not expect to see in Britain, including cactus, aloe and other sub-tropical plants.
The gardens are only open for a few months in summer and a separate ticket is required. However, I was lucky and got chatting with the guard at the gate, and he let me go in!
The Impact of Storm Goretti
St Michael’s Mount was badly affected by Storm Goretti in January 2026.
The storm brought winds of up to around 112 mph (180 km/h) to the Mount and caused significant damage to the gardens, with around 80% of the tree cover lost. More than 100 mature trees were damaged or blown down.
However, the team has done an impressive job of clearing up the damage and making the Mount ready for visitors, and if you missed the signs, you might not even realise.
The Village
In addition to the St Aubyn family home (the castle!) there are several other dwellings on the island, along with an info centre, gift shop and a café. There’s a nice terrace by the café where you can sit and look back across the causeway to the town of Marazion.
How to visit St Michael’s Mount – Essential Information
St Michaels Mount Opening Times
The opening hours for St Michaels Mount vary throughout the year, depending on the seasons. During the summer season (1 May to 11 September in 2026) you can only access the island with a valid ticket to the castle or gardens. At other times of the year you can walk across the causeway at any time (tide permitting) to visit the island.
The castle is open Sunday to Friday 10am to 5pm from 15 March to 30 October. During winter the and gardens are closed.
The Garden is open Monday to Friday 10am – 5pm from 1 May to 4 September (in 2026)
For further information on opening times and hours, check the official St Michael’s Mount website.
Entry tickets for St Michael’s Mount
You can buy tickets on the day (subject to availability) but you will pay the highest price and may miss out, as St Michael’s Mount is very popular. If you book your ticket online, you will save money and ensure your entry.
When I visited St Michael’s Mount the ticket price for the Castle was £21 for an adult, but the advanced booking online price was £18. You can book online up to midnight the day before your visit. In addition, in summer 2026 the UK government had a “Visit Britain” scheme where part of the VAT on ticket prices was waived, and St Michael’s Mount passed on this saving. I paid £15.75.
You can also buy a ticket for the garden for £16 or a combined ticket for £37 (again, you will save money if you buy online.
If you are a member of National Trust, you can enter the castle and gardens for free.
Accessibility at St Michael’s Mount
St Michael’s Mount is not suitable for wheelchairs or baby prams (pushchairs). The paths are steep with steps and rough cobblestones. The causeway has large gaps between the stones where pram or wheelchair wheels could get stuck.
If you have an “off-road” wheelchair you can access the causeway and village. St Michael’s Mount have a tramper available for hire.
FAQs
When is the best time to visit St Michael’s Mount?
The best time to visit St Michael’s Mount isn’t necessarily about the best weather or season, rather about getting the tides right. For the full experience I’d recommend taking the boat one way and walking the causeway the other way.
Having said that, as the castle is still occupied by the St Aubyn family, it isn’t open year round, so you do want to take the season into consideration.
I visited the Mount on 2 September, right after the last summer bank holiday weekend. I thought it was crowded that day, but when I asked one of the guards, she laughed at me when I suggested it was busy today and said the weekend had been “mental”.
If you are planning to visit in the summer holidays, do make sure you book your ticket in advance.
How long do you need at St Michael’s Mount?
I spent about 3 hours over at the Mount, including taking the boat over, visiting the castle and walking back across the causeway. I felt that this was a good amount of time.
If you wanted to check out the gardens and have something to eat at the café, you could easily spend half a day here.
Can you take a dog to St Michael’s Mount?
Dogs are allowed onto St Michael’s Mount at certain times of the year, and at other times they are not allowed. In high summer dogs are not allowed on Marazion Beach.
When you can take your dog over to the island, they are only allowed in the village and the harbour, not into the castle or gardens.
If you have an assistance dog, it is permitted in all areas of St Michael’s Mount at any time they are open.
Can you stay on St Michael’s Mount?
No. There is no accommodation on St Michael’s Mount itself. The closest places to stay to St Michael’s Mount are Marazion and Penzance. You’ll find a much better range of accommodation in Penzance.
If you’re travelling around Cornwall in a campervan, the best spot to stay close by is at Praa Sands. There are a couple of carparks right on the beach that allow overnight parking (rare in Cornwall!). Expect to pay £15 per night.
Is St Michael’s Mount worth visiting?
I was really excited to walk over the causeway to visit St Michael’s Mount. I was not disappointed. I was very surprised at how quickly the tide went out and the causeway was exposed.
What I didn’t expect was how much I would enjoy visiting the castle. Nigel and I often say castles are more interesting to see from the outside. To be honest, I only bought the ticket as that was the only way onto the island at the time of year I was visiting.
However, I really enjoyed seeing the inside of the castle, especially some of the quirky things like the scale model made of champagne corks and the sculpture of St Michael defeating Satan.
Even despite the crowds, I definitely rate St Michael’s Mount as somewhere worth visiting.
Watch our Cornwall Travel Film
While Nigel was away at work, I spent a couple of weeks exploring Cornwall. Here’s the first of two Cornwall travel vlogs I produced.
Where to next?
Continue your journey through Cornwall to Land’s End. I thought it was a total tourist trap, but you really need to stand on the most south-western spot in Britain, right?
Then continue up the north coast of Cornwall to search for King Arthur at Tintagel.
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