A Cornish Welcome at the Elmsdale Guesthouse 

I arrived in Penzance expecting a typical Victorian guesthouse - sweet, tidy, perhaps a little old-fashioned around the edges. But Clare’s Elmsdale Guesthouse proved to be anything but typical. From the street, it looked quaint, unassuming even, yet once I stepped inside, it unfurled like Mary Poppins’ magical carpetbag. As I walked, it led deeper into an unexpectedly spacious world. 

And then there was the smell. A soft, summery aroma floated through the corridor, drifting from room to room like a warm breeze. Clare told me it came from a local brand, The St. Ives Co. - sister-run, naturally. Somehow, that made it smell even nicer. 

Before I could comment on the space, or the scent, or the fact that her two furry co-hosts, Clemmy and Peaches, were already trotting over to inspect me, Clare offered the magic words: “Fancy a cuppa?” 

Did I ever. 

Posh Coffs & Cornish Tales 

I accepted Clare’s offer of a cappuccino - a “posh coff,” as my family and I called anything not ladled from an instant-coffee jar - and soon found myself perched in the bay window, sinking into a plush cushion that practically sighed under me. Clare brought freshly made scones as though this were the most natural thing in the world. Honestly, if she had also produced a miniature harpist, I wouldn’t have been surprised. 

The living and dining room glowed with the kind of cosiness that made you wonder whether you could, in fact, just live there forever. Clare chatted with me in that perfectly warm host way: lingering when conversation blossomed, drifting back to her homely kitchen when I needed a quiet moment. It felt like staying with a friend - one who made exceptional coffee and refused to let you go hungry. 

She told me how she came to own the guesthouse during the week COVID reached the UK’s shores - a plot twist no businesswoman would ever write for herself. Yet somehow, she navigated it. She beat the odds. And now her guesthouse thrives, with Macs beyond proud to partner with her. 

A Rest I Definitely Earned 

Eventually, I made my way to my room, where the bed called to me with such gentle insistence that I had no choice but to obey. After a long day of sea air filling my lungs, salty breezes rearranging my hair, and sunlight warming every inch of exposed skin, I had earned a nap. And a hot shower. And possibly an award for enduring the elements so gracefully. 

I settled for the nap. 

A Dinner Worth Dancing Over 

One of the best perks of staying at a local guesthouse? The real recommendations. None of that generic “here’s what tourists like” nonsense. 

I barely managed to ask Clare where she’d go for dinner before she answered: “Mackerel Sky.” A favourite haunt, and soon to be one of mine too. 

They didn’t take reservations, which added a thrilling sense of destiny. But luck was on my side - one last outdoor table, drenched in the final golden streaks of the day, waited for me as though placed there by a seafood deity. 

The tapas-style plates made it impossible not to order a selection (my preferred style of eating: “picky bits”). I devoured grilled samphire, mackerel with beetroot and horseradish - because really, who goes to Mackerel Sky and doesn’t order the mackerel? - and a panko monkfish burger with seaweed aioli. These chefs weren’t just cooks; they were alchemists. At one point, I did a happy dance in my seat. I resisted the urge to lick the plate. Public decency prevailed… barely. 

Morning Bliss: Posh Coff Round Two 

The next morning greeted me with the smell of a fresh breakfast drifting up the stairs. I had pre-ordered poached eggs and bacon on toast (and, naturally, another posh coff), and Clemmy and Peaches curled themselves into perfect, fluffy croissant shapes on the sofa beside me. I snagged a few goodbye cuddles from them before gathering my things. 

A Place I Didn’t Want to Leave 

Staying at Elmsdale felt like slipping into a storybook - one filled with the kind of characters you grow fond of instantly: a warm, capable host, two affectionate furry sidekicks, and a house that instantly felt like home. 

For anyone walking the South West Coast Path from St Ives to Penzance, a night at Elmsdale Guesthouse isn’t just a stopover. It’s a treat - a warm Cornish welcome, a brilliant night’s rest, and a chance to support a wonderful local business doing things right. 

And if you want to know Clare and her magical guesthouse even better, just click the video below. The story only gets sweeter from there.