THE delightful and laid-back St Mawes Hotel in a picturesque Cornish fishing village is a haven of tranquility, as IWAN GABE DAVIES found out on a recent visit.

NESTLED at the end of the Roseland Peninsula, on the other side of the Fal estuary from Falmouth, is the gorgeous spot of St Mawes.

On a stunning stretch of the Cornish coast it has, or is very near to, a number of top activities and attractions, quaint shops, cosy little pubs and a number of very decent dining options.

And if you fancy a little day trip, the passenger ferry to Falmouth takes just 20 minutes.

One of the best places to stay in town is the small, friendly and eminently comfortable St Mawes Hotel on the harbour.

Food is served in the bar or the chilled out Upper Deck, with its casual seating and log burning stove for cold winter evenings, making the hotel great fun to visit any time of the year.

And the outstanding breakfast is a real treat to savour.

On glorious summer evenings, the doors open on to the street to take in the sea air and relaxed vibe of a community that offers visitors a warm welcome to visitors.

The hotel is owned by Welsh motorsport supremo David Richards, ex-chairman of Aston Martin, and his wife Karen, who are also proprietors of the neighbouring The Idle Rocks hotel and restaurant just two minutes' walk away.

St Mawes is also home to other famous owners, with Olga Polizzi, mother of The Hotel Inspector's Alex, keeping the Hotel Tresanton just up the road.

And don't miss a visit to the excellent St Mawes Castle (www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/st-mawes-castle), one of the best-preserved of Henry VIII's coastal artillery fortresses, and the most elaborately decorated of them all.

It was one of the chain of forts built between 1539 and 1545 to counter successive invasion threats from Catholic France and Spain after Henry made the break with Rome.

With so much to do, the St Mawes Hotel is the perfect base for a truly memorable break.

• St Mawes Hotel, Harbourside, St Mawes, Cornwall, TR2 5DW, Telephone: 01326 270 170 (Reservations), 01326 270 266 (For all other enquiries), E-mail: stay@stmaweshotel.com, Website: www.stmaweshotel.com. Seasonal rates are available for all rooms throughout the year, starting from £145.