The Cornwall seaside town 'as good as St Ives' but less packed in the summer

With its five beaches, bustling port, thriving arts and literary scene, and abundance of independent shops and book stores, this Cornish seaside town offers everything its hugely popular rival St Ives does but without being completely overrun by tourists in the summer months.

St Ives's popularity, especially during peak season, means it can experience significant crowds, especially in the narrow streets and surrounding areas. Parking can also be difficult to find. Because of its smaller size it can become very busy, with some visitors even describing it as "horribly overcrowded". Falmouth, while also a popular destination, is larger and much less likely to be as packed.

In fact, one local mum said: "Falmouth is fun. It's not a small village, so it gets nowhere near as packed and busy as St Ives in the summer. I live in Cornwall but rarely go to St Ives in the summer. It can be hell."

Another commentator on added: "At least Falmouth hasn't lost whole streets of houses to tourism."

Falmouth has two universities and students who bring bars and nightlife, but in the summer, most of the students have gone home. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is based there, and cruise ships call regularly. There is also the National Maritime Museum.

The five main beaches, starting next to Pendennis Castle in Falmouth, mean there is sunbathing and sandcastle space for everyone. Moving along the coast towards the Helford River are Castle, Tunnel, Gyllyngvase, Swanpool, and Maenporth beaches.

The opened in February 2003. The building was designed by the architect M. J. Long and is definitely worth a visit.

Falmouth has many literary connections, like St Ives. The town was the birthplace of Toad, Mole and Rat: Kenneth Grahame's classic The Wind in the Willows began as a series of letters sent to his son. The first two were written at the Greenbank Hotel in Falmouth whilst Grahame was a guest in May 1907. Reproductions of the letters are currently on display in the hotel. Poldark author Winston Graham knew the town well and set his novel The Forgotten Story (1945) in Falmouth.

The town has been the setting for several films and television programmes. British film star Will Hay was a familiar face in Falmouth in 1935 whilst filming his comedy Windbag the Sailor. The film had many scenes of the dock area. The dock area was featured in some scenes with John Mills for the 1948 film Scott of the Antarctic. The 1950 Walt Disney film Treasure Island was filmed along the River Fal, while stars from the BBC TV serial The Onedin Line stayed in the town during filming in the late 1970s. More recently, Paramount Pictures filmed parts of the film World War Z starring Brad Pitt in Falmouth Docks.

Falmouth is home to many theatre groups, including Falmouth Theatre Company, Falmouth Young Generation and Amity Theatre. Falmouth Theatre Company, also known as FTC, is the oldest local company with performances dating back to 1927. The town boast an art house cinema and frequent art exhibitions.

As the largest port in Cornwall, it also boasts the third deepest natural harbour in the world, and the deepest in Western Europe. It has been the start or finish point of various round-the-world record-breaking voyages, such as those of Robin Knox-Johnston and Dame Ellen MacArthur.

Falmouth is a terminus of the A39 connecting to Bath some 180 miles (290 km) distant although such a route has now been surpassed by the A303, A37 and A367. The A39 connects Falmouth with the A30 via Truro. The A30 provides a fast link between Falmouth and the M5 motorway at Exeter 98 miles (160 km) to the northeast.

Falmouth has three railway stations compared to just one active station at St Ives. It is also quicker to get to Falmouth from London by train than St Ives. The fastest trains from London to Falmouth Town can take as little as 4 hours and 37 minutes. While trains to St Ives can take as fast as 5 hours and 17 minutes, the average is closer to 8 hours and 25 minutes.