Short answer: Take the ferry to Polruan, walk the Hall Walk back around the creek, then spend the afternoon in Fowey's lanes — out of season the town empties and turns into one of Cornwall's best quiet weekends for two.
Fowey in August is boats and bustle. Fowey in November is the same deep-water harbour, the same stacked pastel town, with the volume turned right down — and it's small enough that a quiet day here feels intimate rather than shut. If you're choosing a Cornish town for two between autumn and spring, this is a strong pick.
The Polruan ferry runs year-round and is the whole experience in miniature: five minutes across the harbour mouth for pocket change, arriving in a village most visitors never reach. From Polruan, the Hall Walk loops around Pont Pill creek to Bodinnick and its ferry back — roughly four miles of estuary views, best done at an amble with a pause on every bench. In winter, pick the ferry times up on the day; the crossing runs to a shorter day than in summer.
Walk out to Readymoney Cove — twenty minutes from the town centre — for the small beach and St Catherine's Castle above it. In winter you'll likely have it to yourselves, which is the entire point of coming now.
Fowey is steep and cobbled — bring proper shoes, not town ones. A handful of places close entirely for a winter break in January; the town doesn't die, but the choice narrows midweek. Park at the top and walk down; driving to the quay is a mistake in any season. The Fowey guide has the rest.
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