Short answer: The Marazion seafront is the easy part: tarmac car parks, a ramp at the Godolphin and a pavement to the marsh. The causeway is wet and cobbled and reached over soft sand, though the Mount says all-terrain wheelchairs and pushchairs can cross. Neither can reach the castle summit. The Mount offers a bookable Tramper scooter and admits wheelchair users free.
Marazion is easier than it looks on a map and harder than it looks on a postcard. The seafront is flat and the parking is close, but the thing everyone comes for, St Michael's Mount, is reached by a cobbled tidal causeway and a steep island. This guide works through the route from car park to causeway to cafe, and says plainly where wheels and buggies stop.
The Mount's access page says there are 20 marked disabled bays in the Visitor and Long Stay Marazion car park (Follyfield, TR17 0EG), and that Blue Badge holders and National Trust members must pay to park. It mentions no drop-off arrangement. A public footpath along the seafront takes about 10 minutes to the causeway. The long stay tariff is £2.50 for the first hour, then 75p for each extra 30 minutes up to six hours, and the car park uses ANPR cameras.
Cornwall Council's Marazion Station car park at Long Rock (TR17 0AA) has 136 spaces and is open 24 hours. The council says to display a valid Blue Badge with the clock set, and that you pay the normal fee unless your vehicle is registered under its exemption scheme. Charges are £2.50 up to an hour, £5.10 for one to two hours and £7.50 for two to four hours from 9am to 6pm, and it is free from midnight to 9am. The council page does not say how many accessible bays there are, so ring the Mount or the council if the bay matters. The RSPB says public toilets are at the station car park. Our Marazion parking guide covers the rest.
The seafront by the slipway is where the short stay car parks, the Godolphin and Chapel Rock Café meet the beach, and it is the flattest part of town. The Godolphin is listed by CAMRA with wheelchair access to its lower level via a ramp. Chapel Rock Café has a downstairs seating area, and its upstairs lounge, with the view, is up stairs. Ask about the entrance when you ring. Jordan's Cafe stands in the station car park beside the beach. For where to eat with a pushchair see our baby-friendly cafes guide.
RSPB Marazion Marsh has two viewing areas, one along the seafront pavement overlooking the pools and reedbeds. The RSPB says a car park within 100 metres is suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs, and asks you to contact the reserve for surface details. The reserve has no toilets and the nearest baby-changing is in Penzance. Starlings roost there in some years between October and December and can be watched at dusk.
The Mount's access page says all-terrain wheelchairs and pushchairs can be taken over, but the route from the car park crosses soft, sandy beach, and the causeway itself is wet, uneven and cobbled, so it can be very difficult and uncomfortable. The Mount says the crossing takes about 15 minutes on foot. Cross only during opening times. From 8 November there are no boats, so you cannot plan a boat home. The island also closes to visitors in high winds and poor sea conditions, so check the Mount's notices on the day.
The Mount says wheelchairs and pushchairs cannot reach the summit: the cobbled paths are steep, slippery and uneven, and some sections have no handrails. There is a pushchair park opposite the Mount Shop. What you can do: the harbour, village, shops and Island Café. Ramps are available on request at the shop and Island Café entrances, accessible toilets are on the east side of the island next to the café and on the Harbour Front, and the island lawn is wheelchair accessible in spring and summer. Wheelchair users are admitted free and should tell the Mount in advance so arrival and departure can be planned, and carers are free too.
The island also hires a Tramper, an all-terrain mobility scooter. You book in advance with the Change House (changehouse@stmichaelsmount.co.uk or 01736 710265), only one booking per day is taken, allocation is first come first served, and you collect it from the Change House by the island entrance. Ask when you book whether it is available on your winter date. The Mount publishes an accessibility guide on its access page. Our limited mobility guide to the Mount and pushchair and toddler guide go into detail.
Yes, and many people choose it. From the Godolphin's window, the front by Chapel Rock, or the seafront pavement towards the marsh you get the full view with no cobbles.
Both. There are no boats from 8 November, so the causeway is the only way, and its opening and closing times move with the tide every day. On the plus side, the island is far quieter and the Mount says access to the harbour, village, café and shops is free from 14 September to 30 April during opening hours. Assistance dogs are welcome on all parts of the island, including the castle, and the Mount asks you to email enquiries@stmichaelsmount.co.uk before your visit. Last entry to the castle and garden is an hour and a quarter before the causeway closes, but that matters only if you plan to climb.
CAMRA lists First Kernow route U4 near the Square, A2 and U4 near the Fire Engine, and service 2 near the Godolphin. Check current timetables, and see our Marazion without a car guide. Penzance has the main station.
The Mount: enquiries@stmichaelsmount.co.uk for anything about wheelchairs or ramps, the Change House for the Tramper, or the ticket line on 01736 887822 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm). The Godolphin: 01736 888510. Access changes with the season and the sea, so ask on the day if the whole trip hangs on it.
The Mount says all-terrain wheelchairs and pushchairs can cross, but the route from the car park crosses soft sand and the causeway is wet, uneven and cobbled, so it can be very difficult.
No. The Mount says wheelchairs and pushchairs cannot reach the summit and the paths are steep and cobbled. A pushchair park is opposite the Mount Shop.
The Mount hires an all-terrain Tramper. Book in advance with the Change House, one booking per day, first come first served, and collect it from the Change House.
Yes, unless registered. The Mount says Blue Badge holders must pay in its car parks, and at the council's Marazion Station car park you pay the normal fee unless your vehicle is registered under Cornwall Council's exemption scheme.
The Mount has accessible toilets on its east side next to the Island Café and on the Harbour Front. The RSPB says public toilets are at the Marazion station car park.
Times, prices and dates are the businesses' and organisers' to change, so check before you travel. Spotted something we've got wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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