Only a mile or two from Penzance is St. Michael’s Mount, an island community connected to the mainland by a causeway:
For most of the day, the causeway is submerged. You have to look up the tide tables. The island becomes accessible for only about four hours every tide cycle.
On the island, there’s a picturesque little community:
I cheaped out and didn’t pay admission for the castle or gardens, but I enjoyed exploring the harbor. The boats are beached at low tide:
Leaning precariously out from the edge of the seawall, I could see a long strip of coast. You can almost picture selkies here:
Here’s more of those lovely cottages, most of which house expensive seaside-themed boutiques and cafes:
This community dates back a long, long time. I didn’t see the castle up close, so I don’t know much about it, but here it is, with some very old cottages in the foreground:
The population peaked in the 1700s at 211 people. I don’t know how many live there now.