The Helford is a hive of activity in the Spring time with an abundance of birdlife and fish to look out for. There’s rumours that basking sharks are on their way to Falmouth Bay so we might be lucky and get a glimpse from the mouth of the river. At this time if the year the river is so quiet and so dolphins have swum up the river and seals, meanwhile the creeks are a hive of activity with nesting birdlife. Here’s what you might see this Spring on the Helford River and creeks: Heron Herons – with a massive wing span of upto 195cm!!! Whilst their feathers are grey, their beaks (yellow, black a ..read more

The Budock Vean, Koru and Helford River Cruises have created a series of summer evening events that coincide with high tides so customers can enjoy Pizza and drinks down at the hotel foreshore after a boat or kayak trip. You can also join us after day out in Cornwall or relaxing at the hotel. Ticket is £6 per person and includes a drink on arrival. Pizzas are £15.80 and can be selected when booking your ticket. Here are the 2024 dates: Tuesday 4th June Friday 5th July Saturday 20th July Thursday 1st August Saturday 17th August Friday 30th August High Tide Pizza Gatherings At ..read more

We’re looking forward to relaunching on Friday 29th March from Budock Vean Hotel and enjoying taking in the delights of the Helford River and creeks with you this year. With its ancient oak lined banks, forgotten shipwrecks, grand houses, fishing villages and secluded beaches there’s always a story to uncover. \Then there’s the abundance of wildlife we see unfurling throughout the season in this stunning area of outstanding beauty. We have encountered dolphins, seals, little egrets, kingfishers and soaring kestrels to name a few! You can even enjoy a coffee, pasty or ice cream at The Koru Cafe ..read more

Come and enjoy one of Cornwall’s summer traditions. Each village on the Helford hosts a Regatta where locals will come together and compete in events like the Dad’s rowing boat race, kayaking race, swimming races. It’s a greta spectator sport too and you have to enjoy some it from the water with our Helford River Cruises and Koru Kayak and Paddleboard Adventures from the Budock Vean Hotel forehsore. It all start this Saturday with the Port Navas Regatta and our Koru Cafe will be open 11am-3pm at the foreshore so you can take pasties, brownies, popcorn, crisps and a whole host of snacks and dri ..read more

Have you walked the South West Coastal Path? Or like us have walked some of it? Did you know it’s a charity? We didn’t, but recently discovered that it was set up a by a family down on holiday who set up the charity to keep it maintained and this year it’s celebrating it’s 50th anniversary with a month long walk along it! It’s an incredible 630 mile route which is being celebrating with relay walks 12 May – 15 June ending with a photographic exhibition in Royal William Yard, Plymouth. Join the Helford River section of the walk on Wednesday 7 June Afternoon: Porthallow to Helford and Thursday ..read more

We launched The Koru Cafe last summer at the Budock Vean Hotel foreshore. It’s a wonderful spot to enjoy a pasty, coffee, cake or ice cream before or after your Koru Kayak Adventures or Helford River Cruises and hotel guests to meander down through the valley gardens and enjoy a refreshment before meandering back up through the stunning gardens to the hotel. The Koru Cafe, Budock Vean Hotel foreshore, serving pastries, pasties, coffees, ice creams and cake. View from the Koru Cafe, Budock Vean Hotel foreshore This year we are delighted to welcome day guests and non residents to stop by too ..read more

There’s a super exhibition on at the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth about Pirates. We went last week and found it fascinating, we couldn’t believe there were even two female pirates, one who roamed the coast of Cornwall. Piracy and smuggling has been a part of the Helford River for centuries. It’s creeks and tidal river made it easy for the French use the tide deliver their barrels of wine up the river and small coves for the smugglers to pick them up. Smugglers coves, Helford River There’s tales of pirates retiring to Helford Village – you never know who you might be sitting next to i ..read more

2023 has started off with the most amazing sighting on the Helford. 200 dolphins were spotted this week, by our friends at SUP in a Bag. Coupled with a crisp sunny day, this really was Cornwall at its best. ITV News: ‘Incredible’ superpod of more than 200 dolphins spotted in Helford River We see some incredible wildlife on the Helford on our Koru Kayak and Paddleboard Adventures, including dolphins, and managed to capture a small pod of dolphins frolicking just off Trebah Gardens and Glendurgen on one of our Helford River Cruises. Join us for a Koru Kayak or Paddleboard Adventure or Helford ..read more

We were delighted to welcome Rick Stein onboard the Hannah Molly for his new series Rick Stein’s Cornwall. In this new series “he explores the food and drink heroes, art, culture and history from around the county with new Cornish inspired recipes for you to recreate at home.” It sounds delicious!   Rick Stein on the Hannah Molly setting out from Budock Vean Hotel quay It was a lovely summers day!  Tom captained the boat cruising along the Atlantic Rainforest on the Helford – truly idyllic. Boatman Tom, setting off with the film crew and Rick Stein in the Hannah Molly.   Bo ..read more

In May the ancient oak trees are starting to bud and the glimmer of bright green fresh leaves are emerging! It’s an exciting month on the Helford River and there’s some lovely wildlife to look out for. Little Egrets Little Egrets Little egrets are such a stunning sight to see on the Helford River and it’s creeks. It was wonderful to see a flock of them huddled up on the tree tops on Polwheveral Creek in the Herony. It’s nesting season and some of them may well be returning from a warm winter in Africa and southern Europe. Herons Herons and Little Egrets Herons can also been seen perched up ..read more