Picture a small island rising from the Cornish sea, connected to the mainland only when the tide retreats. For a few hours a day, you can wander across a centuries-old granite causeway made smooth by pilgrims and fishermen. This is St Michael's Mount, just off the coast of Marazion, in Cornwall, England. Managed by the National Trust and home to the St Aubyn family since the 1600s, the mount blends myth, medieval history and sweeping coastal views.

The island is filled with stories: from the Archangel Michael guiding sailors to safety in 495 CE to tales of Jack the Giant Killer defeating the fearsome Cormoran. At the summit stands a castle that began as a 12th-century priory, later transformed into a Gothic-inspired fortress with regal drawing rooms, hidden staircases and panoramic terraces.

Below, the harbour's cobbled lanes wind through a historic fishing village once busy with boats and trade. Whether you are exploring the gardens clinging to the granite cliffs or wandering the battlements imagining battles of the Civil War and the Spanish Armada, St Michael's Mount is a rare place where past and legend feel equally alive.