Hotels near the Montol Festival

If your idea of a traditional Christmas is gorging yourself on turkey while watching Eastenders then you could do with a trip to Penzance. The annual Montol Festival sees the town's denizens gather for a lantern-lit, carnival-style parade through Penzance centre.

The annual Montol Festival lasts six days, but it's on its concluding night that most of the action takes place. This is Montol Eve, when a blaze of lanterns lights the town and a procession of masked revellers weaves its way through the shadowy streets.

Pitstops are made for musical performances and dancing, with the atmosphere distinctly Cornish and numerous rites and rituals that are perhaps best explained by locals - ask them for an explanation when you speak to them in the pubs along the route...