Whenever we get the past pictures out and see the ones from our trip to Cornwall in May 2017 then we are just stunned how beautiful this place is; I don’t just say that because I am British, but as a Brit who has left these shores many years ago and with a Filipina, who has the highest standards for beaches (white is the only colour for a beach) coming to Cornwall was a real reminder that you don’t have to go too far to get a piece of paradise…well ‘far’ is a relative term when you speak about Cornwall, technically it is closer than the Philippines, but traveling from many places in the UK into this beautiful cul-de-sac on a UK bank holiday will mean traffic that may take a long as that flight to the Philippines!

Lyssa can’t wait for that clotted cream!

Lucky for us we flew into Bristol a few days before the bank holiday kicked in, so we had time to beat the queues in – once you are in Cornwall then you can slow down your pace and just enjoy the green country lanes, the coastal routes and the blue blue waters of the Celtic Sea.  A stay here is going to be sooooo classically twee and rustic and despite all the tourists none of it seems choreographed or put on – Cornish Pasties, clotted cream teas, fish and chips, crab meat sandwiches, the National Trust, the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institute), hidden coves, coastal pathways and little fishing harbours – all your dreams about England and Cornwall will come true here.

Anyway, before this blog just turns into an ode to Cornwall let me get onto some details to back up all these praises – we just had a short few days here focus on…beaches, walks, visits and blissful dining (sounds like an excerpt from an online dating profile!).  We also sneaked into Devon and Somerset towards the end of the trip, so I will try to fit in a few words there as your route will most probably pass through, although really we need to go back to these counties.

At it’s widest point Cornwall is about 45miles

(~60 km), so you are never going to be too far from the coast and the stunning beaches.  You will find golden (and even white) sand, plus areas of rocky coastline that look more Maltese than British.  We based ourselves in St Ives, on the north coast right down near the neck of the peninsula, a most perfectly pretty place to base yourself, along with plenty of hotels and restaurants to make your stay complete.  Speaking of beaches, you need go no further than St Ives’ own Porthminster Beach that looks like a seaside painting – we stayed here at the well located Primrose Valley Hotel (although at the end of what seems the world’s steepest and narrowest – for 2 way traffic – road!) – more like high-end self-contained apartments with a seaside cool lounge / breakfast area downstairs and with coastal hip staff who had lots of help to give on anything that you needed.  If you can tear yourself away from this beach, then a wander through the maze of little streets of St Ives will take you to the other side of town and and across to the other side of town and the equally beautiful Porthmeor beach – a bit more sheltered from the wind on the day we visited and where you go for sunset (although get to the only bar on this beach well before sunset otherwise there will be no space left to enjoy your sundowner).  If you don’t get your spot on this beach, then head to the Pedn Olva Hotel (back near Porthminster), where their rooftop terrace is the perfect spot for an aperol spritz or two…just beware the seagulls (Lyssa got lucky)!

Heading north of St Ives and then working our way back down south west we spent a day of beaches and coast walks – first to Tintagel – attracted by it’s Arthurian castle – English Heritage probably do a better job of marketing the reality of what is a mere idea of a castle with the ruins that are left, especially for the 10 pounds entry price; but the cove where the castle sits and the view from the headland is still a definite reason to go there.  Whilst in Tintagel make sure you stop for a Cornish Pastie at the award winning Cornish Bakery that will be heaven to any carb-starved bodies.

Tip for drivers – make sure you keep lots of coins for the ubiquitous paid parking across the whole of Cornwall, the copper and tin mines of past years may no longer exist but the Cornish still excel in getting valuable metals out of the pockets of the visiting tourists!

Our next beach on the tour was Watergate beach – a huge expanse of golden sand, with crashing waves and a jumble of surfers all looking to ride the perfect wave in.  Past Newquay and onto St Agnes and Trevaunance Cove – situated at the end of a beautiful valley that runs into the beach and sea.  A funny little village that seems to have given itself over to full-time funding the RNLI (definitely a good cause as it is they who will pull you out of the water if you get into trouble whilst surfing or swimming).  If you find yourself here just after lunchtime but still hungry, then head to Q Cafe for a wonderful dressed crab salad al fresco.

Closeby is Chapelporth beach, another beautiful cove and surfing mecca, but also the starting point for a coastal walk to see some abandoned tin mines – it requires a bit of clambering up and down, but soon you will find the remnants of the tin mining that have an industrial beauty of their own perched on the cliffs above the stunning sea.

After all these beaches, it is only fitting to finish with dinner on the serene Portminster Beach at the Porthminster Cafe – this is no way a cafe though, but a perfectly placed restaurant with a great terrace (weather permitting) overlooking the beach.  The food is very good, basically go for anything that has come out of the nearby sea and you won’t go wrong.

St Michael’s Mount – plan a half day to visit this monastic stronghold that was once an offshoot of it’s Norman counterpart and is now part of that English religion the National Trust (although the Lord St Levan still resides on the Mount along with staff).  We were lucky on our visit that the tide was out, so we could just walk across the causeway, so do check the causeway opening here. If you make it a high tide then there are boats that will take you across the water…but the causeway is definitely the more scenic option.  Be sure to take the free tour that is given on the island, fascinating stories and insights to the mount.

After a visit to the mount, plan to navigate around the Land’s End peninsula and you will have a full day of sights topped with a bit of outdoor culture at the breathtaking Minack theatre.  But before you get there let’s rewind, so from the mount head around the coast to the town of Mousehole and its perfect little fishing port filled with colourful boats…although there was no water when we visited owing to low tide.  The Merry Maidens, a group of standing stones in the middle of a field – the myth goes that 19 maidens were turned to stone for dancing on a Sunday…so let that be a warning to you!

And so to Land’s End, the most westerly point of mainland Britain; it seems a bit too easy to just drive there (although maybe not so easy with the parking, so instead we started out from the north at Sennen Cove – a little bit quieter, easy to park and from there a great coastal walk of around 2km.  We managed to time things towards the end of the day, so the crowds had departed for their fish and chip dinners, so we had plenty of time to get our picture with iconic sign that points to parts of the old empire that we just don’t want to let go of!

Our last stop of the peninsula was at the Minack Theatre – a must do if the weather looks like it will cooperate – an open air theatre that is built atop a cliff that juts out into the sea below.  A breathtaking view and a great night to spend under the stars, we managed to watch Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood, a great show, although the Welsh accent sometimes needed a bit of translation for Lyssa (and to tell the truth for me too!).  Take a cushion and blanket and maybe a little picnic, there is a food stall in the car park, but the queues get quite long, so being prepared makes the night a bit easier.

Another great coastal walk a bit further to the south east is around The Lizard, the most southerly point of the British mainland; unfortunately for us when we arrived the UK bank holiday weather kicked in with miserable rain, so we had to make do with a drive by and a quick picture by the relevant signage…next time!

A good option for light rain that may break

You lookin’ at me?

(i.e gambling with the weather) is to head  east to St Austell and visit the Lost Gardens of Heligan – Europe’s largest garden restoration project (hence the lost) with highlights of creative planting, rope bridge, an insect hotel (fortunately no room at the inn for us when we arrived) and a cafe with huge pasties and cornish ice cream (usually not together).

That brings us to the end of this short stay in Cornwall, but just a little shout out to neighbouring Devon, as unless you parachute into Cornwall then you will be passing through this county too.  For us this was a chance to spend the night at the Horn of Plenty Hotel at the entrance to Dartmoor just by Gulworthy.  A perfect place to stay either en route or for a few days,with great accommodation, stunning views of the valley below and a top class restaurant (the lamb and local cheeses are excellent).  A Devon cream tea in their garden also puts a serious challenge to the Cornwall equivalent…although I am unable to judge which is the best…you will just have to try for yourself!  Let’s leave the rest of Devon for another trip and another blog as it deserves its own blog…but it needs us to find a weekend to squeeze in.

See you on our next trip!