What’s Around Cornwall?
Perranporth
Perranporth has a rich and varied history, according to legend, St. Piran, the patron Saint of Cornwall, was cast into the sea from Ireland, tied to a millstone, and washed up on the sandy beaches of Perranporth. He built a Christian oratory in the sand dunes, and legend has it that his first disciples were a badger, a fox and a bear. The remains of this oratory are still preserved in the sand to this day.
Known for its waves and beautiful beaches, Perranporth attracts surfers from far and wide. Often regarded as one of the best beaches in Cornwall, Perranporth beach is a beautiful stretch of sand on which to play, relax or surf. Perranporth Surf School is a favourite with locals and visitors alike and has daily classes on the beach. The beach also boasts its very own bar, The Watering Hole, which has live music and artists throughout the summer months.
Bude
A popular seaside town in North Cornwall, Bude is known for its great beaches, traditional Cornish townscape, exciting activities and maritime history. Bude is first and foremost a holiday town, but it is also quite quirky with some interesting history. However, what really makes it special is the setting with the Atlantic coast to one side and rolling countryside the other, making this a great base for exploring the far North of Cornwall.
Like all of Cornwall’s resort towns, Bude is all about the beaches. There are miles of fantastic beaches here stretching from Widemouth Bay in the south to Duckpool and the Devon border in the north. All are a mix of rugged rocky cliffs, Atlantic waves and expanses of golden sand, although the town’s main beach, Summerleaze, does deviate from this format a little. There is also a tidal pool, which is a semi-natural open-air Lido, which is free to use.
Bude canal is a historic water transportation system, built to connect North Devon and Cornwall to the sea using tub boats. After its closure in 1901 it was revamped in 2006 and re-opened as a tourist attraction.
With a castle, artisan shops, crafts, and miles of coastal paths, Bude is an ideal destination for all the family.
Falmouth
Based around a thriving harbour, Falmouth is gateway to the beautiful Fal river, which runs through an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Falmouth boasts beautiful Blue Flag beaches, a bustling town centre and beautiful gardens as well as attractions such as the National Maritime Museum and the historic Pendennis Castle. The castle is one of the finest fortresses built by Henry VIII.
Falmouth’s host of beaches offer sailing, snorkeling, surfing and much more. Falmouth’s beaches include Castle beach, Gyllyngvase beach, Swanpool beach and Maenporth beach. Falmouth is a foodie paradise, tuck into freshly caught seafood from the delicious delis, food festivals, restaurants and traditional pubs.
Falmouth is one of the foremost holiday destinations in the UK offering everything from superb, Blue Flag beaches to sailing, cliff walking and a bustling town centre with a wide range of top-quality cafes, shops, galleries and restaurants. There are numerous attractions in and around Falmouth including the National Maritime Museum and the historic Pendennis Castle. There are also a range of events taking place throughout the year from the Spring Festival to the Autumn Oyster Festival.
Port Isaac
Port Isaac, with its windy streets and busy harbour, is a traditional fishing village in north Cornwall dating back to the 14th century. Both Port Isaac and nearby Port Gaverne are designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and are a Heritage Coast Area. The town itself is a maze of narrow streets waiting to be explored.
Port Isaac is also home to the Fisherman’s Friends shanty singers, and it is also the location of the popular TV series, Doc Martin.
Despite Port Isaac being a prime location for visitors to North Cornwall, there is still an active commercial fishing community here too. Many visitors come to the area to walk along the village’s small, winding passageways that lead down to the sea. Port Isaac is closely populated with traditional whitewashed villas and granite slate-faced buildings. Several historical buildings can be found in the neighbourhood.
The village is built around an attractive old harbour, which also serves as a small beach in the summer. The port itself, which was previously busy with the transport of slates from near Delabole and the importation of coal from Wales, is now much quieter. When visiting Port Isaac during low tide, you’ll see a long expanse of sand reaching out to the twin piers. For children, there is a little stream and a variety of rock pools to explore. Port Isaac is protected from wind currents by tall cliffs to the west, which act as a natural windbreak. Aside from Port Isaac Beach, there are numerous more nearby beaches that you may visit while you’re in the area.
Newquay
The north coast town of Newquay is best known for being Cornwall’s surf city as well as its party capital. From land to sand, water to waves only in Newquay is there so much to do that you might have to extend your Holiday break. From entertainment to adrenaline pumped sports Newquay is famous above all other things as the Surfing Capital of the UK. Our watersports extend so much more from bodyboarding, paddle surfing, diving, kayaking and kitesurfing to just name a few. Newquay’s land holds even more hours of activities from Segway Tours to Golf overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
Newquay has a large collection of the finest beaches around the county, renowned for their cleanliness, surf ability and providing you with the perfect place to relax on your holiday in Cornwall with high safety levels and lifeguards on many of Newquay’s major beaches. From dog friendly beaches to those with rock pools and good for families – Newquay has a beach for every occasion!
From breakfast to dinner Newquay offers a variety of food and drink to suit your requirements. From day to night, eat in or take away in the comfort of your own home. Using local, fresh ingredients and unique views to enjoy why wouldn’t you eat out in Newquay.
There are lots of places to eat and drink in Newquay with a huge selection of restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs to choose from. The last few years have seen Newquay really develop as a destination for lovers of good food, with restaurants such as Rick Stein’s Fistral taking advantage of the beachside views and fresh-caught fish, enabling you to enjoy a classic seaside meal while watching the surf.
St. Ives
The north coast fishing town of St Ives in Cornwall is one of the region’s best loved destinations, and with obvious reason. The town is built on a narrow peninsula fringed with sandy beaches. Radiating out from the idyllic harbour are a maze of quaint cobbled streets lined with fishermen’s cottages. St Ives has a rich artistic heritage which is celebrated with a plethora of galleries from the small to the internationally acclaimed. The iconic gallery at Tate St. Ives, overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and showcases some of Britain’s most iconic art works of the 20th century. There are also plenty of other galleries dotted across the town, including the studio and gardens of the sculptor Barbara Hepworth.
The culture of St. Ives is not just limited to its art scene, it is host to a range of festivals including the St. Ives Feast Day festival in February. This festival celebrates the founding of St. Ives and involves a hurling match in which a silver ball is fought over in the streets. In September, a two-week art and music festival takes place with live bands, poetry, book launches and special exhibitions. May is host to the St Ives food and drink festival with a chance to sample all that is good about Cornwall’s local produce.
Finally, St. Ives has its own island. The Island is the imposing headland that juts out into the sea from the spit of land that separates the harbour and Porthmeor beach. In ancient times it was a promontory fort but these days it is probably better known as the location of the coastguard lookout. Unsurprisingly, the views out over St Ives and the Bay are spectacular from the top of the Island. Sat on top of the Island is the tiny Chapel of St. Nicholas, dating back to medieval times, this single-roomed granite building was built to look over passing sailors.
Bodmin
One of Cornwall’s oldest towns, Bodmin’s central location makes it an ideal base for exploring Cornwall. Whether you decide to use Bodmin as a base for exploring the surrounding areas or are looking for interesting days out, there are plenty of activities and interesting venues for you to explore.
The Camel Trail is a must for walkers and cyclists. The traffic-free trail stretches for 17 miles along the banks of the river Camel, from Padstow to Bodmin. As well as boasting beautiful scenery, there is an abundance of local wildlife on the route.
Bodmin jail is an attraction for all the family, especially if you are interested in the paranormal. The jail is steeped in history and offers visitors an amazing insight into prison life over the centuries. The ‘Dark Walk’ uses theatrical effects and the latest technology to transport visitors back to Cornwall’s shady past, giving a first-hand experience of life in a prison.
East of Bodmin is some of Cornwall’s most stunning countryside. Surprisingly remote, often described as bleak moorland punctuated by high, windswept, granite capped peaks. The high moor is the highest ground in Cornwall and is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are, for those who look, many points of interest. From the myriad of ancient sites to pretty villages such as Blisland and Altarnun this is a landscape to be explored.
Penzance
The market town of Penzance is in the far west of Cornwall. It is perfectly located as a gateway to some of Cornwall’s most famous destinations, including the Isles of Scilly. It is only a few miles away from St. Ives, Land’s End and St. Michaels’ Mount. Penzance has one of the mildest climates in the UK, and one of the striking things that you will notice in the town is the abundance of sub-tropical plants in many of the gardens.
Running from the town centre down to the harbour is Chapel Street, the most historic street in Penzance. It is an eclectic mix of shops, houses and hotels, most of which date back to the 18th century and before. Possibly the most unusual of these is the Egyptian House with its colourful Egyptian styling and Sphynx like adornments. Practically every building on Chapel Street has a story with others of note including the Admiral Benbow pub, the Rotterdam Buildings and the Turk’s Head pub.
Just around the corner from Chapel Street is the Exchange, a contemporary art gallery and space. Works exhibited include local and international artists. The building itself was a former telephone exchange which has been developed and includes a huge, bowed glass wall incorporating 100s of LED lights.
The Jubilee Pool is the jewel in Penzance’s Sea front. Positioned on the headland between the promenade and the harbour, this Art Deco lido is the largest of its kind in Britian. If you don’t fancy a swim, there’s a café overlooking the pool, which is a fabulous spot on a summer’s day.
Padstow
Made famous by Rick Stein over the last 30 years or so, there’s much more to Padstow than just great places to eat. It’s still a working harbour, it’s surrounded by glorious beaches, and offers a base to explore the Camel estuary. Padstow is still a working harbour, which is surrounded by glorious beaches, and offers a base to explore the Camel estuary. Enjoy a fun filled day out on one of the many beaches in the Padstow area. If you want golden sand, this is the place to come, from the tidal beaches at Hawker’s Cove to the long strands at Harlyn and Treyarnon. Hop on the ferry and explore Rock or Daymer Bay or take the surfboards to Constantine Bay.
You’re on holiday, if you just want to relax and sunbathe all day, do, but there’s plenty of activities on hand to stop you getting bored. At low tide explore the rock pools or build sandcastles, For the more adventurous, learn to surf at a local surf school, or grab a mask and snorkel and see what lurks below the water.
The mouth of the Camel Estuary is known and feared by many seafarers for the notorious Doom Bar. This is a sandbar that can move depending on the currents, especially after storms. Until the 20th Century, access to the safety of the estuary was under the cliffs of Stepper Point, but this could mean loss of wind for the sailing ships of the time, and many were lost in gales.
In the early 20th century, the bar shifted considerably but with continuous dredging a safe channel has been created, but it can still catch some sailors out. Latest estimates claim over 600 craft have been wrecked on the Doom Bar, the last in 2020.
Cornish folklore relates that the bar was created by a mermaid as a dying curse on the harbour after being shot by a local man. The poet Sir John Betjeman wrote his version of the story saying that the mermaid fell in love with a local man and could not bear to live without him. Eventually she tried to lure him beneath the waves and his only means of escape was to shoot her.
Tintagel
Tintagel is situated on the north coast of Cornwall and is associated with the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the round table. This rugged landscape is also home to Tintagel castle, which according to legend, was the home of Uther Pendragon, and stories have developed over the years to incorporate Merlin, Guinevere and King Arthur’s knights.
The rugged Cornish coast, in and around Tintagel, offers stunning views and equally stunning, if tough, walking. The Southwest Coast Path leads you along the cliffs, passing close to Tintagel’s abandoned slate quarries, where men worked precariously on narrow ledges above the boiling sea. Going east brings you to Rocky Valley leading inland to the mystical St Nectan’s Glen, whilst going west a mile or so, you will reach Trebarwith Strand.
Here at low tide there’s a lovely beach to explore, but get your timings wrong, and all you will find is a rocky foreshore and views offshore to Gull Rock.
Truro
Cornwall’s one and only city radiates a chic, urban charm that’s reflected in endless shopping opportunities and some of the best restaurants and bars in the county.
Once a Norman castle stood where the present-day Crown Court is located, and Truro thrived as a port for many years. The prosperity of the late 18th and early 19th centuries continues to this day and can be seen today in the elegant townhouses that line the city’s streets. Centre stage is Truro’s impressive gothic revival cathedral that towers over the town.
In its shadow a warren of back streets is home to dozens of independent traders selling all you need from funky fashions and cool surf wear to locally made bread and Cornish cheeses. There’s also a selection of well-known retailers spread around the city centre and others on the outskirts.
Being a small city, it’s easy to escape to the surrounding countryside, including following the river downriver towards Falmouth, or you could just explore Victoria Park with its colourful bandstand and summer concerts.
The Royal Cornwall Museum houses objects that reveal Cornwall’s history from prehistoric times through to its industrial triumphs, with an Egyptian mummy thrown in for good measure! The museum runs events for families throughout the year. It’s a hidden gem.
Don’t miss Lemon Street Market, home to some of Truro’s most exciting and innovative small businesses, with an amazing mix of independent shops and cafes. There’s also an outdoor market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, selling everything from scrummy pies to antique books.
The city has a friendly traditional cinema, a great live music venue at the Old Bakery and the Hall for Cornwall brings well-known touring theatre and music to the heart of the county. There’s also plenty of pubs and bars if that’s how you like to spend your evenings.