Great Things to Do on a Cornwall Holiday
The South Coast Path: Thought by many to be one of the best long distance trails in Europe, this is a great Cornwall holiday, and rightly so, it covers some stunning country, including the Exmoor National Park and some of the most scenic parts of the British coastline. It incorporates The Jurassic Coast and the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape, both World Heritage sites. One of the best moments of the 1000 km trail is when you reach the headland, The Lizard, England’s most southern point. It takes about seven or eight weeks to walk the whole path, but there are plenty of mapped shorter walks along the path if you only have a few days put aside for your Cornwall holiday. The majority of walking is along the coastline so the terrain is very varied, some of it is rocky and steep.
Porthmeor: Tucked behind a rocky promontory called The Island near the village of St Ives, Porthmeor is one of the foremost surfing beaches in Cornwall – holiday perfection. Sheer granite and greenstone cliffs to the north and south make up this rugged section of the Heritage Coast, together with secluded coves and long golden sandy beaches. There are rock pools on both sides of the beach which are well worth exploring, and basking sharks, grey seals, bottlenose dolphins, sunfish and the occasional fin whale can all be spotted from the numerous coastal paths making for a charming Cornwall holiday.
Tintagel Castle: This ruined castle on a Cornish headland overlooking the sea is linked to Arthurian legend: supposedly he was born in the castle but it wasn’t built until the 13th Century, so he couldn’t have been – many visitors choose to overlook this rumour, probably started by Tennyson. The Earl of Cornwall built the castle on the spot and in an older style than that of the day to make it appear more ancient and to tie in with Cornwall’s connection to the Arthurian legends appealing to local tradition hoping he would be better accepted as an outsider. Now it’s a nice afternoon attraction to visit on a Cornwall holiday.
Coveracks: This tiny Cornish fishing village is a great place to learn to surf or windsurf as it is sheltered and protected, and a perfect destination for your Cornwall holiday. Be aware that the best conditions for learning are when the wind is offshore. Coverack Windsurfing Centre is run out of the local youth hostel and has a base in the harbour. Robin Hobson has been running the school since the early 1980’s and there isn’t much he doesn’t know about teaching windsurfing. The village is very picturesque and there aren’t that many places like it. If the wind doesn’t blow then you can always top off a great Cornwall holiday with the local Rhoskilly Ice Cream!!
Falmouth Oyster Festival: The Falmouth Oyster Festival ushers in the Cornwall oyster season which begins in October, which is a great time for a Cornwall holiday, but it’s not just oysters that are heralded, this is a celebration of all the delicious fruits de mer this coastline is famous for. Eating is the way most people can take part in the Cornwall holiday festivities. Local chefs lead master classes and industry leaders talk, but it’s mostly about tasting the wares.
