The Sunny South West (sometimes) (Cornwall)

Member Name: pookie_rabbit

Product:	Cornwall
Date:	02/09/04 (610 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: On its day as good as anywhere else in the world...

Disadvantages: On its day...

Quite simply Cornwall is a gamble.

This county at the South West tip of England can produce a sun-blessed holiday as good as anywhere on earth with scenery to match. On the other hand you can spend all week in pouring rain albeit trudging round some of the very good (and some very bad!) man made attractions.

A few years ago I got the rain but this year we got 7 days of perfect weather. So with my luck in the sun expect a slightly rose tinted view of Cornwall this time round ? it wouldn?t have got this rating last time round!

There is not only plenty to see in Cornwall but plenty to do. OK you can just sit on the beach if you want ? as you will see I did plenty of this. Apart from that though you can walk, surf, fish or just sip the local cider in the sun.

It?s a bit hard to explain Cornwall (and to a certain extent its neighbour Devon) from a British perspective. Apart from maybe the highlands and islands of Scotland its one of the few places in the Isles that you feel you are abroad. Maybe it?s the scenery, maybe it?s the fact you see the Cornish flag more often than the English or British flag or perhaps that it somehow feels more continental (shark fishing is available for instance) but you certainly feel like you left everyday home behind.

Anyway let me try and take you through some of the highlights of Cornwall ? from natural attractions such as beaches and towns to man-made attractions such as the Eden Project. Please note each entry is fairly brief ? at the end of the day you need a fully-fledged guidebook to show everything the county has to offer!

Beaches/Resorts ? Cornwall really seems to have it all when it comes to beaches. Everything from good old bucket and spade family favourites to surf beaches and stunning scenery. Here are some of my favourites ?

Newquay ? Quite simply Newquay is THE beach resort of Cornwall. First off though Newquay is not for everyone. If you think the English
lager lout image is something that only happens on holidays abroad, think again. Newquay on a weekend can turn into stag/hen night hell. Its take it or leave it and you can soon find a quite corner if needed. There isn?t actually such a thing as Newquay Beach, rather a number of separate beaches catering to different audiences. For instance Fistral Beach is a famous surfing destination. Newquay also has the advantage of having an airport serviced with cheap flights by RyanAir from London Stansted.

Perranporth ? Just down the coast from Newquay and a good middle of the road family choice if the latter is a bit too boisterous for you. Nice beach with lifeguards and also pretty good surf. Also has a nice beach bar, The Watering Hole. Has the advantage that Newquay is just down the road if you want it.

Bedruthan Steps ? simply amazing and wins my vote as most stunning beach in Cornwall (maybe Britain). Located a short drive North of Newquay this beach has the advantage of not having the crowds of many other beaches in Cornwall but this is offset by the reason for this ? quite difficult access to the beach itself via steps. The sweep of the beach contains massive rock stacks. Supposedly not safe to swim (the beach does not have a lifeguard), this doesn?t seem to stop too many people.

Kynance Cove - Located on the Lizard Peninsula of Cornwall. It would certainly be up there with my favourite beaches in Cornwall. Giving it extra points in the race for the best beach would be the fact it has a National Trust cafe. On a hot day it doesn?t get much better than sitting having a cream tea with the blue sea in front of you.

Porthcurno/Treen Beaches ? not the same beaches but located pretty close to each other. Not quite as stunning as say Bedruthan Steps, Porthcurno would however be hard to beet as best beach in Cornwall for the added benefit of easy access. Again though no lifeguards on duty here.

OK so Cornwall has the coast an
d beaches. But what to do apart from flop on the beach for the day?
Well first of all Cornwall is by far and away the epicentre of surfing in the UK. In some resorts there is more of a feel of the beach resorts of Australia and California than of anywhere else in the UK. Nearly all the coast is good for surfing and most resorts have at least one surf school. If surfing is a bit much plenty opt for simple body/boogie boarding.
Next up there is fishing. Quite simply there is too much to cover but needless to say there is ample ? be it sea fishing (from shore or boat), freshwater or game (trout fishing) with a fly.
And finally there are loads of opportunities for walking. On of the best examples is the South Coast Coast Path which pretty much speaks for itself.

Apart from the natural attractions this being wet England at the end of the day there are numerous man made options. Again these are brief notes on each place as some such as the Eden Project could warrant an opinion on there own.

Eden Project ? The project was to build a botanical garden in massive glass domes on the site of an old china clay quarry. Because of the weather we didn?t visit but I haven?t spoke to many people who have visited and been disappointed.

Tintagel ? according to legend the castle here is the home of King Arthur. As it happens nobody can prove or disprove this theory but this does not stop the shops in the village pretty much selling out to this legend. Whether the village itself disappoints your or not the location of the old castle certainly wont perched on an ?island? in the sea.

Finally apart from the attractions the food and drink can also be quite a star. The people of Devon will no doubt argue that there cream teas are better but if they are they must be pretty good. Served in theory in mid afternoon they are never the less just as good at anytime of day. Your cream tea includes a pot of tea accompanied by scones, strawberry ja
m and Cornish clotted cream.
Cider (fermented apple juice) is also popular, as it is in most of South West England, and you can visit many of the farms to pick it up yourself.
Finally seafood. Be it simple fish and chips to something a bit more ?classy? Cornwall does it well.

I hope this wets your appetite to look further into this destination as this review could only ever touch a few of the major sights and attractions. Let me know if you want me to add other information such as restaurants, more towns, attractions and beaches.

Cornwall?

It?s a gamble worth taking.

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