I've been on holiday! I happily tagged along on my family's holiday to Cornwall, somewhere we've been many times before, although not for a good few years. It was nice to revisit as a twenty-something, as I felt I had more of an appreciation for the gorgeous landscapes and food, rather than simply begging to go to the beach every day. I thought, seeing as I'm quite well-versed in a good chunk of Cornwall, I'd put together a little guide complete with lots of photos. Cornwall is the perfect place to pick a spot and walk along the coast, or visit the various little towns and beaches, but here are some highlights that might be of interest...
WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO DO
Newlyn is a fishing town which houses a few boutique and vintage stores, much like anywhere in Cornwall, but I particularly loved the shop
Oblivion. It's one of those places that has everything, some things you'd question if people would even want to buy! Another great place for shops like this is
Truro, which feels a bit more modern than the smaller villages. I loved looking through the shops in the winding streets.
Padstow and
St. Ives were also full of gift shops which were a lot of fun to look through, and also feature lots of galleries and artwork. If in Padstow, a visit to the
National Lobster Hatchery is a lovely shout if you're a fan of an aquarium and learning about conservation. It's not very big, but is packed full of information about lobsters and how to sustainably source them and other seafood. The hatchery allows lobsters to have a home until they have a higher chance of survival in the wild, and the babies are strangely adorable!
The Eden Project is one of my favourite places in Cornwall - or anywhere, really. Housed in an old quarry, the project features huge biomes (essentially massive greenhouses) that hold more plants than you can imagine. Not only is it a botanical dream, but the charity focuses on education about a myriad of environmental and ethical issues. We didn't visit the
Jubilee Pool this holiday but it looked so lovely! Situated in Penzance, this pool has (cleaned) seawater for those who don't love actually swimming in the ocean, with plenty of surrounding seating and a restaurant to boot. The public lido is also fundraising right now to heat a section of the pool all year round.
A visit to
Land's End, the most southern point of mainland England, has to be done. If you park at
Sennen Cove (which is a great beach for surfing if that's your style) it's a mile walk to Land's End, where you can see the classic signpost, lighthouse, and the rugged Cornish coastline - featuring a shipwreck or two.
Porthcurno is my absolute favourite beach on the Cornish coast. It looks like somewhere in Italy! Not only is the water a glorious blue, but I actually find it's a tad warmer to swim in compared to other beaches. You can also visit the
Telegraph Museum - Porthcurno played a large role in WW2 by keeping communication running, and the
Minack Theatre which is an open-air theatre on the cliff which overlooks the sea. It's such a picturesque place. Speaking of Porthcurno, you can see it from a boat! We went on a sea safari with
Mermaid Tours, where we sadly didn't see any dolphins or basking sharks - but did spot multiple seals and porpoises! It's also a great way to see Cornwall from another perspective, and find out more about the history of the coast and what wildlife it homes.
WHERE TO EAT
Cornwall is unsurprisingly known for its seafood, so really anywhere you go you're bound to find some freshly caught fish.
The Tolcarne Inn in Newlyn is over 300 years old, and a lovely gastro pub that has that cosy pub feel with sophisticated food - mainly seafood. I actually ended up getting duck that night, which was lovely, but I was super jealous of my mum and sister's cod and lobster risotto, and my dad had a ray wing! I did have a really delicious lemon sole in
The Boatshed in Penzance, a nice and relaxed place with, you guessed it, lots of seafood. If you're more into your Italian cuisine then I really recommend
The Bridge, especially for their pizza. Stonebaked, the pizza is incredibly crisp and just so yum. We had Thai tapas in
Talay while visiting St. Ives which was a nice change.
Rick Stein has a countless amount of restaurants, cafes, bakeries and fish and chip shops over Cornwall, though in particular Padstow, which are definitely worth a visit. And of course, Cornish ice cream. I'm not a big lover of ice cream but I loved
Jelberts in Newlyn, which has been called the best ice cream in the world! It only comes in vanilla but don't let that put you off, as it really is delicious. Enjoy with a flake or some clotted cream on top.
You'll see a little more of the area when I roll out upcoming posts, as I couldn't help but take some outfit shots. There are lots of bits I haven't mentioned here, but the thing about Cornwall is that you have the chance to stop off in all these tiny towns and villages. There are countless mines dotted throughout - some shafts that are still open and you need to watch out for when walking! - and plenty of country or coastal walks to complete. I will say I've been in Autumn before and didn't quite love it as much, in my opinion Cornwall is best enjoyed in the sunshine. So there you go, a whistle-stop look at my Cornish holiday!
