Yesterday I returned from the family holiday to Cornwall. Cornwall is a county on England’s rugged southwestern tip. It forms a peninsula encompassing wild moorland, sandy beaches and picturesque harbour villages such as Porthleven where we based ourselves for the week. Nowhere else in Britain quite captures breathtaking natural beauty like this sunny county on the coast.
So without further ado, here is our little photo-guide to spending a week in Cornwall.
We arrived on a Friday and pottered around the town and took in our surroundings and scenery. We stayed in a beautiful little house called Song of the Sea just above the main town centre, this meant everything was within walking distance and yet it still had spectacular views of the sea and beach. We had dinner at the Harbour Inn and watched the sunset on the pier. It was a lovely start to the holiday.
On Saturday we walked to Penrose to explore the area and then looked in the galleries in the town, we relaxed on the beach in the afternoon and made the most of the sunny weather. If you ever visit Porthleven, you must go visit the Waves Gallery: Mike Lacey photography. Mike has been surfing around Cornwall for eleven years and in the last three years has dedicated his time to photographing the powerful Cornish waves. Every piece of his work is unique and beautiful, just like the waves.
On Sunday we brunched at Kota Kai in the town and we ventured a little further to Marazion and St.Michael’s Mount. You can stroll across the granite causeway to the tiny tidal island, where the castle lies. The views are spectacular, showcasing the wide beach below. We drove a little further to reach Land’s End, which is the most westerly point of mainland England and where the famous journey to John O’ Groats begins. A 837 mile distance undertaken by many cyclists, runners and walkers a year.
The rainy monday morning didn’t dampen our spirits and was a pleasant surprise to the relentless heatwave back home. The weather meant we had a private beach for the day and my brother attempted body boarding whilst I stood with the waves crashing over my feet. We had a lovely meal at Amelies in the evening sat by the harbour watching the boats as the tide came in.
Tuesday came around and we decided to go kayaking with the local guide Ian from Vertical Blue. We kayaked from Lizard Point as the waters were calmer and more sheltered. Despite this, my dad and I still managed to capsize but it is something we will always remember! To dry off, we headed to a secluded little cafe afterwards called the Fat Apples cafe and had a leisurely lunch. We fell in love with the cafe dog, Freddie and the food was delicious I would highly recommend.
Wednesday was perhaps my favourite day as we completed a 7 mile walk to Rinsey cove and back, which was part of the South West coastal path. The undulating path took us past old chimneys, secret coves and glorious beaches. We packed a picnic and ate it at the cove, 4 miles later. The walk back although beautiful was tiring and we all enjoyed a long cold drink at the Square on our return. We kept it simple by eating in at home and enjoying the evening sea breeze and sunset from the balcony.
Tired legs and feet meant we had a slow day on the beach by the town, pottering around. It was our last full day in Cornwall and we rounded off our trip by returning to Amelies, our favourite restaurant of the the trip.
We made the most of our ‘going home’ day by visiting The Eden Project, a place I had wanted to visit for a long time after hearing raving reviews from friends. The Rainforest and Mediterranean biomes were fascinating and exciting, with different cafes and a canopy walk up with the vegetation in the rainforest. Native produce was being grown and it was a great chance to see how different environments work and the drastically different lifestyle that tribes and people live in. The Eden Project also houses a stage for live music in the evenings and several smaller outside gardens with a huge variety of English plants neatly arranged and displayed. Connected to the Eden Project is Hangloose, an outdoor adventure company who boasts England’s longest and fastest zip wire called skywire. You can fully embrace your inner spider man and only my brother was brave enough to do it, but a real thrill for adrenaline junkies. This unfortunately completed our trip to Cornwall and we started the 4 hour drive home.
Overall we had a brilliant holiday full of sun, sand and sea without the complications and stress of airports and time zones. If you are ever in England or fancy a sunny retreat Cornwall is a beautiful place to explore the English countryside. You can surf, kayak, paddleboard, swim in the sea or simply read a book with the sound of the waves in the background all with a healthy dose of sunshine and Cornish cream teas and ice creams to keep you going.
Life of Becky 