Cornwall Activities

Worth getting out of bed for

Cornwall itinerary

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Viewpoint

Watch the sun set beyond Longships Lighthouse at Land’s End in the far southwest of the British Isles. At the other end of the county, Kit Hill, between Tavistock and Liskeard, gives views all the way to both the north and south coasts.

Arts and culture

During the summer months, the open-air Minack Theatre, high on the cliffs near Porthcurno, makes the most of its wild-seas backdrop (+44 (0)1736 810181; www.minack.com). Near St Austell, the ‘global garden’ Eden Project (www.edenproject.com) makes you feel like an excited kid again – even on a rainy day, it’s totally tropical. Tate St Ives by Porthmeor beach shows work by contemporary British artists (www.tate.org.uk/stives), but don’t miss its sister museum on Barnoon Hill, dedicated to Barbara Hepworth. The magnificent sculpture garden is laid according to her original plans.

Something for nothing

Take a walk along a clifftop if you need any reminder that the best things in life really are free. Cornwall is steeped in Arthurian legend; some believe the ruined castle overlooking the sea in Tintagel was once where King Arthur held court with the Knights of the Round Table; the spot is certainly dramatic enough. The brave are free to clamber down from the ruins to the beach and explore Merlin’s Cave – it’s only accessible at low tide.

Shopping

Cornwall isn't a brand-name destination, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t treasures to be found. There are several farmers’ markets in the region; have a wander at the Truro market at Lemon Quay on Wednesdays and Saturdays, or the Tuesday morning market in central Falmouth. For contemporary local artwork, the New Gallery in Portscatho (+44 (0)1872 580445) and Padstow Gallery (+44 (0)1841 532242; www.padstowgallery.co.uk) are excellent hunting grounds, as are the smaller dealerships in Veryand, Tregony and St Just in Roseland. Onda, the sleek boutique at St Mawes’ Hotel Tresanton, stocks just-so print dresses (+44 (0)1326 270456).

Daytripper

Hop over to the Isles of Scilly, an archipelago of 140 tiny, rocky islands – only five inhabited – some 28 miles off Cornwall’s tip. Once there, take boat trips, snorkel with seals (www.scillydiving.com), laze on the beach or eat your way around the seafood cafés of St Mary’s. Get there by plane from Newquay or Land’s End with Skybus (www.skybus.co.uk), or by helicopter from Penzance (www.islesofscillyhelicopter.com).

Perfect picnic

The headlands overlooking Lantic Bay east of the Fowey (pronouced ‘Foy’) estuary are ideal on a warm summer day; with freshly baked bread and West Country delicacies, Tiffins Delicatessen on Fore Street (+44 (0)1726 832322) can’t be beaten for picnic fixings. On the north coast, head for the clifftop on the Rumps walk near Polzeath, stopping at Di’s Dairy and Pantry in Rock on the way (+44 (0)1208 863531; www.disdairyandpantry.co.uk).

Walks

One of Cornwall’s prettiest options is the Hall Walk, a looping two-mile trail around the Fowey estuary that requires a couple of ferry hops to complete. The clifftops south of Bude, with their spectacular rock formations, make for a dramatic trek (www.cornishman.com). For a gentle nature walk, stroll in the Lost Gardens of Heligan in St Austell (+44 (0)1726 845100; www.heligan.com), a Victorian estate with vegetable gardens, pools and grottos that were abandoned during the World War I and restored only a decade ago.

Children

Take tweenagers boarding at the National Surfing Centre in Newquay (+44 (0)1637 850737; www.nationalsurfingcentre.com), and younger children to the Crealy Adventure Park near Wadebridge, which combines fairground rides and a petting zoo (+44 (0)1395 233200; www.crealy.co.uk). Best known for its colourful parrots, Paradise Park near St Ives also has otters and shrieking barn owls (www.paradisepark.org.uk).

Activities

North Cornwall has excellent surf beaches; Newquay’s Extreme Academy will get you surfing as well as dirt-boarding and kite buggying (+44 (0)1637 860840; www.watergatebay.co.uk). For other wind- and water sports, there’s skiing on the estuary at the Camel Ski School in Rock (+44 (0)1208 862727; www.camelskischool.com); and Adventure Cornwall offers coastal kayaking as well as climbing on Bodmin Moor (+44 (0)1726 870844; www.adventurecornwall.co.uk). With Fowey River Sailing, you can take to the water in a traditional wooden dinghy (+44 (0)1208 873721; www.foweyriversailing.co.uk).