Mr & Mrs Smith

If you want to tackle some bodyboarding or surfing then you can hire all the necessary equipment from Zuma Jay (www.zumajay.co.uk). Surf lessons are available with a former British and European surf champion (suits and boards are included). To look the part out of the water too, consider shopping at In Deep or Airculture (www.airculture.co.uk). For a wide range of other activities, including sea kayaking and abseiling contact Shoreline Activities (www.shorelineactivities.co.uk). The 18-hole Bude and North Cornwall Golf Course is right on the doorstep. It’s possible for visitors to play on weekdays and after 2pm at weekends. Standard rules of etiquette and clothing apply. Club and trolley hire is available from the Pro shop. It’s advisable to book in advance. It costs £27 per day on weekdays or per round at weekends. You can go horse riding with the Efford Down Riding Stables across the Bude Cliffs; the cliff top view is superb and on clear days you can see all the way to Trevose Head and Lundy's National Trust island (+44 (0)1288 354 244; www.efforddown.co.uk). A bit further afield, take a trip down to the Tate Gallery in St Ives (www.tate.org.uk/stives/) or visit the Barbara Hepworth Gallery, stopping at the tranquil Japanese Garden in St Mawgan near Newquay along the way.

Bude is one of the finest places to surf in the UK. There’s a lot of etiquette (and an equally baffling amount of strange terminology) involved in the sport. Simply remember that if you’re a ‘kook’ then avoid ‘snaking’, ‘bailing’ and ‘dropping in’ on someone else’s wave unless you want to receive a dose of ‘stink-eye’. We have no idea what they’re talking about, but if you don’t either then it’s best to be respectful of the local surfer code.