Local Attractions

Beaches

The beaches in Cornwall come in all shapes and sizes and with varying facilities and popularity. Dogs are allowed on most beaches but check the signs between Easter and September.

• Portwrinkle - The beach is the furthest west on the Whitsand stretch. The wonderful Jolly Roger café overlooks the bay providing quality coffee and cakes as well as lunch. Toilets are also available here. The beach itself is fairly small and sandy and great for kids to have a paddle around in the water or rock pools. The beach is a short walk from the carpark and café.
• Tregantle Fort - A darling amongst the locals for BBQ’s and fun. Although there are no facilities here the beach is spread out and sandy. There is quite a long walk down to this beach, not easy for small children. The fort is part of MOD property so occasionally this path is closed as it passes through their artillery range. Don’t worry though the gate will be Iocked and a red flag flying when firing is in practice!
• Tregonhawke - Our personal favourite with quite a walk down to the beach but boy is it worth it. The view on the way down is spectacular and even more so when you get to the bottom. The beach is picturesque and quiet. There is opportunity for surfing, rock pooling and games playing. During the summer months there is a café (Eddystone café) open to the public which also has a toilet. Tregonhawke is also a magnificent beach to amble along with its sporadic rock formations reaching out to sea.
• Kingsand - Kingsand beach is pebbly with a mix of sand and shingle, sand mainly at low tide. Safe bathing. Great rockpools for the kids to explore and a variety of pubs for the parents to explore. The views are pretty stunning and you can watch the ships come up Plymouth Sound. Relaxing atmosphere and dogs are allowed all year.
• Cawsand - Cawsand is much sandier and there’s a slipway to the beach, making it a popular spot for sailing. During the Summer, you can also grab the Cawsand Ferry to Plymouth Barbican, every hour and a half. A short walk out of the village towards Fort Picklecombe will take you to a good swimming beach known locally as Sandways.
• Downderry - Downderry beach is a coarser sand and not good for sandcastles however it does have excellent rock pools and toilet facilities, shop and of course the pub 'The Inn on the Shore'. The area immediately in front of the pub is busy but if you turn Ieft as you face the sea and walk along it  gets much quieter.
• Seaton - Seaton is great for families as parking is very close and the beach is accessible for pushchairs and wheelchairs alike. There a number of places for lunch and snacks, including Seaton Beach Café, toilet facilities and is lifeguarded during the peak season.  It is popular for surfers and paddleboarders.

These are just a few of our closest beaches, there are many more for you to discover and enjoy. Best surfing beaches are to be found on the west coast especially Newquay, Fistral Beach and Watergate Bay.

Gardens & Houses

Lost Gardens of Heligan, Pentewan - The Lost Gardens of Heligan are located near Mevagissey in Cornwall, England and are considered to be amongst the most popular in the UK. The gardens are typical of the 19th century Gardenesque style with areas of different character and in different design styles.

Lanhydrock, Bodmin (National Trust)  - Magnificent late Victorian country house with garden and wooded estate.

Mount Edgcumbe - Mount Edgcumbe is open to the public all year, whatever the weather. Explore the coastline, discover the trails, segway around the grounds and  take some time out browsing in the shopping village or refresh in one of the cafes or restaurants.

Cotehele (National Trust) - An atmospheric Tudor house with Medieval roots, a mill on a historic quay, a glorious garden with valley views and an expansive estate to explore.

Outdoors

Adrenalin Quarry - A flooded quarry near Liskeard, South East Cornwall. Aquapark, fly down zip wires, ride a giant clifftop swing, axe throwing and go karting.

Tamar Trails  - Explore 25km of trails, try outdoor activities, including Tree Surfers, archery and bike hire or enjoy the Tamar Valley visitor centre and cafe on the Devon Cornwall border.

Minions - The highest village in Cornwall, situated on the south east side of Bodmin Moor, home to the Hurlers Stone Circle and several other prehistoric monuments as well as remnants of Cornwall's mining heritage.

South West Coastal Path - The South West Coast Path is England’s longest waymarked long distance footpath and a national trail and can be easily accessed in numerous locations nearby.

Rainy Day

Eden Project - An Eco visitor attraction in Cornwall. The complex is dominated by two huge enclosures consisting of adjoining domes that house thousands of plant species and each enclosure emulates a natural biome.

Barbican Leisure Park, Plymouth - A great destination for bowling, cinema, nightclubs, fitness and dining.

National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth - The National Marine Aquarium is the UK’s largest aquarium, located in Britain’s Ocean City, Plymouth.

Plymouth Life Centre - The Plymouth Life Centre is the best sport & leisure facility in the South West and one of the country's leading centres of sporting excellence, home of Olympic medallist Tom Daly.

Carnglaze Caverns - Carnglaze Caverns consists of three man-made caverns formed as part of a slate quarry in the Loveny Valley, near the village of St Neot, Liskeard, Cornwall.

Cycling

Camel Trail - The Camel Trail is a disused railway track along the Camel estuary and so is virtually flat. It is very safe for riders of all ages and picturesque, especially the Padstow to Wadebridge section. Bikes are available to hire in Padstow and at Wadebridge.

Cardinham Woods - Nature walks & cycling trails through a forested valley, plus a cafe with gourmet home cooking.

Drakes Trail - Drake's Trail in West Devon is a 21 mile cycling and walking route linking Tavistock with Plymouth and features the iconic Gem Bridge (see picture).