Out & About Guide

Food & Drink

Culture & Heritage

Walks & Nature

Activities & Days Out

Surfing

Cornwall is famous for surfing, of course, and if you're ever going to give it a go, beautiful Sennen Beach might be the ideal place. Or maybe St Ives, which offers a wide choice of surf schools and shops where you can get yourself all the right kit. Other top surfing beaches include Watergate Bay north of Newquay; Fistral Beach, Newquay; Gwithian Beach, near Hayle; Perranporth Beach; Polzeath Beach; Porthtowan Beach; and Praa Sands Beach.

Seaside Painting Breaks

Artists have been drawn to the beautiful scenery and clear light of Cornwall for many years, and a number of places run painting courses, whether you are a beginner or more experienced. Based in the famous artists' colony of Newlyn, artist Tim Hall offers painting holiday and courses (Cornwall Painting Holidays) at local beauty spots such as the picturesque harbour village of Mousehole and majestic St. Michaels Mount.

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St Ives

St Ives is a buzzy and thriving town, full of character and crammed with lovely shops selling gifts, jewellery, crafts and clothes, as well as plenty of galleries and restaurants. There are fabulous sea views and stunning beaches, so if you need surfing gear, this is the place to get it.

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Mousehole

Mousehole is a delightful little fishing village that has retained much of its old-world charm. Its narrow streets are full of small shops, galleries and restaurants, and its Christmas lights are quite something (people come in busses to check them out during December).

National Maritime Museum, Falmouth

Celebrate and investigate Cornwall’s long maritime heritage at this quayside museum overlooking one of Britain’s greatest natural harbours, Falmouth. Traditional and modern craft; navigation skills; underwater viewing gallery.

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Wildlife Cruises, Falmouth

Falmouth Bay and the waters off The Lizard Peninsula draw a wealth of marine life. Take the opportunity to indulge in cetacean watching with AK Wildlife Cruises - porpoise and perhaps even killer whales, as well as sunfish, basking sharks, seals and sea birds, are regularly seen during the summer.

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Bodmin & Wenford Railway, Bodmin

Let the train take the strain! Discover the excitement and nostalgia of steam travel with a journey back in time on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway - Cornwall's only full size railway still operated by steam locomotives. Travel through 6.5 miles of stunning countryside on the country’s steepest heritage track.

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Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station, Helston

The first transatlantic television pictures were received on a remote Cornish moor on the Lizard Peninsula. Goonhilly Downs is still the world’s biggest satellite station; a visitor centre and tour reveal the inside story of this space-age technology.

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Sea Fishing, St Ives

Your skipper Chippy will ensure a great day out at sea – all tackle and refreshments are provided on his 38-foot boat. Trips include shark fishing, wreck and reef fishing for pollack, cod, ling ,and coalfish, and species trips - on a good day, expect to land conger and weavers, turbot and brill, among others.

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Cycling along the Camel Trail, Padstow

The Camel Trail is an attractive recreational cycling, riding and walking route following the old Bodmin to Padstow railway line, a distance of 18 miles. It passes through varied countryside alongside the River Camel and towards Padstow affords lovely views across to beaches at Rock and Daymer Bay. Hire a bike from Camel Trail Cycle Hire and savour this glorious level route.

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Healeys Cider Farm Tours, Penhallow

From self guided tours through the Museum, Distillery and Cellars where you’ll discover exactly how cyder comes to life, to the vintage tractor rides that take you on a journey through the boughs of our apple trees, the team at Healeys Cyder have created tours for every age and taste. A great family day out.

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Geevor Tin Mine Museum, Pendeen

Geevor Tin Mine was operational between 1911 and 1990, during which time it produced about 50,000 tons of black tin. Now a museum and heritage centre, it’s a fascinating insight into the industry and an excellent example of ‘living history’. You can take the underground tour, look down the Victory shaft, do a bit of panning, and learn about the history of the mine in the Hard Rock Museum.

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Wild Swimming

A wild swimmer is someone who actively seeks out wild places to swim, places where nature is all around you, and Cornwall is lucky to have an abundance of these places. You can enjoy a wild swim in the ocean, rivers, quarries and tidal pools. In fact, any outdoor swimming experience where you are surrounded by nature and exposed to the elements counts as a wild swim.

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Big Beaches

Looking for vast empty sands to clear your head on a breezy, invigorating walk or run, to exercise the dog, or simply to escape to breathe in the salty sea air, then seek out these glorious sandy beaches at low tide - Whitsand Bay in east Cornwall, Watergate Bay at Newquay, Widemouth Bay and Sandymouth at Bude, Long Rock between Marazion and Penzance, Perranporth near St Agnes, Carylon Bay near St Austell, and Gwithian Towans at Hayle (photo).

Hidden Beaches

There are some 400 beaches to be found along the unique and magical coastline that hugs the South West corner of Britain and the most beautiful and easily accessible draw the summer crowds. To escape the throng you need to follow the coast path to find the secret sandy coves that are only accessible by foot (or boat) - Fox Cove (Padstow); Porth Joke (Crantock); Nanjizal Cove (Land's End); Pedn Vounder (Sennen); Houzel Bay (Lizard); Bosahan Cove (Helford); Lantic Bay (Polruan); Hemmick Beach (Boswinger).

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Porthcurno Beach, Treen

There are many beautiful beaches in Cornwall – the most spectacular of which is probably Porthcurno – glorious golden sands, and a cove which acts as a sun-trap. With aquamarine sea, you could be in the Caribbean.

Koru Kayaking Adventures

Koru Kayaking Adeventures offer two-hour tours with an experienced guide in two locations on the Cornish coast - from Trevaunance Cove at St Agnes where you explore the nearby cliffs, coves and caverns, and from the private beach at the Budock Vean Hotel for a gentle paddle around the Helford River and Frenchman's Creek. It's the ultimate way to discover the remote beauty of these areas.

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Cycling the Old Mining Trails

The harbour at Portreath was a major centre for exporting tin ore, carried there on former tramroads and mineral railways. These are now at the heart of a network of off-road cycling/multi-activity trails exploring mid-Cornwall’s industrial heritage and peaceful countryside, including the 11-mile Mineral Tramways Coast-to-Coast to Devoran. Cycle hire by the hour or day lets you engage with this half-hidden world.

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Padstow

Nestling in a narrow gulley on the western side of the River Camel estuary, Padstow draws the summer crowds for its maze of narrow streets and passageways, bustling harbour and beautiful surrounding river and coastal walks. Foodies from afar flock to the excellent harbourside restaurants that make sound use of the fish, crab and lobsters landed on the quay, notably Rick Stein's empire of eateries in the town.

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Port Isaac

Boats, nets and lobster pots crowd the little harbour and a stream runs through this picture-postcard village between slate-hung houses and charming gardens. Wander the narrow lanes (Squeezebelly Alley is aptly named), identify some of the houses/locations made famous in the TV series Doc Martin, and sample some of the local catch at the Stargazy Inn, the Port Gaverne Hotel, or Natan Outlaw's Fish Kitchen beside the harbour.

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Last updated: 19/02/21

Photo credit: Unsplash

From 2023 the Epicurean Club becomes Loupe

Activities & Days Out

Surfing

Seaside Painting Breaks

St Ives

Mousehole

National Maritime Museum, Falmouth

Wildlife Cruises, Falmouth

Bodmin & Wenford Railway, Bodmin

Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station, Helston

Sea Fishing, St Ives

Cycling along the Camel Trail, Padstow

Healeys Cider Farm Tours, Penhallow

Geevor Tin Mine Museum, Pendeen

Wild Swimming

Big Beaches

Hidden Beaches

Porthcurno Beach, Treen

Koru Kayaking Adventures

Cycling the Old Mining Trails

Padstow

Port Isaac