Welcome to Holidays in Cornwall.



The summer of 2008 aside, Cornwall is a great county in which to enjoy a holiday. It was a teeny bit damp down here this year but we were not alone in this and I'd say that even when the weather is a bit on the wet side, Cornwall still has a great deal to offer visitors of all ages.

When the sun comes out, as it tends to do in May and September regardless of prevailing weather patterns at other times of the year, Cornwall's beaches are second to none. You will find long expanses of sand on the North Coast, particularly around St Ives, Hayle and Newquay whilst the south coast boasts the amazing Carne and Pendover beaches (they combine at low tide) on the Roseland.

The coastline offers amazing views via the South West Coast Path that runs around the full length of Cornwall's coast and beyond into Devon. Along the coastline you will see stunning sea scapes, marine wildlife and a fair mix of shipping plus you will stumble upon numerous hidden gems tucked away in small coves well off the main tourism track. One way to get the most out of what Cornwall has to offer is through guided tours or by taking one of the many boat excursions from Cornwall's ports such as Padstow,St Ives and Falmouth.

Cornwall has a rich past, with myths and legends aplenty as well as a history of celtic christian saints, smugglers, mining, piracy and wrecking. Evidence of the earliest settlers here can be found on Penwith at Carn Euny and Chysauster as well as evidenced elsewhere in the landscape such as Roughtor on Bodmin Moor. In addition to occupied sites you can see many standing stones formations such as Men an Tol, again, on Penwith and "The Hurlers" at Minions, the highest village on Bodmin Moor.

As well as being a popular venue for sight seeing, Cornwall has become strongly identified with surfing, an identity firmly fixed around Newquay and Fistral Beach. Newquay hosts a number of international surfing events and attracts some of the best surfing talent to the town. Catering for both novice and skilled surfer are a number of surf schools including the Quiksilver and Roxy Surf School, Newquay which offers both beginner and advanced tuition under the guidance of experienced professional surfers with a good competition reciord of their own.

Equally popular in Cornwall is the sport of Surf Lifesaving which is both a highly skilled and competitive sport and a grounding in useful lifesaving and sea safety techniques. The popularity of this sport goes hand in hand with the surf conditions to be found here and gives many youngsters the skills and confidence to make the best use of the sea in safety.



PLACES TO VISIT

Cornwall offers a range of locations, sights and attractions including fince country houses and gardens, like Pencarrow (left), Lanhydrock, Trebah, Glendurgan, Trelissick, Trewithen Pridaux Place, Heligan, Trellowarren, Tregothnan, Penrose and many more.

A full list of cornwall's gardens can be accessed by clicking here.

For an introduction to places to visit in Cornwall you could do worse than take a look at the Cornish Connexions website which includes a selection of attractions as well as an introduction to many Cornish towns and villages.

For recommendations and links view the appropriate thread below.

Click here for information on accommodation in Cornwall.