Things to visit whilst in St Ives

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Gerard

If you are heading to Cornwall for your holiday you are sure to visit the wonderful town of St. Ives, located north of Penzance and just west of Camborne, the resort is one of the most popular in the region. Not only has St. Ives got plenty to see and do, but it is also in a great location to be able to visit many of the other attractions based around Cornwall.

One of the largest visitor attractions in the UK is the Eden Project, located just outside of the town of St. Austell; the project, amongst other things, incorporates the world’s largest greenhouse. Throughout the year a great many people head to the attraction as it holds a variety of attractions for both young and old to enjoy. Throughout the summer, several one day concerts take place, so you may be fortunate enough to catch your favourite artists or bands whilst enjoying staying in Cornwall cottages

Just a short distance from St Ives cottages is the wonderful St. Michaels mount; the island is located near Marazion and holds a wonderful castle that can be explored. There are plenty of other great attractions to see and do, such as sub-tropical gardens and wonderful restaurants and cafes.

If you are looking for other locations to explore inCornwall, you could venture down to Land’s End on the very westerly tip ofCornwall. Not only does it contain some great shops and exhibitions but you can also get your picture taken at the iconic signpost pointing towards the opposite end of the country, John O’Groats.

Image credit: Michael Gwyther-Jones (flickr)

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Ash

The South West is a part of theUKthat everyone flocks to every summer, andCornwallis home to a great number of attractions and events that will ensure it is a topUKholiday destination for the summer. In this blog post we will look at some of the top events happening in 2012.

Royal CornwallShow – Running from 7^th to the 9^th June, the Royal Cornwall Show will see the best of the countryside and agriculture head to the Royal Cornwall Showground in Wadebridge. This wonderful country show lets those from around theUK see everything that is amazing about this part of the country. Tastings, competitions and live entertainment will ensure this is a great family day out.

(image courtesy of Flickr user madnzany)

Run to the Sun – From June 1^st to 4^th, Newquay will be playing host to one of the most exciting festivals of the year. Come along and catch some of the finest DJs, comedians, bands and acoustic sessions. The ever popular silent disco will be making its return where you can bop along to with a pair of headphones and your own private party. This 25 year old event is sure to be a summer highlight for those heading down toCornwall.

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Getting Around the West of Cornwall

Posted on July 22, 2011 by

The thing I like about Cornwall is that the whole county gradually narrows down to a point at Land’s End. This means that when you’re holidaying in Cornwall cottages in the west of the county (which is easily the best part of Cornwall), you don’t have far to travel between any of the popular locations. You can easily spend the entire holiday day-tripping and not feel like you’ve been trapped in the car the entire time.

I’ll throw out a few examples so that you can get an idea of just what this enables you to do. Say, for instance, you were staying in Penzance cottages and decided that you would like to visit St Ives (which you should definitely do as it is a gorgeous little fishing village). Well, you can either hop in the car or get on a bus and be there in time to look around the Tate before lunch. Then, grab some fish and chips on the water front and spend the afternoon wandering up and down the cobbled streets, perhaps popping in to the Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden as well, if you feel a little more culture is in order.

Or, you could head off to Sennen Cove and enjoy another picturesque village, complete with the excellent beaches nearby.

Heading back in the evening is easy, and you could even go somewhere else for your supper, and only head back to your accommodation after that. West Cornwall is like a little nugget of holiday heaven, with all the wealth of a much larger area packed in to one bite size chunk.

Come to the Most Southerly Point of Britain

Posted on June 17, 2011 by

The Lizard peninsula in Cornwall has one point that makes it particularly noteworthy. It’s a literal point as well, because Lizard Point is the most southerly point of Britain. Not the British Isles, of course, but if you don’t want to cross any seawater then this is as far south as you’re going.

Anybody staying in holiday cottages in Cornwall that wants to visit the Lizard peninsula won’t have far to travel. If you’re at the farthest point in Cornwall from the Lizard, it would only take you two hours to reach, and anybody staying in West Cornwall, where most of the best holiday destinations in Cornwall are anyway, will have a much easier time getting there and out to Lizard point itself.

Once there, you can stand knowing that nobody else on Britain is currently further south than you. Unlike the other famous point, Land’s End, you don’t have to pay to go to Lizard’s point and can park immediately by it, then stand looking out other the bleak, dramatic cliff into the sea.

Once you’ve had your fill of dramatic landscapes there are quite a few nearby attractions within easy reach, such the National Seal Sanctuary, the Trebah Garden and Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station, one of the world’s biggest satellite communication centres.

As you can see, there’s something for everybody to enjoy at Lizard Point when you head there on your Cornwall holidays. There are plenty of different things to do just in this small area.

Sandcastle Day in Falmouth

Posted on June 14, 2011 by

Having plenty of things to do and see near to your chosen accommodation is important during any holiday. You need to be sure that there’s stuff you’ll enjoy and, if you’re bringing them along, something for the kids to enjoy. You also have to be able to fill up most of your holiday with activities. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of thing you can do whilst enjoying a self catering Cornwall holiday near Wadebridge.

We’ll start with the kids. Wadebridge is a fifteen minute drive from Crealy Adventure Park, which has plenty of rides and play areas (both indoors and outdoors) for your children to enjoy. It’s a great way to treat the kids during the holiday, and an excellent bargaining chip if you find them a bit reluctant to head out to some of the attractions you might enjoy more.

Beaches are another great potential day out, and, with so many fabulous beaches within easy reach, you’re really spoilt for choice. They’re also enjoyed by adults and children alike; playing in the sea and the sand never gets old (but sunbathing can be an acquired taste).

The Camel Trail links Wadebridge to Padstow, so whether you feel like setting off on your own or taking the family out for a bike ride, you can set off on this flat, level cycle path and enjoy the Cornish countryside. It’s also the perfect length for a round trip if you fancy taking lunch in Padstow before heading back to your North Cornwall holiday cottage.

Romantic Cornwall

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Gerard

couple on the beach

Cornwall is not just a great family destination; it is also a perfect getaway for couples looking for a romantic break.

What could be more romantic than walking hand in hand with your loved one along a golden sandy beach at sunset or having a cosy picnic on top of a sun-drenched cliff overlooking a wide blue sea. You can find all of this and more on a romantic holiday in Cornwall that is sure to provide many fond lifelong memories.

Its not just the great outdoors that provides the romantic opportunities in Cornwall, the county is full of wonderful restaurants serving everything from modern cuisine to good old fashioned pub grub. The region is also famous for its sea food and there aren’t many places in the UK where you will find fresher sea food. The most famous eatery is of course Rick Stein’s restaurant which is renowned across the world as one of the finest sea food restaurants around today.

Most romantic evenings are accompanied by wine so what better way to spend your romantic break than a trip to a vineyard. You may not realise it but Cornwall has its own vineyards thanks to its warm summers and good climate. Take a tour of one of these beautiful vineyards and see how the nectar of the gods is created, then perhaps best of all you get to sample some delicious wine afterwards.

Cornwall also provides the perfect accommodation for your romantic break too. Why not rent Cornwall cottages by the sea, you could even find one with an open fireplace for some cosy nights in front of the fire with a bottle of wine from the local vineyard and some freshly caught seafood.

Family Days Out in Cornwall

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Gerard

cornwall holiday

Thousands and thousands of Brits and many more travellers from across the world will be heading to Cornwall this year for their summer holidays. Cornwall is a great attraction for any tourist be they a couple seeking a romantic getaway or a family on their summer holidays. In this post we will look at some of the great attraction that Cornwall has to offer families staying in Cornwall holiday cottages.

Flambards offer some of the best family rides and thrills in Cornwall and includes an undercover play area, summertime entertainment shows, award winning exhibitions, children’s ride area and the famous Victorian village.

Get ready for the thrill of Morgawr the new roller coaster at Crealy Adventure Park Cornwall. Crealy offers plenty of wild rides, cute animals, thrilling adventures and indoor play areas for family fun whatever the weather.

Newquay Zoo is regarded as one of the finest zoo’s in the south west and is home to animals from right across the world. Here you will find all your favourite animals from penguins to lions set amongst exotic lakeside gardens. The zoo also has children’s play areas, a Tarzan trail, tropical house and much, much more besides.

The Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay is one of the finest aquariums in the UK and allows you to get up close and personal with the wonders of the underwater world.

The Monkey Sanctuary is situated in beautiful woodland overlooking the Cornish coast. The sanctuary has been home to monkeys from all over the world since it was established in 1964.

This is just a small sample of the countless great family friendly attractions to be found during a holiday in Cornwall.

Enjoy Some Stunning Views of West Cornwall

Posted on March 17, 2011 by

We all know that West Cornwall offers some amazing landscapes for visitors to enjoy whilst staying in their holiday cottages in Cornwall, but have you ever considered what those same areas would look like from the air?

There are plenty of ways to get into the air around Cornwall, whether it’s by helicopter, glider, light aircraft or hot air balloon. If you’re planning a trip to the county and think it might be to your fancy, why not look into it?

Until then, you can keep yourself satisfied and awaiting any potential flights with this video compilation of West Cornwall from the air. You’ll see some brilliant shots of waves crashing against cliffs, the long, golden beaches that littler the county’s coastline and plenty of the beautiful countryside that keeps people coming back to Cornwall year after year.

Cornish Holidays Now Guaranteed To Be More Cornish!

Posted on March 8, 2011 by

You may have felt that your Cornish holidays couldn’t get anymore Cornish. Well, it turns out you were wrong. Cornwall recently gained an official stamp verifying its Cornishness when it was decided that Cornish pasties were to be the latest food to receive the Protected Geographical Indication status.

What does that mean? Cornish pasties must now follow a set recipe, be of a particular shape and style and, most importantly, be made in Cornwall. You’ll now be getting official Cornish pasties during your stay in St Just cottages. Any pasties that don’t follow the guidelines or are made outside the county won’t be able to use the name “Cornish pasties” though “replica Cornish pasties” may still be acceptable.

Of course, some people aren’t happy with this. The Cornish pasty has many minor variants in its creation depending on which baker you go to, even inside the borders of Cornwall. This means that plenty of bakers are suddenly finding themselves either needing to change how they make pasties or drop the ‘Traditional Cornish’ from the beginning of their pasties’ names.

Whether this matter will be settled quickly or not is unsure. It won’t stop you getting Cornish pasties elsewhere in the UK as companies like Ginsters (who championed this regulation) have their factories based in Cornwall anyway, allowing them to ship across the entire UK after making pasties from non-Cornish ingredients and claiming them to be traditionally Cornish anyway. The people who will really be affected will be the smaller bakeries that exist throughout Cornwall, and at which people have been enjoying Cornish pasties on their holidays for years.

Visit St Just on your Cornwall Holiday

Posted on February 14, 2011 by

West Cornish coast There are plenty of places that people want to visit whilst staying in their Cornish cottages, but only so many you can actually reach in the time your holiday allows. Of course, you could take a longer holiday, but that just means you’ll see more of what you want to. You have to realise that you can’t see everything.

Once you have come to terms with this, you can begin to make your holiday time efficient, guaranteeing you see as much as possible. This shouldn’t be a reason to rush through your holiday though. In fact, planning your time and using it efficiently will mean you can have a much more relaxed holiday, spending your time as you want to and not having any regrets about not making it to any attractions.

One of the best ways to maximise your time is booking out a holiday cottage near or in one of the places you want to visit. St Just is a great example of this. There’s plenty for holiday makers to see there like Geevor mine, the Merry Maidens (a stone circle), or the ancient churches of the area.

Staying it St Just cottages also means you can easily reach plenty of other attractions in West Cornwall. Land’s End is only a few miles away and the village of St Ives is just up the coast. Penzance and St Michael’s Mount are a short drive away too, and the world famous Eden Project is less than an hour and a half away.

There are plenty of other locations to stay, but booking a cottage in a spot like St Just means you can get to everything you want to.

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