Discover Cornwall
Cornwall has long been one of the most popular UK holiday destinations. As a result there is a flourishing tourism industry providing a host of accommodation options. Cornwall has some of the best camping and caravan sites in the UK. Padstow Touring Park is one of only a few caravan and camping sites to be awarded Five Stars and Five Pennants, as such we are leading the way forward in raising the standards for all caravan and camping site around the UK. North Cornwall is well suited to camping, caravans and motorhomes with easy access from the A30, great walking, beaches, restaurants, picture perfect harbour towns and great family days out.
Camping in Cornwall? See our top tips for Camping in Cornwall
So what brings people back to visit Cornwall time and again?
Well, the climate is certainly the mildest in the UK but our summers aren’t the hottest! So it must be a renaissance in arts and food in Cornwall along with the natural beauty of the beaches, cliffs, coves, gardens, dunes, moors and heathlands plus the man-made attractions offering great family days out whatever the weather.
Cornwall’s Beaches
Cornwall’s beaches are unrivalled elsewhere in Britain for their beauty and variety. In my opinion the most picturesque
are the sheltered tiny coves that dot the coastline like Trevone, Treyarnon and Porthcothan. Padstow has more than its fair share of fantastic beaches the area is known as seven bays for seven days as you can visit a different beach every day for seven days within only a few miles of Padstow.
Day 1. Trevone Beach
Day 2. Harlyn Beach
Day 3. Booby’s Bay
Day 4. Constantine Bay
Day 5. Mother Iveys
Day 6. Treyarnon Bay
Day 7. Porthcothan Beach
Cornish Mining Heritage
In 2006 selected mining landscapes across Cornwall and west Devon were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, placing Cornish mining heritage on a par with international treasures like Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China.
Ten separate Areas make up the World Heritage Site each has its own character and opportunities for adventure. The largest World Heritage Site in the UK, with over 20,000 hectares spread across Cornwall and west Devon, it offers myriad experiences to explore our world-changing mining culture.
The mining story is set against one of the most spectacular backdrops imaginable – a strikingly beautiful coastline, rugged moors, idyllic countryside, lush river valleys, and bustling towns and harbours.
To explore the stories of Cornish mining in the area, visit the mining attractions or simply plan a day trip within one of the World Heritage Site areas, please use the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site widget within this website.
Towns and Villages
Cornwall has the most enchanting fishing villages and harbours; Padstow, Looe, Portloe, Boscastle, Mevagissey, Cadgwith, Zennor and Mousehole are but a few.
It’s not just the villages that have something the sightseer, the towns (and city!) of Cornwall are rich in history and attractions of their own. Take Padstow with its picturesque harbour, Paul Ainsworth and Rick Stein dishing up the some of the best food the UK has to offer and the many perfect sandy beaches. Falmouth – a working port and charming shopping town. There is Truro, the only city in Cornwall where the cathedral still dominates the skyline. For industrial heritage Redruth has few rivals. Once at the centre of the industrial revolution and the mining industry Redruth and Camborne have spent many years in decline but are finally bouncing back. Penzance is one of the largest towns in Cornwall and has plenty to do and see. From the sub-tropical Morrab Gardens to the bustling fishing port of Newlyn you should find something of interest. It is also here that you can take a day trip to the Isles of Scilly plus it’s within walking distance of Marazion and St Michael’s Mount.
Gardens in Cornwall
If you are bored of the towns or fancy a change from the beach why not try the stately homes and gardens of Cornwall. The National Trust is very active in Cornwall and along with a host of independently owned tourist attractions you should find plenty to see and do.
Gardens worthy of mention include; The Lost Gardens of Heligan, The Eden Project, Trelissick and Trebah. Stately homes include; Lanhydrock house, Prideaux Place and Pencarrow.
Another unique draw of Cornwall is it’s ancient past. The moorland countryside of West Cornwall and Bodmin Moor are littered with megalithic monuments such as standing stones, barrows and stone circles. Less ancient ruins that abound in Cornwall are the leftovers of the mining industry, in many places these share the same sites the ancients chose to build on creating strange juxtapositions.
