Direct flights between Cork and Newquay re-open for the summer, so a visit to the land of self-defeating fishermen may well be in order. Presumably, Tate St Ives and the Eden Project should top any itinerary, alongside sampling the local scones and ice-cream, but what do our West Country OTFers recommend? Presumably Padstow has become such a tourist trap now that one could barely afford a bag of fish and chips there?
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Looe is my favourite Cornish town, plenty of nice little shops and places to eat, and Polperro down the road is well worth a visit, especially the Harbour Heritage museum. -
The Telegraph musuem at Porthcurno is great, and you can see actual interweb cables coming up from the beach. Penzance Jubilee Pool is lovely, as is Porthleven (all this in the far SW of the county).Comment
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Regular visitor, love Penwith.
Also in the extreme west, the beach village of Sennen is lovely. I'd avoid St Ives, Newquay and possibly Padstow these days if trying to swerve congestion.
The coastal walks are a great way to pass a few hours.Comment
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I always enjoyed Bodmin Moor, which is bleakly lovely if you get off the main road. I once climbed a random Tor and just ten minutes up from the road discovered a little stone circle. And the Luxulyan Valley is beautoful, actually improved by the old viaduct running across it.
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Isn't Penwith in Cumbwia?Originally posted by Auntie Beryl View Post
We went to St Ives last time we were in Cornwall. It's a nice place but is far too popular to enjoy properly, going round the town is like going round a big event at the NEC. My Inlaws went to Newquay and Padstow a couple of years back and didn't enjoy it at all.Comment
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It's all good but really depends what you're after and how you plan to get around.
What the others have said above, everyone has a favourite Cornish beach but I'll add Kynance Cove and the Lizard in general taking in the lighthouse at the point. I'll second Penwith and the walks along the coast around Pendeen and St Just with the old mine houses dotting the cliffs (I'd imagine it'll be crowded with the Poldark crowd nowadays mind).
St Ives is fine for the day if you want the Tate and the Hepworth sculptures. I'm not sure I'd bother otherwise. Avoid Padstein, Port Isaac and the Tories-by-the-sea of Rock.
Perranporth and Porthtowan are probably my favourite North coast haunts with decent beaches and great pubs right on the sands. If you go further up then Boscastle with it's fabulous Witches Museum is well worth your time.
On the South Coast I totally agree with SotS about Looe and Polperro. I'm also partial to Falmouth and the Maritime Musuem often has good temporary exhibitions. They've got their Titanic one at the moment.
Food wise forgo the cream tea and try the various pasties. Ann's on the Lizard and Philps are my favourite, but every small town has a bakery that does their own. Anything by Skinners is my usual beer of choice, though draft Doombar is still brewed in Cornwall (unlike the bottled stuff) and St Austell (Tribute) is ubiquitous. More difficult to find are beers from the Lizard and Penzance breweries.
Oh and prepare to get wet.Comment
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Penwith is the jutting out area right at the far west. The bit with Lands End.Originally posted by Sean of the Shed View Post
Which reminds me - avoid Lands End. At all costs.Comment
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He's Irish. He'll be confused if it's not raining...Originally posted by Greenlander View PostComment
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The Telegraph Museum at Porthcurno is indeed brilliant, and don't forget if you're there also to check out the amazing Minack Theatre, just a stone's throw away.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minack_Theatre
The Maritime Museum is really good also IMO -*it's quite modern and much more interactive than, say, the Maritime Greenwich museumsComment
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