Is Cornwall the UK’s best holiday destination?

The rhetoric of the aforementioned title is evident. Cornwall is not only Britain’s best loved holiday destination, but also lives up to its name. A peninsula bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel and to the east by the county of Devon over river Tamar — Cornwall is the traditional homeland of the Cornish people, rich in cultural identity and history that reflects even now in its urban landscape. Also known as Kernow, Cornwall is one of the seven historic Celtic nations, others being Alba, Eire, Breizh, Mann, Cymru and Gallaeciea.

Cornwal also boasts of 150 beaches and coves, and 2,400 miles of walking network. You can witness the changing landscape of the peninsula — from the turquoise sea and white sand of the far west, to the golden sand bays and perfect surfing conditions of the north, to the high moorlands and leafy estuaries of the south.

Now, we are aware of the famous Cornish pastries, which contribute massively to its economy, and we have also heard a lot about its coastlines that is a major source of a great variety of sea food as well as surfing hubs. We look into the peninsula’s USPs to reaffirm reasons why you should visit here for your perfect vacation:

Historical and Cultural Sites

The history of Cornwall has seen many transformations and has been inhabited since the early Stone Age 20,000 years ago, and the evidence to that evolution is seen through its beautiful landcape and the architectural wonders that adorn it. In fact, the peninsula holds the status of World Heritage Site for ten of its industrial areas which represent its mining past. The best way to discover this historical diversity is through its museums, ancestral houses, castles and the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site.

The countryside, such as the West Cornwall and Bodmin Moor, comprises menhirs, stone circles, quoits, fougos, wells and forts, many of them dating back to the Bronze Age. Some prominent sites are Men-an-Tol, Lanyon Quoit and the Duloe Stone Circle. Other historical landmarks include the Tintagel Castle, supposed to be the birthplace of King Arthur; the Greevor Tin Mine near Pendeen; St Mawes Castle, one of a string of coastal fortresses built by Henry VIII; and the historic Bondmin Jail which is a storehouse of haunting tales and folklore.

For those looking for artistic inspirations, while the terrain of Cornwall might inspire those who hold the brush, explore further depths through its many museums and galleries. There’s the famous St Ives above Porthmeor Beach, The Museum of Witchcraft, Porthcurno Telegraph Museum, Barbara Hepworth Gallery and the Penlee House Gallery.

Another aspect that cannot be missed is the heritage buildings that have stood the test of time and throw light on its incredible architecture. St Michael’s Mount is a prominent landmark that looms from the mountains of Mount Bay and is known for its rococo drawing room, armoury collection, the 14th century church and the clifftop gardens.

Nature

One of the topmost attractions lies in Cornwall’s fervent work towards maintain its gardens, forests and miniature ecosystems through greenhouse, sanctuaries and wildlife centres. The biggest is the Eden Project, which is the largest greenhouse in the world, and is located at Bodelva. Others include The Lost Gardens of Heligan, the Blue Reef Aquarium, the National Lobster Hatchery at Padstow, Tremenheere Sculpture Garden and the Tresco Abbey Garden,

The peninsula also maintains some of the must-see natural landmarks along the coast, such as the beautiful coves of Chapel Porth, beaches of Newquay, Looe Islands and Trevellas Porth.

Surfing Capital

Cornwall has the longest coastline in the Great Britain — 697 kms of the total 18,185 kms British coast. While the south is known for the quaint fishing villages and creeks, the north is swept by endless sands and cliffs plummeting into the Atlantic. Visit the family beach at Perranporth or the busy bay areas such as St Ives and Palzeath. In addition, Newquay is considered the surfing hub, and has been so for the last 40 years. One staple from this area is to learn to surf from the national award-winning Globalboarders (globalboarders.com). You can also test the waters with a milder activity of sailing lessons of paddling a canoe along the serene stretch of river Fal.

Food and Drinks The legend of the Cornish pastries and ice-cream is evergreen, giving warm welcome to over 4.5 million of tourists in the area every year. A mandatory dish worth testing is the Stargazy Pie, a type of Cornish Pastry which is worth £150 million per year to the Cornish economy. It is made from pilchards eggs and potatoes in a pastry crust with fish heads. You can also take the famous Wild Food Walk with food guide Rachel Lambert, or eat chef Rick Stein’s fish and chips in Falmouth or Padstow. For those in search of the perfect poison, take a gander at Camel Valley vineyard for their award-winning selection of bubbly, or take advantage of Cornwall’s history of cider making and vicit Cornish Cider Farm, the largest cider maker and the only distiller.

How to Get Here:

By Train: Train services run frequently from London Paddington station, including the Night Riviera Sleeper Service to Penzance. You may also find direct trains from Bath and Bristol to Cornwall.

By Road: Taking less than 5 hours from London to the centre of Cornwall, drive along the M4 motorway from London, M6 from Manchester and then M5 to Exeter, to either the A30 or the A38 into South East Cornwall. You can also enter Cornwall from North Devon, experiencing the scenic Atlantic Highway A39.

By Coach: Coach timings from London/Birmingham to Truro are around 7–8 hours, while Cornwall Council offers weekly coach rover tickets.

By Air: Newquay Cornwall Airport links Cornwall to major cities across the world. An Airport Development Fee of £5 per departing passenger was introduced in 2005 to maintain the future of the Newquay Cornwall Airport. The best London accommodation around Airport.