Trebarwith Strand is our go-to beach because our dog Truffle can play to his heart's content and body boarding, surfing and rock scrambling are all on offer, it is tide dependent with absolutely no beach for a good couple of hours around high tide. There is a good pub though!
Beaches
Cornwall has hundreds of amazing beaches to choose from, but our closest beaches
(20 mins) are absolutely beautiful and you really can't go wrong. However, there's different rules for dogs
so check out the beach information online
before going. You'll also need to be aware of tide times.
For all-round beach whatever the tide, we recommend Widemouth Bay which is also dog friendly at one end.
With its huge expanse of sand, café, and rock pools at low tide, as well as dog friendly section, this is a beach everyone can enjoy. The Free Wave Surf Academy and OA Surf Club both offer a range of water activities.
Widemouth Bay also combines well with a trip to Bude: We love to pick up a takeaway from one of the many food establishments and eat it while watching the sun go down,see our Places to Eat page for some suggestions. In fact, La Bocca can deliver great pizzas to the beach!
Bossinney Cove (and the next-door Benoath Cove) is another favourite with spectacular scenery. It is a bit of a steep walk from the carpark (with nice tea toom opposite) so is usually much quieter than other beaches. At low tide there are exciting caves to explore. Again there is no beach around high tide. These beaches can be combined with an exelent short coast path walk to Rocky Valley.
(Note: in 2021 the path to Bosinney Cove has been closed by a rockfall. Benoath Cove is still accessible though the lower part of the path is a true scramble!)
Crackington Haven is another good family all-rounder, although it doesn't allow dogs. It has a bit of everthing: sand (at low tide); shingle (at high tide), rockpools and cliffs, a pub, a cafe and shop.
The two Bude beaches, Summerleaze and Crooklets are super family spots and combine well with a day trip to this quintessential seaside town. Again, surf schools Bude Surfing Experience and The Big Blue Surf School operate out of Summerleaze.
Beyond these more local options, you may choose to travel a bit further and explore any number of fabulous options both on the north and south coasts!
Houses And Gardens
Cornwall is justly famous for it's Great Gardens, and you could spend a whole holiday just exploring these and the many stately homes they are part of. All of the National Trust properties are amazing with the more local ones like Lanhydrock (pictured) and Cotehele meriting a whole day to explore. Trewithen is another local beauty but on a slightly smaller scale.
The Eden Project provides a fascinating and educational experience and combines art with horticulture. It has a varied program which ensures that whatever the time of year, there will always be something of interest and great spectacle going on. Christmas lights and shows, spring bulb extravganzas, The Eden Sessions - it's all happening here!
For other combinations of art and horticulture, visit gardens such as The Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculture Garden near St Ives.
Head further down Cornwall and you can spend an age in Trebah and Glendurgan or head out to St Michel's Mount. Also be aware that different places are best at different times of year so Castle Drogo (in Devon) and Caerhays have spectacular spring colour.
Fishing Villages & Market Towns
The north coast is dotted with idyllic fishing villages, many boasting very exclusive eating out options such as Padstow and Port Isaac. Local villages Boscastle and Port Isaac make it onto every top ten list out there and have that picture perfect feel to them even in less than perfect weather!
Launceston, former capital of Cornwall with its imposing castle, is our most local market town and can get very bustling at certain times. Home to poet Charles Causley, it runs a week-long literary festival during the summer. Other towns to explore, all within 30 minutes, include Wadebridge on the Camel estuary; the historic county town of Bodmin, with the (in)famous Bodmin Jail, Steam Railway and Army museum; and the resort town of Bude, with its beaches and unique canal system. All of these have their own vibrant mix mix of interesting independent shops, local history, bars and resaurants, and a range of supermarkets.
Unforgettable Adventures
Already covered in the beach section are a number of surfing and coasteering options in the area. But if getting in the water isn’t your thing then maybe exploring the coast by boat is. North coast options include
Celtic Warrior, Padstow, Contact Shane Farley, 07970 684339. email celticwarriorpadstow@gmail.com
Scenic Tours and Fishing Trips, Boscastle Harbour, Contact Andy Walton, 07967 787384 / 01208 851660
Cornish Sea Tours, Polzeath 07791 533569
Padstow Sea Life Safaris, Padstow, 01841 521613
The south coast has a wealth of beautiful inlets especially around Falmouth and you can experience these by ferry https://www.cornwalls.co.uk/transport/ferries or through boat hire https://www.falmouthboathire.co.uk/ The ferries between Mevagissey and Fowey https://www.mevagissey-ferries.co.uk/are a more unusual way to get from one spot to another.
Cycling is another way to explore Cornwall. The Camel trail is nearby and provides a great flat route through the heart of the area and allows you to explore both Wadebridge and Padstow. There are many cycle hire options such as http://www.bridgebikehire.co.uk/ Bridge Bike Hire in Wadebridge and Bude Bike Hire https://budebikehire.co.uk/. For information on this and other cycle trails check out https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/environment/countryside/cycle-routes-and-trails/
For those who like the more thrilling, adrenalin filled experiences, there are a number of tree surfing options such as https://www.treesurfers.co.uk/ in the Tamar Valley. You could check out https://www.adrenalinquarry.co.uk/ where you can go cart, zip wire, do crazy things in water and other very physical activities! You can also experience zip wiring across the Eden Project if this takes your fancy.
Cornwall's World Heritage
Cornwall is home to the largest industrial World Heritage Site in the UK - 20,000 hectares across Cornwall and west Devon. You can explore a diverse range of sites and learn all about Cornwall's mining heritage.
Exploring this side to Cornwall also allows you to escape from the crowds as some of the sites are in the more hidden and wild parts of Cornwall. Combine with a National Trust visit at Godolphin House which provides a valuable insight into the wealth of some of Cornwall’s most successful industrialists and mine owners.
Cornwall has a number of fine castles, some, like Tintagel, steeped in myth as well as real history. With it's new bridge, this local tourist attraction is a great trip out with superb coastal views and beaches nearby. If you decide to head to the south coast, you may like to visit Pendennis Castle in Falmouth or Caerhays Castle between Truro and St Austell.
