Plan a Cornish stay-cation this summer

It’s not too late to plan a summer holiday for 2020, and with flights from around the UK directly into Cornwall Airport Newquay, why not holiday nearer home this year? Get inspired today and discover our top experiences to plan into your Cornish stay-cation.

Cornwall’s diverse coastline make it the perfect place to try out various water sports. The rugged North Coast beaches are home to world class waves perfect for surfing and body boarding. Fistral Beach in Newquay is the UK’s most famous surfing beach and can be found just 20 minutes from Cornwall Airport Newquay, Fistral Beach Surf School offer wetsuit, body board and surf hire as well as individual or group surf lessons for beginners, or those wanting to perfect their technique. 

Other great beaches for surfing and body boarding include Watergate Bay, Gwithian, Polzeath and Porthtowan. Head for RNLI lifeguarded beaches to ensure your safety and remember to surf between the black and white flags, and swim or body board between the red and yellow ones.

For something a little more calming, why not try out stand up paddle boarding (SUP), or kayaking? The estuaries of South Coast of Cornwall make for perfect paddling conditions, try Loe Beach Watersports hire on the Fal River. If you’re more experienced on the water, why not take a sailing boat out? Another perfect sport for the South Coast, you’ll find lots of places to launch a boat – Mylor Boat Hire offer pre-book sailing experiences.

From beautifully neat kitchen gardens, to sub-tropical paradises; Cornwall is home to some of the most famous gardens in the UK and across the world. Glendurgan gardens near Falmouth runs down to the Helford River and the tiny fishing village of Durgan; although most famous for its spectacular magnolias and camelias in spring time, the garden is full of colour all year round. A highlight of Glendurgan is its large cherry laurel maze dating back to 1833, which from personal experience tends to take longer to get through than you might first imagine!

Since being rediscovered thirty years ago, the 200 acres of The Lost Gardens of Heligan have been nurtured and replanted to create a stunning estate complete with Mediterranean Italian garden, Victorian kitchen garden, and sub-tropical jungle!

For something completely unique, head to the Eden Project to discover the rainforest and Mediterranean within just a few metres of one another! Eden passionately believe in conservation and sustainability, and you’ll learn all about the projects they have worked on across the world to help save the planet. 

The famous South West Coast Path runs the perimeter of Cornwall, and is the perfect place to enjoy the great outdoors this summer. Some sections of the path can be tough, with steep sections of steps (or sometimes no steps!) and the occasional bit of clambering over rocks, so make sure you check out the South West Coast Path website before you head out to plan a walk suitable for you. A popular part of the path, and one that’s not too strenuous, is at Bedruthan Steps (between Newquay and Padstow). You can park in the national trust car park and walk along the top of the cliffs towards Porthcothan Bay.

A summer holiday to Cornwall wouldn’t be complete without a few traditional Cornish treats! Tuck into award winning ice cream at Roskilly’s farm near Coverack, enjoy crumbly clotted cream fudge at Buttermilk in Padstow, or dig into a cream tea (jam first of course) at The Idle Rocks in St Mawes. For something savoury, enjoy fish and chips from Rick Stein at Fistral Beach, or a famous Cornish Pasty – there’s a lot of competition across Cornish bakeries but our personal favourite is from Chough Bakery in Padstow Harbour.

By day, the north coast of Cornwall’s beaches are decorated by the colours of beach towels, parasols and surf boards. By evening they become tranquil spots ideal for beach BBQs and watching glorious orange and pink sunsets. When the sky is clear, head to Watergate Bay or Godrevy lighthouse to catch the sun disappear into the water.

Currently we have many flights coming to Cornwall from various Airports around the UK - a list of current flights and the airline route providers are here. 

A staycation is a great option this summer, and whilst we’ve done our best to ensure that the businesses mentioned in this blog are all open, please make sure you check their websites before you head out.