5 reasons why we love staycationing in Cornwall (Guest post)

There’s just something about Cornwall that has us hooked. A lot of it is down to the pull of the sea, but it’s also the sheer diversity on offer here, with wild and rugged landscapes merging with the warmth and friendliness of the Cornish welcome. It’s why we’re drawn back here time and time again for our family holidays. Here are just some of the reasons why we love this part of the world.

The sea 

You can’t come to Cornwall and not spend huge swathes of time by the sea – and that’s just the way we like it. We love Long Rock Beach, where it’s safe for little ones because it feels like you have to walk miles out to even get up to your waist in water. Helford Passage Beach is also a regular haunt because we can sit and have a drink outside at the historic Ferry Boat Inn while the children play on the beach a few yards away. You can also hire a boat here for an hour or a day, exploring the little inlets.

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katymoon/1305848785/

Quirky accommodation

One of the joys of travelling is the chance to sleep under a new roof, somewhere completely different to your own home. We’ve stayed in a treehouse in France, under canvas in Portugal and in caravans across the world. In Cornwall, our favourite go-to is a cute timber lodge, with exposed wood, where you get all the mod-cons, but still a feeling of adventure.

Image credit: Park Dean

It’s a foodie’s heaven

With such an abundance of fresh seafood and produce straight from the farm, it’s no wonder chefs in Cornwall are inspired to create some of the most delectable dishes we’ve tasted. Fat Apples Café in Porthallow serves a famous all-day breakfast that sets you up for the day, no matter how busy you area. The family-run venue also makes the most delicious cakes and you can sit outside on the picnic tables when it’s sunny. We always go to Mr B’s Icecream Parlour in Hayle too, where family favourite flavours include jaffa cake, bakewell tart and damsel plum tart. Or if we are near Padstow we head for Rick Stein’s Fish and Chip shop.

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aburt/8462300958/

The great outdoors

Cornwall is the type of place that encourages you to get out and about in the great outdoors. We’ve taken surf lessons together as a family, with the kids delighting in the fact they were soon standing up and catching some waves while we could barely stay on our boards. My favourite activity so far though has been paddleboarding. By the end of my first lesson, I could stand up, and it was easy to understand why A-listers like Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Anniston have become captivated by the sport. It improves balance and definitely works muscles you didn’t even know you had.

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitch/6355419927/ 

The wilderness

For a get-away from it all experience, Cornwall is hard to beat. Bodmin Moor captures the imagination with its prehistoric granite sculptures and the legend that it is the resting place of King Arthur’s sword Excalibur. Our children loved seeing the horses, cows and sheep that roam freely and we stopped for cream tea at Minions Post Office where you can read all about sightings of the famed Beast of Bodmin Moor.

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ennor/172935532/ 

This post was written by Katie, a travel-loving blogger from Bradford. Her family love Cornwall and they discovers more reasons to return every time they head to this beautiful, rugged, friendly county.