North Cornwall is a beautiful area to use as a base for your holiday. The stunning cliff top walks are easily accessible without having to use your car. Further afield are the moors of Bodmin, the Tors and numerous harbours and working ports.
Harlyn Bay is close to Padstow where you can shop, visit the museums, the lobster hatchery or the historic Prideaux Place. For the more energetic you could walk or cycle the Camel trail to Wadebridge or Bodmin visiting the Bodmin & Wenford steam railway and nature conservation areas. There are numerous boat trips available from the historic harbour of Padstow for angling or leisure. You can take a boat on a wildlife watching safari along the coast, looking out for the dolphins, seals and puffins as well as other amazing inhabitants of our coastlines. Rick Steins shops, restaurants, Bistro, Deli and cookery school are a must for culinary enthusiasts. Across the estuary, reached by ferry or road, is the exclusive village of Rock, and the beautiful sandy Daymer bay.
Wadebridge is rapidly becoming a more popular and diverse town. There is a wide and thriving selection of small, local shops catering for all needs. In the evenings the cinema shows the latest films and the pubs offer a traditional welcome. In August there is a colourful and popular folk festival held in many small venues across the town. Sir John Betjamin is linked to the nearby beautiful village of Little Petherick and is buried in a local churchyard.
Harlyn Bay is the largest of the ‘7 bays for 7 days.’ The others are all found very close by. The next largest is Constantine Bay, a wide sandy beach backed by huge sand dunes and golf course. At the far end is a smaller bay, Boobys Bay, accessed through the dunes or by beach. Both have great rock pools and clean safe bathing. Further along the coast is Treyarnon Bay, a smaller beach, sheltered by great cliffs on both sides. A little further up the coast is Porthcothan, another sheltered sandy beach popular with families. The final beach is Mother Iveys bay, a beach reached via a static caravan site, but not exclusive for their customers.
Other local attractions include the amazing Eden project in St Austell, a series of glass biomes aiming to conserve and educate using tropical gardens and ground breaking research. During the year there are great activities for the family, food festivals, ice skating rinks, music festivals are a few. Another popular venue are The lost gardens of Heligan, an amazing pre -war country house garden which had been lost for decades and was recently rediscovered and restored by Tim Smit. There are also numerous Houses and country homes run by the National trust and English Heritage.
North of the Padstow is Polzeath, and Port Isaac, a beautiful small harbour town which will be familiar to ‘Doc Martin ‘ fans. Along the coast a little further are the historic and picturesque villages of Boscastle and Tintagel, a must for Arthurian fans. For ‘Poldark’ fans they can try to spot the location for their favourite scenes in Padstow and nearby St Agnes.
Bodmin is a small town with a dark secret. The Gaol is now open to the public and is a fascinating venue. Close by is the amazing Lanhydrock house, a National Trust late Victorian country house it’s extensive grounds and woods to explore.
To the west is the popular town of Newquay. It has extensive and popular activities for the whole family including a zoo, sea world, cinemas and crazy golf. Gig racing is a popular local sport, taking place during the summer in the harbour. Newquay has several famous sandy beaches, famous for their international surfing competitions, music festivals and celebrity restaurants. The huge sandy and popular beach of Perranporth is found further along the coast, and St Agnes is nestled in the cliffs nearby.