Cornwall 2.0, UK.
For the second year, G and I went camping in Cornwall. Yes, we did another staycation. Don't judge.
There is so much to see in this part of the UK and it really does feel like you have visited a different country, well compared to London anyways. The air is cleaner, the people are friendlier and there is some of the best seafood I have tasted since moving to the UK.
This time, we tried to explore different locations we missed out on last year and it definitely didn't disappoint. My first Cornwall post from last year's visit can be found here. Below are additional recommendations on where to visit and eat.
Stay Here.
We stayed in Gwithian again at the same campsite as last year, Churchtown Farm Caravan & Camping Site, and I can safely report it has not changed since my last review. Great facilities and I managed to meet some very friendly dogs staying at the site.
Visit Here.
Seal Cove.
Mentioning this one again only because we actually saw seals laying along the cove and not just in the water! There is also a "secret" path you will see as you walk along the cliff back towards Godrevy (or if you walk this way to Seal Cove from Godrevy), that leads down the cliff to this little grassy section of the cove where you can sit and chill for a while. We had some seals pop their cute little heads up and it even appeared as though they were looking right at us. Needless to say I was very excited at this because I love seals; the dogs of the ocean.
Padstow.
This village does get very busy however it is still worth a visit. It is a cute fishing port where you sit along the harbour to people watch then stroll along the coastal path to its swimming beaches. The beaches are an easy 10 minute walk from the main part of town. You can also get a ferry across to Rock which we didn't do but apparently it is quite an upmarket resort area.
On our way back to the campsite from Padstow, we really fancied a swim so stopped in at Harlyn which was nice for a dip and also good for surfing.
Port Isaac.
Home to Doc Martin (a British crime drama), my parents suggested that I should visit this fishing town and I am very glad I did. This place is beautiful. From the cute cottages that line the street as you walk down to the bay, to the delicious fresh seafood that you can eat there or take home with you, oh and there is also the stunning landscape of the coastline as you walk the coastal path towards Polzeath. If we had more time, we would have walked to Port Quin and Doyden Castle. The water is an amazing green and aqua colour that is just mesmerising.
We also managed to have a go at mackerel fishing which we booked through Crabbie Jackie at Just Shellfish. It is operated by a family run fishing boat with father and son, Jeremy and Tom taking you out on the Free Spirit for an hour using a lure. You can even take your catch home for dinner if you so desire. It was the first time I had been fishing and I really quite enjoyed it...
Falmouth.
It was a shocking day to be out and about when we visited Falmouth so there wasn't too much for us to do apart from walking along the main street, look at the shops (namely the flagship store for Finisterre) and have lunch. It didn't really blow me over however this could have been due to the weather so don't let me rule this place out for you.
Lizard Point.
A local who worked at Finisterre in Falmouth recommended we visit here but I had also read it was a great place to visit. We drove there after our visit to Falmouth so the weather was still quite wet and cloudy however, you could definitely imagine what it would be like on a day with clear skies. We parked in the main town and walked to the Lighthouse then to Lizard Point which is the most southerly point of Britain. It is an easy 15 minute walk down. The waves were gnarly as they crashed into the rocks and cliff walls. Quite a sight to see from Mother Nature.
Near here is also Kynance Cove which we didn't visit as we wanted to do so on a clear day in order to enjoy its full beauty. This was another highly recommended tip from the Finisterre local who said it is the most beautiful beach in Cornwall.
Pedn Vounder Beach.
As this is close to Penzance, we visited here on our last day and I am gutted we didn't have time to stay longer, or have a swim. It is probably one of the most scenic beaches I have ever visited.
To get to here, you need to park at Treen where you will see a road across from the local cafe near the carpark. As you walk past the first house on the left, there is a path that will take you through some paddocks before taking you to the coastal path. You then have the choice to turn right which will take you down to Pedn Vounder beach (which is a little tricky so just be wary and go down carefully) or if you turn left, you can explore the Iron Age cliff fort Treryn Dinas. It will also give you a great view of Pedn Vounder beach.
The beach itself is tidal so make sure you time it right when you visit if you want to swim and keep an eye on it so you don't get stuck. It is honestly one of my favourite beaches so I am definitely looking forward to actually swimming in it next time I visit Cornwall.
St Ives.
We visited here again to have dinner at the restaurant my mate worked at (more on that in the Eat Here section). A shop we didn't manage to stumble across last year was The Common Wanderer which is full of sustainable outdoor kit.
If you do need to pass the time, we also found this old school pool hall with fantastic 70's decor, The Harbour Pool Club. We didn't pay any membership fees and a game of a pool will set you back a mere 50p.
Eat Here.
Prawn on the Lawn, Padstow.
I used to walk past the London restaurant and always thought it was a great name for a seafood restaurant. We were looking for somewhere to eat lunch when in Padstow and this came up in our search with great reviews. They didn't lie as the food was on point and we ate a lot of it. Some of the faves were their namesake dish, Prawn on the Lawn which was essentially prawns on avocado topped bread and their scallops which were cooked to perfection.
Fresh from the Sea, Port Isaac.
This is a small restaurant, up the hill from the town centre that serves basic but delicious food using seafood caught on their own boat. We saw a load of fresh lobster come in as we were dining on the mackerel pate and lobster sandwich. The sandwich reminded me of something you would make as you holidayed on the coast with your family as a kid, and I absolutely loved that.
Strong Adolfo's, Hawksfield.
Hawksfield is a collective of shops near Wadebridge where we went initially for the Finisterre outlet store but we came on a Sunday when the store wasn't open. Strong Adolfo's was open though and we wanted coffee. The coffee was delicious and the breakfast menu looked so good that we decided to make a morning of coming back to eat then shop. Very glad we did as the breakfast was also delicious. We also tried a smoothie...for quality control of course.
Porthminster Kitchen, St Ives.
As mentioned earlier the post, my very talented friend was a head chef here however when we visited, he was working at Portminster Cafe (also in St Ives). The food was still as excellent as ever.
The ponzu mackerel paté is still one of my favourites dishes ever. The Cornish half shell scallops with mac and cheese, and bacon jam is a winning combination that we devoured. I also had the PK seafood curry which I would highly recommend. Great location, fantastic service and food to boot.
Godrevy Cafe, Gwithian.
So after raving about The Rockpool last year and how good the fish finger sandwiches with ginger beer was after a surf... turns out it has changed. No fish fingers OR ginger beer... I was devastated. We gave it a go but the sandwiches were lack-lustre and over-priced. Fear not though because if you do surf around here, there is Godrevy Cafe.
If you walk towards the beach from Gwithian Surf, you will see stairs that lead up to the cafe and the coastal walk. We came here last year for ice-cream and it was good. I can now confirm their food as good as their ice-cream. After demolishing lunch, I chatted to one of the staff members who picked up on my accent and told me the cafe was set up in the vibe of the Aussie chef Bill Granger. So if you want good food at a good price then visit here.
Another week camping in Cornwall and I still feel there is more to explore in this beautiful pocket of the UK. Each time, our visit seems to reveal more hidden gems. Who knows what we will discover next time.
Similar to last year, we took the train from London Paddington to Penzance. Put an alert on Trainline to get the cheapest tickets when they are first released. You can also fly to Newquay from London (more convenient if you don't need to take camping gear).
We hired the car from Europcar which is located just at Penzance station.
Whilst I love to camp and would recommend it, on Coolstays there are also some amazing holiday homes, perfect especially if you are going in a group.
