{"id":8821,"date":"2016-12-01T11:31:44","date_gmt":"2016-12-01T11:31:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/travelodge-blog.azurewebsites.net\/blog\/?p=8821"},"modified":"2024-08-02T18:02:56","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T17:02:56","slug":"cornwall-breaks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/short-breaks\/guide\/cornwall-breaks\/","title":{"rendered":"Cornwall breaks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why get on an international flight when you can enjoy the golden sands, azure seas and welcome sunshine of a break in Cornwall?<\/h3>\n

With an excellent rail service from London, a petite airport in Newquay and beaches you won\u2019t believe are British, Cornwall is easy to get to and almost impossible to drag yourself away from. The perfect short-break destination for families, couples and solo travellers alike, Kernow \u2013 in the ancient Cornish language \u2013 is a beautiful peninsula with pretty fishing villages, fascinating historical sites and a dazzling coastline.<\/p>\n

A weekend break in Cornwall will fill your lungs with sea air and your belly with the freshest, most perfectly served fish, and leave your soul fully refreshed as well \u2013 after bike rides, strolls and other sedate adventures, all with spectacular views. The county is unusual in that it offers the best of rural living with the perks of city-dwelling \u2013 Cornwall boasts fabulous gastropubs, chic boutiques and excellent cultural attractions and festivals.<\/p>\n

Planning your trip to Cornwall<\/h5>\n

Cornwall is well served by rail, air and road. If you don\u2019t have to work around school holidays, though, avoid these times if you can. The family-friendly charms of Britain\u2019s best beaches have not gone unnoticed by the rest of the country \u2013 and popular towns such as Padstow, not to mention the roads into the County, fill up quickly in August.<\/p>\n

Where should I stay in Cornwall?<\/h5>\n

What are your priorities? If it\u2019s surf, you\u2019ll need the north coast and beaches including Fistral, Harlyn and Watergate Bay. Newquay is fun, lively and subject to a recent regeneration project that has seen the town smarten up, scheduling interesting events all year round. If you choose to stay here, be sure to call in on Jamie Oliver\u2019s fantastic Fifteen restaurant in Watergate Bay \u2013 its huge windows provide a breathtaking panoramic of the ocean, and its cocktails are some of the best in Cornwall.<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s peace and quiet you\u2019re looking for, go inland a little to the Allen Valley around Bodmin. Like the idea of St Ives but want something more reasonably priced, or less busy? Hayle is one stop away on the train, meaning you can visit the world-standard Tate St Ives gallery and surrounding restaurants, then nip back to this lovely seaside town \u2013 with three miles of beach to its name.<\/p>\n

If you are a keen walker then Cornwall has some of the best coastal paths so you can explore the best of the Cornish coastline while breathing in some fresh sea air. Why not go inland and wander the ancient landscape, or discover some of Cornwall’s quaint villages and cobbled streets. You may even spot a few unique Cornish boutique shops on your way so you can pick up a souvenir of your travels.<\/p>\n

\"Cornish<\/p>\n

When should I go to Cornwall?<\/h5>\n

As mentioned, the school holidays are always busy \u2013 but that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re unfeasible. Just book your accommodation in Cornwall<\/span><\/a> well in advance and don\u2019t expect deserted beaches. In fact, the more children on the beach, the more sandcastle companions for your own! The summer months are more than likely to bring sun, for at least part of your trip \u2013 and a picnic on a Cornish beach in August is an unbeatable way to spend a family break.<\/p>\n

If you have the luxury of an open calendar, May is a lovely time to take a short break in the county. May Day (1st May) in Padstow is a riotous affair that starts late the previous night with thundering drums, and sees the whole town dressed in white with red scarves, while a nominated member of the population dances the streets in the \u2019obby \u2019oss \u2013 a singular black horse costume. It\u2019s hard to describe and impossible to forget \u2013 the event provided the inspiration for some of the pagan activity in 70s film classic The Wicker Man<\/em>. Allow yourself a few days\u2019 stay to recover from this boozy and bizarre event. And don\u2019t forget your whites.<\/p>\n

While spring and summer see Cornwall at its liveliest, winter gives the truest sense of its charms. So, visit off-season to try Stargazey Pie (expect to see fish heads poking out of your lunch, through the crust), hot punch and a harbour walk under the fairy lights. Have Trevone beach to yourself in December, and take a bracing walk to Rick Stein\u2019s inn, The Cornish Pub \u2013 the food is predictably brilliant, the d\u00e9cor stylish and cosy. Hope for snow \u2013 there is nothing prettier than a little harbour under snowflakes.<\/p>\n

What are the best places to visit in Cornwall?<\/h5>\n

If you\u2019re looking for more than just beaches, or should wet weather strike, then there are plenty of inland Cornish attractions. The Tate St Ives is a compact cousin to the gigantic London galleries, but it has transformed the town into a real artist\u2019s colony (as well as a second-homer\u2019s paradise, with top-class restaurants and shops to delight visiting metropolitans).<\/p>\n

The Eden Project is a sublime family attraction \u2013 genuinely unmissable for anyone with an interest in how the natural world works\u2026 or an appetite for adrenaline (the park includes zip wires and other athletic challenges). Meanwhile, history buffs and kids who like the challenge of a battlements walk should head to the ancient riverside town of Lostwithiel. The imposing remains of a 14th century castle, which was home to Edward the Black Prince, provide the perfect location for a spot of hide-and-seek against an epic pastoral backdrop.<\/p>\n

Does Cornish ice cream and picturesque beaches sound like the perfect destination for you? Then take a look at our hotels in Cornwall<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Why get on an international flight when you can enjoy the golden sands, azure seas and welcome sunshine of a break in Cornwall?","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9181,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1331,1321],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8821","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guide","category-weekend-breaks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8821","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8821"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8821\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8821"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8821"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8821"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}