UK Tourist & Leisure Attractions - Cornwall

Our Cornish holiday cottage was located on the outskirts of Ashton (nr Helston) in Cornwall and on our first day we decided to have a car-free day and enjoy a walk to the popular surfing beach at Praa Sands and its mile of long golden sand.  The walk...

...took us through Rinsey where we stopped to read this handy notice board about the area.  We'd done our usual pre-holiday internet research of course but a bit of local info is always handy too!  Come on Mike, the beach awaits!

Heading right across the fields from Rinsey we caught our first glimpse of Praa Sands, so... time for a photo!  Come on Belinda, the beach awaits!

Hmmm... the weather was rapidly deteriorating as we approached Praa Sands - but the exquisite Cornish coast can never look dull.

We sat on Praa Sands beach with our picnic... then legged it as the heavens opened, leaving the surfing and lifesaving event which was taking place to continue in the rain!  Meanwhile, we headed for a nice dry café at nearby Sydney Cove.

A last look at Praa Sands then, this time from the other side of the beach at Sydney Cove.  We could well see how Praa Sands gets really busy on warm sunny days.  In fact, just as we headed back to the holiday cottage at Ashton the sun returned.

Next day we took the Park and Ride (£4 each plus £2.20 to park at Lenant Saltings) to St Ives on a noisy, smelly, standing room only 'modern' diesel train.  Although we enjoyed some magnificent scenic views of the Cornish coastline along the way, next time we'd rather take our chances and drive to St Ives.

St Ives is a very popular holiday tourist destination - even on a dull Monday morning in June.  With Tate St Ives, this Cornish town is strongly associated with the arts, pottery - and Cornish Pasties!  This is a look along the busy harbour front from the lifeboat station from where boat trips can be taken...

...to attractions such as Godrevy lighthouse and Seal Island.  Despite the advertising boards here, no boat trips seemed to be operating and there was no notice to advise.  Maybe the low tide or cloudy Cornish weather put paid to them?

Here's another look along St Ives harbour front from the other end.  Here many tourists were sitting on the benches looking out across the harbour - and closely watching them were the Cornish seagulls waiting to swoop down and nick people's pasties!

Just behind St Ives harbour front is Fore Street and thronged with tourists.  Although rather quaint, we couldn't shift the idea it was all a bit of a tourist trap.

Weyhey, the sun's come out!  And from thereon in that's where it stayed for the rest of our Cornish holiday.  St Ives really looked a lot better in the sun!

This is The Wharf and here in St Ives we lunched on the yummy Cornish Pasties.

During our holiday planning to Cornwall (and touring elsewhere in the UK) we've amassed many tourism resources for the areas and places we visit - you guys feel to check them out.

We've holidayed in Cornwall before - in 2002.  Back then we toured a different part taking in The Eden Project, Lappa Valley railway, a Cornish cider farm, Fowey, Camel Trail, Truro and Newquay.

Walking up to St Ives Head to bag a geocache we had a wonderful view of the rugged north Cornish coast...

...and another wonderful view back towards St Ives from the St Nicholas Chapel up there.

So, a last lingering look at Cornwall's captivating St Ives across the harbour before heading back to the holiday cottage (after enduring the ropey Park & Ride train once more!).

Well, this view of gorgeous Porthminster beach in St Ives sure takes some beating!  And there's more like this as we continue our Cornwall holiday to St Michael's Mount and Mullion Cove >>>