We have booked 4 sites in Cornwall - what should we visit in the area on foot or by bike?

[Milliways]

We are taking a (large) Motorhome so will spend 3-4 nights in each area and use bikes or local buses to explore a bit.
We will be staying at:

Pentewan Sands - Pentewan, Mevagissey
Trevedra Farm, Sennen
Gwithian Farm, nr St Ives
Mother Ivey's Bay - Padstow

Has anyone stayed at any of those? We will do the walk to Lands End from Sennen Cove and want to see the seals near Gwithian, but as neither of us have been to Cornwall before it is a blank canvas for us, so any suggestions gratefully recieved. :)

We stayed at Gwithian a few years ago. Lovely site but was crammed with Boden-clad loud parents (great for people watching!)
The beach is amazing and we spent a long time just idly ambling along it because we could :o We went to Godrevy lighthouse along the coast and as I said, spent a lot of time outside the tent watching the goings on. The pub over the road was nice but £££££.
TBH that was about it on foot as the weather was shit unsettled so we took the van everywhere.
Hope you have a great time :)

We stayed at Gwithian last year to. It was a lovely site with great facilities. Agree with the middle class Boden thing too !
We had a 7 mth old and 3 teenagers and had a great time.
There is a bus stop just outside the campsite so you could use that.
My only gripe was the endless number of small children on their scooters and bikes mostly unsupervised going hell for leather up the road on the site.

You can cycle to Hayle which has some lovely shops and cafés and a fab ice cream parlour.

Penzance is nice for a day out and had a lovely lido on the sea front.

There are some lovely little villages on the coast but you could be slightly restricted if your taking your campervan. Particularly places like Mousehole which is idyllic but wouldn't take a large van there. I struggled in a discovery !

Newlyn is another great place as it has the harbour there so can buy great fresh fish. Our kids love to go really early 6am ! And watch the fish auction and then go to a fisher mans cafe and have chips and coke for breakfast !! (Teenagers) Theee is a great pub there next to the rover garage which serves the best fish and chips

Hope this helps a bit. Also for St Ives do the park and ride near the leisure centre as tricky driving the small roads. Pad stow lovely for the day but that is Boden city !

Enjoy.

You can get a coast bus that is open top in the summer. We caught it from sennen to various places ( st Ives etc) . Stops at all the little places plus touristy things.

We stayed at Trevedra farm two years ago. We walked along the coastal path to Lands End but got the open top bus back.

We also stayed in a campsite near Mevagissey at Gorran Haven. Mevagissey was lovely, but make sure you have cash, there are no cash machines, the closest is at St Austell. I would recommend visiting the lost gardens of Heligan. Don't bother with the Eden Project.

If you're looking for another campsite, try Henry's at Helston. It's amazing! Very laid back, animals wander freely, full of hippies!

Wow, Thanks everyone, lots to look out for :)

We won;t be attempting to take our van anywhere near a village, it is >8.5m long (but very comfortable to come back to :) )

I am glad to know there are lots of buses - I like the idea of a bus back from any long walk!

Thanks for the tip about no cash points - will make sure we have cash with us. Mevagissey was recommended by another friend as well today. The lost gardens are also now on my list - looks like they are on a cycle route near to Pentewan.

I am getting excited now

Seems Boden do well in Cornwall! I want to get the bus to St Ives (goes from at least 2 of our sites). Newlyn sounds nice - will see if buses go there too.

From Padstow, you must cycle the Camel Trail - it is gorgeous. You can go as far as Bodmin, or just go half way to Wadebridge and turn around. The trail is built on an old railway line, so it is pretty flat and very safe. Lots of bike hire places if you don't have your own.

Sennen Cove is great for surfing and an easy to walk to Lands End (although Lands End itself is really disappointing, heaving with people and rather commercialised - for example, you have to pay to take a photo of the famous sign).

If it rains, go down one of the mines. Geevor Tin Mine is very interesting.

Thanks CointreauVersial (love you name btw)

I have just got a new (much bigger & more padded) saddle so hoping we can cycle without suffering too much!

I was just about to say visit a mine. Way back in the mists of time (eg pre-DC) we had a gorgeous weekend in Cornwall and one of the highlights for me was this mine museum. Sorry I can't remember name or location

Thanks - I can google to find where the mines are :)

Spend a whole day in St Ives, it's lovely - there are 4 beaches including the harbour. Have lunch here if you don't mind spending a few quid - gorgeous food and amazing view over the most hidden of the beaches.

Do the walk to the Crown Mines near Pendeen (see pic) which is actually a really easy and safe walk unlike the way it looks. And go to Portheras beach in the same area - it's gorgeous and a stream runs over the beach which kids can dam up and play in.

Also, Porthcurno beach and the Minack theatre - dress warmly if you're going at night though, and take blankets to sit on!

Wow, Thank you.
Just finishing the packing as we leave tomorrow :)

Have a super time, OP.

Counting the days til we leave for St Ives as soon as we break up.....

Definitely go to the Minack theatre its beautiful.

From Pentewan, I would second Mevagissy, and the ferry goes from there to gorgeous Fowey. Nicer to arrive there on water rather than by road. Thinking of what has been said up thread it is also pretty Bodeny

We're back, and had a fantastic time. 15 nights away and only 1.5 days of rain

Thanks so much for all your suggestions. All the campsites were different and al recommended.

We walked to Mevagissey and kayaked there another day.
Did the Heligan Gardens
Did the Minnack Theatre, climbing uo the cliff from the fabulous Portcurno beach.
Visited Tin Mines
Visited St Ives
Walked to Lands End
Walked to Godivrey and saw a few seals
Had a crab sandwich and a seafood platter

Didn't get to Newlyn or the Camel trail so will have to go back

Sounds like you had a great time Milliway and you had some gorgeous weather too -- hope you brought your Boden