Site recommendations and general places to visit in Cornwall

[jamandposterpaint]

We are planning to go camping in Cornwall for the Whit holidays (end of May, beginning of June).

I haven't ever been to Cornwall before and have absolutely no idea of the must-see places in the area.

Can anyone, first of all, recommend any lovely villages/beaches to visit/stay near.
And second of all, can anyone recommend any good campsites?

There are two families going. We have 5 children between us, 10, 10, 7, 5 and 3.

I'd prefer the site to be fairly quiet, no club house etc.
Have a children's play area.
Have good shower/toilet facilities
Be an easy walk to beach/village

I have looked on ukcampsite, but wanted to ask here too to get a more personal recommendation because there are so many listed on ukcampsite.

Any thoughts?
TIA

Hi,
we stayed here last August. its a 10 min walk down a footpath into Goran Haven with a lovely safe beach. Mevagissy is 10 mins by car and is a beautiful fishing village and a little bit further is the Eden Project which is well worth a visit.

There are some lovely areas in Cornwall and quite alot to do. I would recommend that you narrow it down a particular area first. Padstow is good as is St Ives and tbh we have never had a bad holiday where ever we have been in Cornwall
Have a good time!

Moushole, St Ives is lovely, that place where the fish man has his resturant can't remember the name

Thanks for your replies

So, St Ives and Padstow are both lovely then.
I've also heard that Newquay is lovely, and Bode?

I think I'm finding it difficult because I've got no idea of the geography of the area ...

Thanks again

Gwithian farm campsite near St Ives ticks all your boxes. Really nice site with childrens' play area. Cream teas available on site, quiet pub across the road, short walk to the beach

I live in Cornwall, so might have a different perspective to a tourist

Some good places are:

Flambards (theme park with a groovy victorian village you can walk through and go in the shops etc)
Newquay Zoo & Newquay beaches (the actual town is shite, full of drunken students and tacky shops)
St Michaels Mount (Very groovy and unique, worth a mooch)
St Ives (crowded and narrow streets but very pretty)
Lands End (so you can say you've been)
Eden Project is HELLISH EXPENSIVE and comparatively dull for what you pay, but worth seeing at least once, and good even if its raining.
Roskillys ice cream is lucious, its made at a farm on the Lizard peninsula, so if you are in that area its worth driving out there and have a few, they have a nice outside area with benches and the ice cream is the best you will ever taste, ever. Like, ever.

Ah, I can't think of any more right now. Oh, if you are in the far west, Sennen cove is beautiful and vast. If you are in the far north instead, Tintagel castle and coastline is spectacular.

We have spent a lot of time on the north coast south of Newquay not far from St Agnes.

We like the north coast as is great for surfing and body boarding which you can't do on the south coast. The kids love it, whatever their ages IME.

Silverbow Park is a personal favourite - you can't walk anywhere from it really though. It's great for kids - is not AT ALL clubby but has a lovely pool and tennis/table tennis. Is a very family oriented site - not for teenagers - not noisy.

Not far from lovely beaches like Chapel Porth, Holywell Bay and Polly Joke (hard to find). Also near to Perranporth, which is ok for a bit of touristy shopping that the DC's like. Also near to St Agnes, which is better for my shopping and eateries.

Also think Sennen Cove, St Michael's Mount lovely but all further to travel....

Newquay is NOT lovely, in any way.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan are nice.

I like Boscastle and Tintagel, I used to love the witch museum in Boscastle. So bad it's good. And there's a little toy museum in Tintagel which is sweet.

Mousehole is lovely.

Fowey is good for little shops and there's a terrible aquarium but we loved it as kids even if it was just a crab and an eel. And you can hire boats from the harbour.

If you are going to Padstow it's nice to park in Rock and get the ferry across, the children will love waving a flag from the beach to get picked up.

Flambards & Dobwalls are good family days out.

Trebarwith Strand has a nice beach (for exploring and messing not sunbathing!) and The Millhouse is very good for lunch, can be tied in with a Tintagel visit.

Pentire Point is a good walk.

And I agree on Sennen, often see seals down there.

Depends what you like really. Are you foodies/mountain bikers/surfers?!

Don't touch Newquay unless you are on a VERY tacky stag/hen night.
Had lovely cream tea in Mousehole at back of a little hotel woth sea views ahh if I could only be there now.
The good thing about cornwall is you can just set out in the car and come accross lovely places to eat and some lovely beaches, the cider is great!

Brilliant info - thanks all

Ok, so we'll avoid Newquay then. I live in the Northwest and I can get 'tacky' in Blackpool

CornishKK - we're not particularly foodies, nor mountain bikers. Dh and the children would love to the body boarding thing! We all enjoy the beach.
Tbh I would prefer the 'things to do' to be as cheap as possible, and don't want arcades etc at all.

I definitely think we need to pick the area first, and then the campsite.

So, to narrow down

St Ives
Padstow
Bode
St Agnes
Mousehole
Perranport

any others?

Are these places near each other?

God I really should improve my geography!

Thanks for you help

perranporth has a nice beach with life guards etc and is a bit surfy. Haven't been there for years now but was quite family orientated with out being tacky and no arcades,
There is a big 'Haven' campsite near by but depends if you like that sort of thing
Moushole is small and quiet prob not too much going on to be honest but worth a visit.
Not too hot on tourist attractions remember visiting a tin mine which was great cos you could go into the mine then at the end there was a mining village set up you could walk into the houses etc. a bit educational
Also went to 'world in minature' which was awful

Thanks topsi.

No, really don't want to do Haven. We want a fairly quiet site, family orientated with no clubhouse etc.

We looked at a site in Perranporth that looked lovely, but a little pricey. We'd be willing to pay a bit extra though if it's worth it.

Thanks

i loved Porthcurno looking down form the cliff top the sea ia amzing colours and the beach at the foot of the cliff is noce too also what anout St Issac which is where Doc Martin is filmed. I love St ives the best 3 beaches and gorgeous shops

dont know what happened to my spelling there [embarrassed]

sorry also meant to add Pothkidney beach at Carbis Bay just up from St ives beautiful and almost deserted

South Penquite Farm

For body boarding you need Polzeath.

I disagree about Newquay, I love it - although I do get why people don't like it. I seem to be able to see it with eyes that don't register the tackiness. Walk along almost any street and you can see the sea. Fistral beach and West Pentire are beautiful.

Watergate Bay, Crantock, Whipsiderry, Mawgan Porth, Polzeath are all lovely.

You mean Bude not Bode don't you?? If so we found a fab beach there called Sandymouth on our last day there. We're members of the National Trust, quite a lot of beaches are owned by them so you get to park free at their car parks near the beaches and free days out at their places on rainy days.

Wow, yes - I forgot to mention Porthcurno! It is a small beach so not as good when busy. But it is incredibly beautiful and worth a visit on a sunny day