going to Cornwall - ideas for places to visit please

[ilovehamsters]

Husband and I going to cornwall with our 2 DC never been before can anyone suggest places to visit, beaches, walks etc? thanks

Paradise Park

Go to Wadebridge, hire some bikes (with or without a trailer if needed) and cycle along an old disused railway line from there to Padstow. It's a lovely bustling harbour town. Have a crab sandwich or pastie lunch and then a leisurely cycle back.

If you fancy a big day out, you might fancy

Crealy

Port Isaac is a nice fishing village on the North Coast, featured in that Tv programme with Martin Clunes as a doctor. Good beach at Polzeath for surfing, also Crantock just the other side of Newquay. It's a little village with a great beach with lots of sand and rock pools.

Depends on where you are staying but Cornwall is easy to cover because everything is so relatively close to hand. Anyway, places to recommend:

Fowey - lovely little town to walk around with good cafes/restaurants etc.

Trevarno Gardens

St Ives - a must - great beaches, lovely to walk around; galleries; shops; restaurants; Porthminster beach cafe great!Asis Porthmeor cafe...

Sennen Cove - fabulous beach and excellent beachside restaurant/cafe

Lanhydrock House - old NT house and grounds - geared up for families

Polzeath beach and Daymer Bay (not far from Rock)

Godrevy and Gwithian (seals basking at Godrevy in summer) Near Hayle

Gweek Seal Sanctuary

Porthleven nice to walk around

Lizard Point -

Kynance Cove - excllent walk down to rocks etc...very dramtic. Cafe here does not take cards so cash needed!!!! We only realised once we walked down and could only scramble enough to buy two cups of coffee and a flapjack at lunchtime!!!

Roseland Peninsula - ver pretty!

Hope this helps - have a fab time!

Pick up a copy of Kids Cornwall it has lots of ideas free and not so - It is on sale in local places and WH smith / Waterstones.

this months country homes and interiors has quite a few articles about cornwall and lovely pics to get you in the mood you lucky thing wish it was me

We had a lovely time in Cornwall at the end of April, DS loved Newquay beach, the helicopters at Culdrose (near our cottage fortunately) Lands end too touristy and overpriced, Dairyland is good as you can reuse your ticket so not too dear and has indoor options, we found a pub which does delicious food and has a small free indoor play area, called the White House I think on the rd to Newquay but not the A30. We were disappointed with his reaction to the Newquay seaworld or equivalent but amazed by his fascination with the mevagissey model railway world.

Depends a lot on age of children, where in Cornwall you are, budget, what 'floats your boat' - I personally would rather eat my own toenails than go round a country house with toddler, but some others would hide under the beds in said country house rather than cycle over moors with toddlers in a bike trailer!

Loads to do, leaflets everywhere, enjoy!

You don't mention which bit you are going to! However, the Eden Project is pretty much a must and is fairly central.

my 3 loved wading over to st michaels mount...st ives was just lovely.

tbh, the whole area is fab if you enjoy being outdoors and have dry weather!

wish i was going...

thanks so much everyone, I'm really looking forward to it !!

we were near wadebridge and went to padstow for rick steins fish and chips and there are some lovely beaches where there is rivers which run into the sea which make them nice for toddlers. we really loved trevone beach

porthtowan is our fav place. plus if tide is right can walk to Chapel Porth beach which has the best icecreams on the planet. second port isaac - on friday nights there is a local group called the fishermens friends that sing sea shanties on the quay - loads of fun, kids love it what shall we do with the drunken sailor. bedruthan steps beautiful (not the dire hotel by the same name) st mawes great - hire kayaks can rope on littlies, great fun too. and look for cowrie shells on beach. little moulan beach and whole of roseland peninsula beautiful. king harries ferry good. trevisik farm great food and pick yer own fun. sigh. we are seriously looking to move there - we go at least twice a year.

National Maritime museum in Falmouth. We went to Falmouth last year and it is lovely - lovely for little boys who like big ships - there are lots there at the moment due to the recession as many have been mothballed.

Polperro - no car parks in the town but you can park just outside and either walk in or go by horse drawn carriage.

Looe is nice and close enough to Plymouth for another day out (depends where you are staying of course).

I second the Lizard and Fowey. Both lovely. DH and I had a lovely walk round the Lizard penisula before DC - breathtaking views.

Seal Sanctury was very expensive for what it is imo, but it was OK.

Take sandwiches if you go to the Eden Project - it was hellish trying to get food there when we went.

Watergate bay is a beach that sticks in my mind from my childhood and which I often see in magazines as being a nice place to visit.

Have fun - we are going August and really looking forward to it!

You don't say how old the children are but Lappa Valley Railway (nr Newquay) is wonderful for children probably under about 7 to 8 years old....it has an old world charm about it and doesn't get too busy as you have to get the train to the park which seems to limit the total number of visitors.

Highly recommend Trevilley Farm shop (again near Newquay) for fab pasties....they have a web site and you can pre-order them. Even my really fussy 2 year old will demolish a whole medium sized one