Am I unusual that Cornwall didn't really do it for me?

[Stillwaitingforsummer]

Just that. OK the weather wasn't really great which didn't help, but the scenery wasn't as stunning as I had expected. I think Wales is more stunning,and the lake district.
Did I miss something?

[SasBel]

Sand take the train! I go from Darlington to Penzance to visit relatives, very civilised way to travel!

[IDismyname]

We go to Norfolk every year. Until one year when we think it would be nice to have a change, so we go to Cornwall instead.

We left a day early of our one week holiday. Just awful. Too many people, not the space for them to spread out (unlike Norfolk) and bloody rain every day.

I just don't 'get' Cornwall either...

We're back to Norfolk.

[MirabelleTree]

Thought it was just me, I'm always pleased to get home to Dorset who I go there so don't anymore.

[Edsheeranalbumparty]

It does make me laugh when tourists go on about a place being too touristy!

[The80sweregreat]

I prefer Wales or Devon - we went to Cornwall in 08 and the weather was awful ( August) and ds2 was poorly , so we came home a day early. i dont think this helped! Better beaches in Devon, if you get the weather.

I heard a woman on the radio from Cornwall who agreed that they need to spend more money doing up certain places and some places are a bit run down/ tired. The food was okay, but everywhere is expensive. i am in no hurry to go back.

[RaskolnikovsGarret]

Really disliked our one holiday to Cornwall, and never went back. It felt dismal in the rain, in a way other places haven't. Certainly not worth the long trek there in my view. But some people seem to adore it.

[Ceto]

Where did you go to? I suspect if you spent a few days around, say, St Ives, you might feel differently: the views all round there are spectacular, and even more so if you see them at different times of day and in different weather conditions. Sunsets and sunrises there can be incredible. It's also probably not the best idea to judge on the basis of what you see in the school holidays, when the traffic tends to be awful and the beaches are crowded.

[FlyMeToDunoon]

Been to Cornwall three times. First time as a teen in the 70s and what I remember is the smell of nasty cooking oil, terrible, processed pasties and terrible cream teas. Ah, the 70s. It rained.
Second time to Falmouth in the early noughties. Early signs of the poncification to come in the form of a rustic, surf style cafe but otherwise pretty and nearly normal. Very expensive terrible food though.
Third time was a couple of years ago to Fowey. It rained. A lot. Mostly overpriced not great food in extremely pretentious or very self consciously trendy places. Joules, Seasalt, Fatface et al had taken over.
I feel really sorry for the locals.
Won't be going back

[mydogisthebest]

I like Cornwall - St. Ives, Coverack, Helston are all lovely. Not so keen on the top part of Cornwall. I would never go in the school holidays though as I know it would be far too crowded.

Not keen on Devon at all. Spent two holidays there and didn't enjoy either of them.

Wales is lovely but my favourite place is Northumberland. Beautiful beaches that stretch for miles, beautiful scenery, lots of castles to look round

[The80sweregreat]

I think it was lovely , in its hey day, but lack of money has made it seem a bit washed out somehow. Paying for parking everywhere is a pain, we couldnt go onto a beach because of the weather and the accommodation was miles from anywhere, so had to drive about a lot. ( should have done more research i suppose)
I just wasnt in a good place that week we went. i was pleased to come home! still, it is prettier than anywhere in Essex..

[Stillwaitingforsummer]

We stayed at Fowey. Expensive to go anywhere because of the ferry!
We drove all over though. I think St Michaels mount would have been lovely if we could have seen it through the torrential rain

[Ginslinger]

oh god I have terrible memories of our DCs wailing in the back seat of the car as the rain lashed down and we were stuck on that awful road with millions of other people travelling to Cornwall. It was too far for small children and even back when we were doing it, outrageously expensive

[MissBeehiving]

Been on holiday to Cornwall a few times. Every time I come back thinking that I prefer home (north Norfolk) because it's so much less crowded and the weather is better, so we've stayed at home this year 😄

[Stillwaitingforsummer]

Our favourite place was Watergate Bay, which is interesting as everyone is saying avoid the north coast. At least there the beach was lovely!

[StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes]

I find it hard to imagine that someone could hate all of cornwall. there are so many different places from beaches to fishing villages, tourist attractions like heligan and lands end, walking areas, towns etc. I live in Plymouth and we took the train yesterday to Looe, it was lovely, hot and sunny, lots of fish restaurants all reasonably priced, felt like a holiday wandering the little lanes, shops and pubs. I do agree that there are lots of other lovely places in britain too though and enjoy travelling to see as much of my lovely country as I can. Each area seems to have its own merits.

[StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes]

to be fair though anywhere on holiday in the wind and rain is pretty grim though, especially with kids :)

[liquidrevolution]

Im with you OP. Cant stand it. Dhs family have holidayed in st mawes for over 30 years. Its the crappest part of cornwall and each visit is boring boring boring.

I much prefer wales, peak and lake districts and norfolk. Plus scotland is gorgeous. We went to wales in june so sadly cant join the in laws this year. DH loved wales and wants to go back. The beach at pendine has very warm water.

[Elendon]

I hate, hate, hate, the journey to the South West and back. Once there, it's okay. Love the lost gardens of heligan though. The beaches are okay. I much prefer South Wales for the beaches and swimming.

Everywhere now though is a pain to get to because of the traffic.

Can't wait for a beach holiday in the sun with a day out to the sights in an air conditioned bus. Or on a yacht to another secluded beach!

[Elendon]

I don't like Looe. It smells (sorry).

[FanDabbyFloozy]

I feel the same about the Lake District. I've been 4 times and had one week of okay-ish weather. The rest saw torrential rain which is not fun with small kids. No safe off road cycle routes even.. If ever there was a place that rests on its "it's gorgeous here" vibe, I give you the Lake District.

Cornwall - cute but some aspects scream "fleece the tourists". Every beach costs £4.50/day even though in bad weather people are driving about and beach hopping - they definitely don't want to spend a day on a rainy beach.

But there is a lot to do - off road cycling suitable for all ages, crabbing, rock scrambling, fish and chips on the harbour wall, surfing and body boarding. In fairness it had more than I expected after the LD debacle.

[AnnabelleLecter]

Love Cornwall but also love The Peak District, Cotswolds, and East Yorkshire -Filey, Whitby, Scarborough, Robin hood's bay etc which are much closer to us.
Everywhere is shit when it's pissing down!
Personally North Devon and Norfolk are places I wouldn't rush back to.

[defineme]

Northumberland and North Norfolk are my idea of perfect beaches, so no Cornwall didn't overwhelm me, but I just assumed that people love whichever dramatic coast is nearest them and the media etc is southern biased.

[TealStar]

Love Northumberland. Ditto Wales, Southern Ireland, Brittany... yet to go to East Anglia, but it's on my list.

[Abra1d]

For me the issue is that the interior of Cornwall isn't as stunning as Devon, with its steep and lush valleys.

Quite like th coast but agree that Pembrokeshire is more like the Cornwall of my imagination.

[StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes]

don't like Looe. It smells (sorry). what of? didn't detect any smell yesterday except a bit by the fish merchant which funnily enough smelt of fish!