Devon Cornwall ideas

[LaLaFlottes]

Hello!
would be grateful for suggestions of places to go for a week (31st Aug x 7 nights) for me, DH, DD21 and DD’s boyfriend.

Would like activities such as walking, cycling, paddle boards etc. Some sight seeing and some nice local restaurants.

If any areas typically have nicer weather that’s a bonus but know it’s never guaranteed!

Was looking at St Ives maybe?

Thanks 😊

The weather in Cornwall is usually wet in August ( Check Rainfall) But often its dry down the road so worth travelling about
St.Ives is lovely, check for local activities though.
Newquay is not as nice a town but a lot more activities going on.
We went last August ( it was wet) Stayed on a camp site 20 mins out of newquay
https://resparvahouse.co.uk/

We drove the kids to Newquay daily to surf as the weather was bad the Surf was very good.
We also went to this spectacular beach
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g528841-d565429-Reviews-Gwithian_Beach-Hayle_Cornwall_England.html

The Jam Pot Cafe is great

Can't guarantee sunshinebl but check out the South Hams.

So much to see and do. Coastal walks. Paddle boarding. History.

I'm biased

If you’re going to Cornwall you must visit the Minack Theatre, you don’t need to see a show it’s the theatre itself which is amazing! It is an amphitheater overlooking the sea, stunning.

There is a lovely cliffside walk you can do to Portcurno beach.

St Ives is (can be) lovely, but is pretty much as far as you can go and will add considerably to your travel time.

I would go somewhere less busy/touristy (but still set up to cater for visitors/plenty to do) like Bude. Great beaches/coastline for walking, great surfing etc too. Lovely restaurants/cafes/F&C shops. Down the coast one way you have Tintagel/Boscastle/Crackington Haven etc - all absolutely lovely. A bit further down you have Padstow/Rock, but there's plenty to keep you busy without needing to go that far.
In the other direction, along the main Atlantic Highway (so easily accessible), you have lovely little fishing villages like Appledore, more great beaches like Westward Ho!, Croyde etc, and access to the Tarka Trail for miles of flat cycling (there's a similar trail down near Padstow, but its name escapes me right now).

Then you can head inland if you want too - Dartmoor isn't that far, or there's RHS Rosemoor, or countless pretty villages.

The bottom half of Cornwall is lovely, but would I schlep all the way down there on a BH weekend, driving through all of Devon and most of Cornwall to get there - absolutely not!

I’d avoid St Ives. It gets so busy it’s unpleasant. I like Croyde in Devon or you could base in Braunton which has lots of restaurants and the Tarka Trail for cycling. From there you can get to Saunton Sands, Woolacombe & Croyde for beach activities.

Agree with @TheTripThatWasnt in recommending Bude. It's only just over an hour from the end of the M5 whereas St Ives will probably take you close to three on a bank holiday weekend.

The coastline heading down towards Padstow is lovely. The South West coast path offers strenuous but stunning walks.

The Camel trail is near Padstow. It's flat and cycle hire available.

If you fancy something a bit more adventurous, I can recommend https://www.cornishcoasteering.com/ We went coasteering last summer and had a blast.

If you really must visit St Ives (which will be absolutely rammed and horrible), drive to St Erth Park and Ride and catch the train in. Parking in St Ives is a nightmare and the train ride trip from St Erth to St Ives is stunning.

We went down to st ives end of June and it was awful then! Poor DD was 3 at the time and rude, ignorant people were just walking through her, made me so mad. I would consider trying again out of season but i have zero plans to go back otherwise. My mum amd dad like St Michaels mount, Hayle beach is lovely and miles long.

Newquay is very run down but Perranporth is lovely.

A lot of the St Ives places to stay will have been booked up already by now. You might fair a bit better booking in or near Penzance or Marazion. There are buses to St Ives from there and off towards Sennen Cove. Fistral Beach at Newquay is great, stay somewhere in the surrounding area though, not in Newquay. Penzance, Newlyn, Porthleven have good places to eat. I like Fowey as a place to stay, but it gets booked up. Great for coastal walks and food and pubs. Kayaking, boating and it’s near Heligan, Eden Project, Lanhydrock. An hour or so from Fistral by car and doable by train from Par station near Fowey - Perranporth also same sort of distance.

I love St Ives! It does get very busy in summer holidays but if you are not arriving until the 31 August, you'll probably miss the absolute peak of the tourist season. We've booked self-catering holidays in St Ives through Aspects Holidays and Cornish Gems before. Last Easter holiday we stayed in at The French House in Porthcurno which has the lovely Minnack Theatre nearby and also the very cool museum of Communications. Penzance is good for a visit, St Michaels Mount, Truro, loads of nice places within easy striking distance. We also went to The Meadery restaurant at Newlyn which I remember being taken to as a kid - you can eat "chicken in the rough" with your fingers and I still loved it! [[https://newlynmeadery.co.uk/ Newlyn Meadery | Medieval themed family restaurant in Newlyn