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The Cornish Coast





We had heard from many UK residents that Cornwall is their favourite holiday destination and that it has beautiful sandy beaches like those in Australia. Therefore we had to see what the praise was about.


The most south western area of England, Cornwall has miles of varied coast and all of it is stunning. Sennen Cove, St Ives and St Agnes all have golden sand surf beaches; while Boscastle, Charlestown and Port Isaac are little fishing/former mining villages set in steep coves between rugged headlands. There is also miles of rugged sheer cliff dropping into the sea.  


Praa Sands

We spent two nights at Praa Sands where the UK surf championships are held. At low tide it has a mile of golden sand. At high tide the beach disappears and the waves crash against the break-wall and cliffs. There is a bar with a sundeck. At high tide it is right on the water. It was a great place to pass an afternoon watching the surfers and the sunset.    
Boscastle

We particularly loved Boscastle with its narrow s-bend access to the Atlantic complete with blow-holes and shale cliff faces, providing a real challenge for fishermen getting their boats in and out. The harbour is a natural inlet protected by two stone harbour walls built in 1584 and is the only significant harbour for 30km along the coast. In addition to the harbour Boscastle is a small village with historic stone buildings closely built along the river.  Heavy rainfall (180mm in an hour) in 2004 caused extensive flood damage to the village. The floating cars impacted many buildings.


Port Isaac

Port Isaac is another historic Atlantic port and fishing town, located in a ravine. With wiggly, narrow laneways the old town has very limited vehicle access. It is not a place for a campervan. There is a carpark high on the cliff tops at the top of town. The town is full of cobbled streets and historic buildings. No wonder it is the setting for the TV series Doc Martin. Boats are launched from a ramp tucked in between fish shops in the centre of town.  
St Agnes

St Agnes has been a favourite for different reasons. At low tide it has a small golden sandy beach and surfers enjoying the break. At high tide, the beach has gone and waves crash over the sea wall and push large rocks around the boat ramp. The cliff face on either side of the beach shows scars of the areas tin mining heritage. The town centre is up high, but the old town centre down on the beach consists of a brewery pub, a couple of shops and a surf club.  
St Ives

For a long time St Ives has been an artist colony producing world class modern art. So much so that the Tate Modern has a gallery there dedicated to local artists. From the outside the architecture of the gallery does not appear to make sense. Once inside the large concave windows focus the eye on sections of the beach stretching in front of it.  There are other galleries and art shops in town so there is plenty to do on a rainy day.

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