Cornwall; once renowned for its pasties, ice cream and bucket-and-spade beach days, now famous for being a gastronomes delight, a surfing Mecca and a destination synonymous with luxury beach life. One of the UK’s most popular locations for beach holidays, this Westcountry destination boasts an unparalleled fusion of dramatic coastal scenery, pristine beaches and picturesque waterside villages oozing with seaside style.
Whether you’re seeking a spa by the waves or want to be king of the surf; world-class galleries or Michelin-starred dining; wild coastal walks or wildlife boat cruises; here are Cornwall’s top places for an indulgent stay, handpicked by the travel experts at Harbour Holidays.
Padstow
Slip into the saltwater lifestyle in this foodie haven by the sea. Rick Stein kicked off the gastronomic revolution in this sublime Cornish fishing village way back in 1975 when he opened his flagship Seafood Restaurant. But with Paul Ainsworth and a cohort of other great chefs now in town, Stein is not the only name luring food lovers to sample finger-licking produce plucked from the surrounding coast and countryside.
Add a gargantuan helping of gob-smacking coastal scenery, pearly beaches and a picturesque harbour to the edible attractions, and you have a holiday destination extraordinaire. Fill yourself to the gills with seafood with sea views, fill your lungs with fresh sea air on wild coastal walks, fill your days with beach adventures and boat trips, and fill your bags with arty delights from the boutiques and galleries. With a wide range of luxurious places to stay in Padstow, it’s a great base for an indulgent break by the sea.
St Ives
A former artists’ colony and fishing village, St Ives has become internationally renowned for its art, food and seaside scenery. Cradled by rugged coastline, it flaunts all the credentials of quintessential Cornwall – pearly beaches, pumping surf and whitewashed fishermen’s cottages tumbling to the edge of a pretty harbour. However, these days the net lofts have been revamped into swanky seaside apartments where you can relax to the ebb and flow of the tides, and the fish landed is plated up in award-winning eateries nudging the water’s edge.
Take a twirl of the Tate St Ives and Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden to witness the effect the light and landscapes have had on artists from far and wide, and step beyond the cobbled streets into wave-hewn territory where you can spot seabirds and sea life.
Porthleven
Once the haunt of smugglers and fishermen, then followed by surfers who flocked here to test their mettle on the hollow, right-hand reef break, Porthleven has morphed into a sought-after destination to indulge in Cornwall’s saltwater lifestyle. Its harbour is not only home to one of the county’s busiest fishing fleets, it’s also given rise to a crop of new wave of galleries, chic accommodation and award-winning eateries, all making the most of the picturesque location between the boats and the beach.
Chef Jude Kereama put the town on the foodie map way back in 2011 with his much-lauded Kota Kai, and now Michael Caines is amongst the eminent chefs cooking up delights from the region’s fishermen and farmers. Bag a luxury harbourside abode and you don’t have to wait for a sunny day to soak up rich bounty of Porthleven; wrap up and watch the surfers from the sea wall, and find shelter to witness the storms scudding in – the iconic clock tower was one of Cornwall’s most photographed landmarks during winter storms.
Fowey
Steeped in the literature and legacy of Cornwall’s favourite author, Fowey and its surrounds are often dubbed Du Maurier country. Squirrel away in a boutique bolthole in this chic maritime town, and no doubt you’ll be swept away by the romance, mystery and beauty that inspired Du Maurier’s tomes.
Book early for the annual festival that brings together literati, artists and musicians, and while you’re here explore the coastline yawning towards Looe and Mevagissey. Footsteps from your luxury cottage you can wander cobbled waterside streets and browse the boutiques, sip fine wine while you watch the boats go by, or hoist your sails for a maritime adventure.
Falmouth
Indulge in a bucketful of maritime heritage, sumptuous seafood, beach life and a buzzing art scene in Falmouth. Sitting at the entrance to the world’s third deepest harbour, this vibrant port town is surrounded by an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty from where artists decant their inspiration and fishermen snag some of the region’s finest bounty.
Sailing regattas, vibrant festivals, water sports and the National Maritime Museum stand testimony to its seafaring history, while award-winning restaurants helmed by the likes of Michael Caines pay homage to produce sourced from land and sea. Nestled beside the Carrick Roads waterways, you can easily cast away to other waterside havens including St Mawes, Mylor and Flushing (with its grand houses that formerly belonged to the packet ships’ Captains).
St Mawes
Although it’s just a short boat ride from Falmouth, St Mawes stands out in its own right as one of Cornwall’s most indulgent destinations. Overflowing with Mediterranean charm, it’s the hangout of yachties and beach lovers, and the gateway to the Roseland Peninsula, where smugglers’ coves, craggy headlands and verdant farmland hem the ocean.
Unsurprisingly a handful of A-list celebs hide away here to get their fill of luxury waterside living, and Olga Polizzi’s Hotel Tresanton has long been a beacon of beachside elegance. Explore the nooks and crannies onboard a SUP or sailing boat, tread the coastal paths to find golden beaches and pause for Cornish cream teas with a view. Then in the evenings, fill up on sumptuous seafood in sophisticated restaurants a pebble’s throw from the sea.
Harbour Holidays offers an exclusive collection of luxury holiday cottages on the North Coast of Cornwall. Escape to a boutique beach house and indulge in the best of Cornwall.
