Cornwall’s stunning coast side towns
by Vicky Baker
Nov 10, 2011
Cornwall is where much of the British population would like to live or own a second home. And given half the chance (plus a small fortune), who wouldn't? This southwest county has beaches with cobalt waters, one of the best food scenes outside London, a host of local delicacies, a great culture that stretches from visual arts to surfing, traditional seaside villages, and an exciting history of pirates and smugglers.
Many visitors head straight to bustling St Ives - repeatedly named Britain's best seaside town - but there are advantages to picking a spot so you can visit the busy attractions by day and then retreat to your own, quiet little cove. One such place is The Scarlet hotel, a luxury eco property in Mawgan Porth. This small village provides all you need on a Cornish holiday: a pasty shop, an ice cream parlour, a local pub and a surf school, plus a large sandy beach sheltered by cliffs.
Inside the hill-top Scarlet, the decor is both sleek and welcoming, featuring contemporary colour schemes, unusual artwork and lots of communal spaces. "Feel free to come to breakfast in your bathrobe," says the receptionist. There is no reception desk here, which is supposed make you feel at home, although you do have to ignore the fact that she's been hovering in a behind-the-scenes office, watching for your arrival on closed-circuit television. All staff seem friendly.
The first thing that catches your attention is the infinity pool, which is designed to give the illusion of continuation straight to the sea. That pool is for decoration purposes only, but for swimming you have the sea (a 10-minute walk straight along the sands), a heated indoor pool, or a freshwater outdoor pool, with an unusual natural look and a temperature that could be described as "refreshing" or "frightening", depending on the day.
You could easily while away your days in the spa - especially tempting are the seaweed treatments in the outdoor hot tubs - but to enjoy the best Cornwall has to offer, you need to get out into the wilds.
A good way to spend your first day is taking the hour-long walk across the beach and up over the cliff to Watergate Bay. The views get more impressive at every turn, as sheer precipices drop straight down into waters that seem to cover the whole spectrum of blue.
Watergate Bay itself is best known for Fifteen, the restaurant set up by television chef Jamie Oliver. You'll find it hidden in an unlikely location, above some run-of-the-mill fast-food stalls, but it's inviting on the inside, with great views, and remember this is a social project as much as a quality restaurant, with all profits going towards training the young staff, who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. It's an extremely popular spot, so be sure to book around two weeks ahead in high season, although it's always worth trying your luck for a cancellation.
More energetic visitors can arrange a surfing lesson or attempt something more unusual, such as waveskiing, coasteering or stand-up paddlesurfing (www.watergatebay.co.uk). You can also get involved in the growing trend for "wild swimming" via sessions arranged through the Scarlet. Afterwards, you can take an eco-friendly taxi back to the hotel (www.biotravel.co.uk). However, walking back will help you work up an appetite, because the Scarlet restaurant is also unmissable, serving up dishes such as sea bass, with lobster, samphire and fennel.
On day two, take a trip to St Ives, just under an hour's drive away. The character-filled town has a sweeping beach, a harbour, a lighthouse that inspired Virginia Woolf, and cobbled back streets filled with shops selling jewellery and locally produced fudge. There is plenty of art, too, from little galleries to a huge branch of the Tate, which showcases modern art by the beachfront.
For lunch, there's seafood - such as Cornish crab with a Thai twist, or classic fish and chips - at the award-winning Porthminster Cafe, or you could even grab a pasty. St Ives Bakery on Fore Street is a family-run business, offering a full range of flavours in flaky pastry. They even produce the original two-course "miner's pasty", which was thought to be invented in the 19th century and is half savoury, half sweet.
In the afternoon, head to St Michael's Mount. It's an impressive sight to see this medieval castle standing ominously at the end of a causeway in front of the old market town of Marazion. You can get there by boat or on foot, depending on the tides, or just admire it from afar. Note that closing time is 5pm to 5.30pm (stmichaelsmount.co.uk). After this, make your way to nearby Penzance and wander down Chapel Street, which is full of historic pubs, vintage shops and an intriguing Egyptian-style house, built in the 1700s. For dinner, it has to be high-quality tapas at Untitled by Robert White; but remember - this is a foodie county, so again you'll need to book in advance.
That night, instead of heading back to where you came from, keep on the south coast and drive on to the tiny village of Portloe, which has just 65 year-round residents. Book into The Lugger hotel, a 17th century smuggler's inn that has been turned into a charming hotel. Its low ceilings, log fire and cosy restaurant certainly make this a place to be when the waves start whipping up into the tiny fisherman's bay below.
Sometimes Cornwall can feel overrun with other holidaymakers, but Portloe is the ideal escape. It attracts guests who appreciate the simple things (good food and walking the coastal paths). During the day, you can take a walk along the Roseland Peninsula to nearby Carne Beach and stop for a cream tea at The Nare hotel. In the evening, make your way back for dinner at The Lugger's restaurant, which specialises in locally caught seafood.
If one thing is certain about a trip to Cornwall it's that if you go hungry, it's your own fault.
Shore things
Getting there and getting round
Emirates flies from Hong Kong to London from about US$1,000. A weekend's car hire in Cornwall costs from GBP45 (HK$560/www.avis.co.uk). You can also get a train from London to St Austell for The Lugger or to Newquay for The Scarlet (www.thetrainline.com).
Where to stay
The Scarlet GBP245 per night, bed and breakfast
Tredragon Road
Mawgan Porth
The Lugger GBP205 for bed and breakfast, or GBP255 with dinner
Portloe, Truro
Where to eat
Fifteen Cornwall
Watergate Bay
Porthminster Cafe
Porthminster Beach, St Ives
St Ives Bakery
1 Fore Street, St Ives Tel: +44 (1736) 798 888
Untitled by Robert White
Abbey Street, Penzance
www.untitledbyrobertwright.com
What to do
Tate St Ives
Porthmeor Beach, St Ives
The Nare hotel (for cream tea)
Carne Beach, Veryan-in-Roseland
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