HIGHLIGHTS AND ATTRACTIONS OF CORNWALL, ENGLAND PART ONE WITH PICTURES AND VIDEO

England, in spite of being a tiny country has some amazing natural treasures hidden in its picturesque counties. The general consensus among English people is that Somerset and Dorset are the two most beautiful counties in south England.

Dorset offers visually spectacular cliff top views over a blue sea along with possessing some of the most astonishing instances of Jurassic geomorphology while Somerset is noted for its verdantly green, idyllic pastoral setting. And for some strange reason, Cornwall does not elicit a mention in these lists of beautiful south England counties which I find particularly strange.

I have traveled to several different parts of Cornwall and believe me, it is perhaps the most amazingly spectacular and jaw droppingly scenic of all the counties in the whole of England, the Lake District in Cumbria being the sole exception. The county, lying in the southwestern most part of England and stretching into the sea like a peninsula, might be remote, on the whole rather inaccessible unless you have your own car and connectivity might be extremely poor.

But all the drawbacks are compensated for by the mind numbing sea views and virgin sun kissed golden beaches that are strewn all over the county, from north to south, from east to west, from coast to coast. Ireland, Greece and Croatia (coastlines) are perhaps the only countries which can give a tough competition to Cornish sea views and beach beauty. And now for some of the attractions in Cornwall. Let me start off with Newquay, the Cornish administrative headquarter.

Newquay

The common complaint of tourists visiting England is that, despite being an island and dotted with innumerable seaside resorts, England is woefully lacking in beautiful sandy beaches where people can enjoy and relax. Well, this might be true of other beach resorts in England, but Newquay is famed for its numerous beautiful sandy beaches.

The most famous one is definitely Fistral beach – the surfing paradise/capital of the entire world. But others like Crantock beach, TowanBeach, TolcarneBeach, The Great Western Beach and PorthBeach also deserve special mention. I personally feel Towan beach is the most unique because of the two privately owned islets (connected by a foot bridge) standing tall on a rocky column, bang in the middle of the beach!

During low tide, you can walk beneath the islands and marvel at the geology and at high tide, you can simply enjoy the delightful view of the impossibly blue waters encircling the island bases and crashing dangerously on the rocky shores. All the different beaches in Newquay mentioned above get cut off from each other during high tides, but at low tide, when the waters recede, they form a continuous stretch of long sandy beaches, ideal for sunbathing.

Of course, the revelry and merrymaking won’t be complete without the quintessential fish and chips on paper and Cornish cream tea (a pot of liquor tea served with clotted cream, strawberry jam, milk, sugar and a big hot buttery scone – an afternoon high tea delicacy typical of Cornwall).

Some of the other Cornish attractions in and near Newquay include the Tunnels through Time, a delightful Elizabethan manor called Trerice, the Cornish Celtic tour, Newquay zoo, Holywell bay fun park, Dairyland farm world, the blue reef aquarium housing brightly colored reef fish, giant groupers, moray eels, stingrays and reef sharks; Big Dunk’s Paintball and Outdoor Laser Tag; the Cornish Birds of Prey Centre; Springfields Fun park and pony centre and the Lappa Valley Steam Railway.

P.S.

• For accommodation in Newquay you can try out Hotel Trelinda. Jackie’s English breakfast and her choco muffins are simply gorgeous, as are the sea view rooms and the décor!
• http://www.trelinda.com/room_info.html

Camelford

You may also visit the north Cornwall museum and the Arthurian Centre where King Arthur fought his last battle.

Tintagel

And of course how can I forget Tintagel castle, an English heritage site and King Arthur’s great halls! This is where the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table unfolded. The legendary Tintagel castle, in a sad state of ruin due to erosion by sea and lashings by fierce winter gales, sits on the top of a cliff offering spectacular views all around.

The mainland and the castle are connected together by a very thin strip of land and the climb up the steps is horrifyingly steep. Nor does much of the castle remain any more. But once you reach the castle, the amazing views and the spectacular setting will leave you speechless. Don’t forget to visit Tintagel old post office – a 14^th century manor house with its unique character.