We spent a few days in Cornwall checking out coastal towns like Newquay (pronounced New-Key for us Americans), Padstow, Boscastle, and Tintagel. Newquay is a bit of a surfers haven. It has a bunch of beaches and can get substantial size waves. Granted they are nothing compared to the Hawaiian giant waves, but there is a significant following here. Likewise, there are plenty of shops with surf shorts, shirts, and flip-flops. Unlike southern California, Australia, and Hawaii most of the surfing is done in wetsuits. After walking along the cliffs near Newquay, we caught a group of folks going out, at sunset, for an evening of surfing safari.
Padstow, unlike Newquay, is a traditional Cornish fishing village. It has a sealed port using locks to keep the boats floating at low tide. Unfortunately while we were in Cornwall, the seas were unusually rough. So, the boats had remained in port for most of the week and there was no fresh seafood. Because of the craggy coastline and underwater floor on Cornwall’s north western coast, the area is perfect for lobster. If your without kids, there is a fancy Rick Stein restaurant checking out. For us, we went to a more moderately priced, but good restaurant where we had a mixture of seafood and locally produced vegetables and lamb.
Our last place before leaving Cornwall was Tintagel. But before going to Tintagel, we checked out the harbor in Boscastle along with the Witchcraft Museum. The harbor was breathtaking with oxidized stones/ cliffs and windy bluffs. The Witchcraft Museum was lots of fun, though Pearl was a bit tense with some of the museum pieces. As to Tintagel, the ruined castle was well worth the hiking and blustery weather. The views overlooking the atlantic were breathtaking and the ground had a magical feel. We didn’t get to see everything, so a trip back is still in the plans.
All in all, traveling through a small portion of Cornwall during the off season was a rewarding experience.
