6 adventurous things to do on a trip to Cornwall, UK
Cornwall is one of Britain’s best-kept secrets. Just a 5-hour train ride from London, you can have over 300 miles of stunning coastline and a whole heap of other adventure terrain at your fingertips. And what’s better is the train journey down through Devon, into Cornwall is up there with the prettiest train journeys in the world. It takes you across some simply lovely quintessential English countryside and over the stunning Brunel Bridge at Plymouth, where you can see the waves lapping up to the tracks on a windy day, before pulling up to countless pretty little stations once into Cornwall – the adventure has begun already!
Once you arrive there is just so much to do outdoors to keep your adventure spirit stoked and your adrenaline levels up! Here is our adventure travel guide to Cornwall, to make sure that you get the best out of your break once you are there!
Go surfing
If you have never tried it, there is really no better place to make a start. There area heaps of hire shops around the county where you can get hold of the kit and a whole range of surf schools too, where you can get lessons in anything from an hour to a whole week. Surfing is pretty much suitable for all ages, once you can swim, and as well as being great fun is a good all round work out too!
Explore the South-West coast path
Cornwall is surrounded by over 300 miles of beautiful coastline – the north famous for its dramatic views and stunning craggy cliffs, the south renowned for its river estuaries and temperate climate, ideal for tropical gardens. The Southwest coast path makes it way around all of it – taking you on a wonderful journey into the true character of this region. The southwest coast path website is very helpful for choosing a route – be sure to plan a great picnic or stop off at one of CornwallÂ’s lovely innÂ’s or taverns to keep you well fed on your walk!
The Ghost Walk at Bodmin Jail
The Jail is open 364 days a year and is even suitable for a visit in wet weather, offering a fascinating insight into the Penal history of Cornwall. The Jail you see today was built by prisoners with over 20,000 tonnes of granite from a not so nearby quarry, as an addition the original 1779 prison. The jail runs a regular spooky nighttime walk that is not one for the faint hearted! From 10.30 pm until dawn you are invited to come into the prison and experience it in all of its ghostly wonder.
Zorbing in Bude
This one is guaranteed to get your heart racing. Climb into a large transparent plastic orb and race down a hill at top speeds and for as little as £15 you can get a view of the countryside that is quite unlike any other. Zorbing is a brilliant way to bond with friends or to get the whole family laughing! We can assure you everyone is going to a feel a little nervous before embarking on this- and brilliant after! Bude is a great spot to try it.
Go-karting at St Eval
This is just too much fun to leave to children! At St Eval on the north coast of Cornwall there is an all weather track where you can drive grown-up go-karts at 70 mph! But don’t worry they have junior and infant karts too, so everyone from 3 upwards can be in on the action! You can either do their ‘arrive and drive’ session where you simply pay for however long you spend. Or you can take part in your very own 15 or 20 lap ‘formula one’ race, where you can see who comes out as the true champion over a proper length race! Brilliant fun for the whole family.
Rock climbing at Land’s End
Cornwall’s lovely craggy granite makes for great rock climbing and whether you are a beginner or an experienced climber we are sure the county has something to excite you. If you have never done it before why not sign up to a company who can help you to get to the good spots and provide you with all the right equipment. If you are experienced there are many great climbing guides available in bookshops to get you to the good places. We love the sea-cliff climb at Sennen: it’s a great, challenging little crag. Park in the car park and walk down – best attempted between March and September and make sure to check swell reports first! Lovely views guaranteed from the top.
Emily Franklin is Owner of Late Lettings.
If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.
Once you arrive there is just so much to do outdoors to keep your adventure spirit stoked and your adrenaline levels up! Here is our adventure travel guide to Cornwall, to make sure that you get the best out of your break once you are there!
Go surfing
If you have never tried it, there is really no better place to make a start. There area heaps of hire shops around the county where you can get hold of the kit and a whole range of surf schools too, where you can get lessons in anything from an hour to a whole week. Surfing is pretty much suitable for all ages, once you can swim, and as well as being great fun is a good all round work out too!
Explore the South-West coast path
Cornwall is surrounded by over 300 miles of beautiful coastline – the north famous for its dramatic views and stunning craggy cliffs, the south renowned for its river estuaries and temperate climate, ideal for tropical gardens. The Southwest coast path makes it way around all of it – taking you on a wonderful journey into the true character of this region. The southwest coast path website is very helpful for choosing a route – be sure to plan a great picnic or stop off at one of CornwallÂ’s lovely innÂ’s or taverns to keep you well fed on your walk!
The Ghost Walk at Bodmin Jail
The Jail is open 364 days a year and is even suitable for a visit in wet weather, offering a fascinating insight into the Penal history of Cornwall. The Jail you see today was built by prisoners with over 20,000 tonnes of granite from a not so nearby quarry, as an addition the original 1779 prison. The jail runs a regular spooky nighttime walk that is not one for the faint hearted! From 10.30 pm until dawn you are invited to come into the prison and experience it in all of its ghostly wonder.
Zorbing in Bude
This one is guaranteed to get your heart racing. Climb into a large transparent plastic orb and race down a hill at top speeds and for as little as £15 you can get a view of the countryside that is quite unlike any other. Zorbing is a brilliant way to bond with friends or to get the whole family laughing! We can assure you everyone is going to a feel a little nervous before embarking on this- and brilliant after! Bude is a great spot to try it.
Go-karting at St Eval
This is just too much fun to leave to children! At St Eval on the north coast of Cornwall there is an all weather track where you can drive grown-up go-karts at 70 mph! But don’t worry they have junior and infant karts too, so everyone from 3 upwards can be in on the action! You can either do their ‘arrive and drive’ session where you simply pay for however long you spend. Or you can take part in your very own 15 or 20 lap ‘formula one’ race, where you can see who comes out as the true champion over a proper length race! Brilliant fun for the whole family.
Rock climbing at Land’s End
Cornwall’s lovely craggy granite makes for great rock climbing and whether you are a beginner or an experienced climber we are sure the county has something to excite you. If you have never done it before why not sign up to a company who can help you to get to the good spots and provide you with all the right equipment. If you are experienced there are many great climbing guides available in bookshops to get you to the good places. We love the sea-cliff climb at Sennen: it’s a great, challenging little crag. Park in the car park and walk down – best attempted between March and September and make sure to check swell reports first! Lovely views guaranteed from the top.
Emily Franklin is Owner of Late Lettings.
If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.
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The coastline certainly is stunning, but I would hardly describe Cornwall as a “best-kept secret”. The county is rammed with visitors during the summer, and some of the most popular spots such as St Ives can be busy at any time of year. Spring is a wonderful time to visit in my opinion, less busy than summer, but warming up nicely and with lovely spring flowers.
I would agree with Vicky’s comment above, the coastline is stunning but Cornwall is hardly Britain’s best kept-secret. I also wonder whether the author has in fact travelled by train to Cornwall or indeed crossed the Brunel Bridge. “…where you can see the waves lapping up to the tracks on a windy day.” For the waves to reach the track there would have to be a storm such as would make Hurricane Sandy look like a gentle breeze and the waves would have to be of tsunami proportions. The clearance to the tracks is 30m.
However, the suggestions for adventure in Cornwall are a great mix. I personally would add sea kayaking to the list. Cornwall is a great place to get out paddling.
Gordon, allow me to retort. If you are saying that the waves in Cornwall are not of a great standard then you must be looking in the wrong places, coming from a family of professional surfers/bodyboarders we have always strongly believed that some of the best waves we have ever had, have been in Cornwall, for example Porthleven at low-tide is undoubtedly the UK’s best break, and there are many other secret spots in Cornwall that deliver similar standard waves. Maybe you need to look harder next time.
William, there is no way I am saying the waves of Cornwall are not of a high standard. Although I do not surf myself I have many friends who do and who reliably inform me that the waves are indeed world class. As I often spend time on the North Cornwall coast (Chapel Porth, Porthtowan, Perranporth etc) and see large numbers of surfers I recognise that the waves must indeed be great for surfing.
My issue in the comment above was the inaccuracy of the piece which claims that the waves are lapping against the track of the Brunel Bridge. The bridge is 30m high. I think even you would agree a wave that high is too big even by Cornish standards. To lap against the tracks the wave would have inundated most Plymouth, Torpoint and Saltash. Yes, waves in Cornwall are world class standard but are not that big.
I see, I do apologise. I completely agree with what you say, I have lived in Cornwall my whole life and have never seen such an event. I think someone might be over exaggerating or perhaps dreaming.