Holiday Cottages in Cornwall

In West Cornwall you'll discover what crystal clear blue water really means. Nowhere else in Britain can boast such sparkling seas to match the best the Mediterranean or Caribbean can offer. The water temperature may be a touch more lively, the air much fresher, the breeze more bracing; but in or out of it, West Cornwall's seas exhilarate.

Stand at the sea's edge on any of West Cornwall's great beaches at St Ives, Hayle, Perranporth, or Sennen and the air is intoxicating.... ..call it the freshness of the Atlantic, call it ozone, call it Cornish champagne, it makes you want to dance... sing... and leap straight in!

Those long snowy lines of surf seem to make the air fizz with energy and the light even brighter still. Britain's beach lovers are spoiled for choice these days, with the world's sunniest resorts only a cheap flight away. Yet West Cornwall's beaches still exert an irresistible attraction with their magic mix of silken sand and sparkling sea.

There are beaches that lend themselves to the exuberant water sports of surfing and yet are still ideal for everyday swimming. You can enjoy the peacefulness of tranquil pebble beaches on the shores of tree-shrouded inlets, or the rock-pool delights of secluded coves. Then there are beaches where shallow water floods gently over warm sand, where youngsters can play to their hearts content, so long as a watchful eye is kept on them.

Watchful eyes are always around, of course, on West Cornwall's main beaches, where teams of top lifeguards watch over visitors and are always available for help and advice about the safest areas to bathe in.

Walking in West Cornwall is unbeatable. The South West Coastal Footpath runs like a parting through the heather and gorse of the cliff tops for a spectacular 130 miles. In and out of exquisite coastal valleys, rocky coves, past virgin beaches, and through charming towns and villages. Away from the coast, West Cornwall has a superb network of footpaths that cross exhilarating moorland, follow ancient field paths, wind through cool woodland glades to tiny hamlets and churches, with the pleasures of a wonderful old inn or pub along the way.

West Penwith with its three seas, rugged coastal headlands with cliffs and stacks, open heaths and moors, farmland, and the sheltered sandy bays and estuaries, is important for wildlife and offers great opportunities to get close to nature. The air is clear and clean giving spectacular views and a healthy environment in which to enjoy it.