Cornwall

Cornwall's coastline shapes most of its appeal, from the harbour towns of Padstow and Fowey, both known for seafood and sailing, to St Ives with its galleries and sandy beaches. Falmouth offers a working port atmosphere alongside maritime history, while Penzance sits at the county's western tip, a gateway to the far coast. Newquay draws surfers and a livelier crowd, and Bude further north has a quieter, family-friendly shore. Blue Anchor is smaller still, a coastal spot away from the crowds.

Inland, Bodmin and Liskeard serve as market towns with easy access to the moors, useful bases for exploring on quieter terms. Redruth reflects Cornwall's mining past, with heritage sites nearby, and Torpoint, close to the Devon border, suits those arriving by ferry from Plymouth. Together these places balance busy resorts against calmer, workaday towns, giving visitors a choice between lively coastal breaks and slower, exploratory stays.

Cornwall's coastline has been sheltering visitors for generations, and its hotels and B&Bs reflect the different characters of its towns. St Ives and Falmouth offer harbourside guest houses and grander hotels with sea views, Padstow trades on its food reputation with places like Rick Stein's Prospect House close to the quay, while Polzeath and Bude suit those chasing surf and open beaches with more relaxed, family-run stops.

Inland and around St Austell and St Agnes, the choice runs from traditional B&Bs such as Cornerways Guest House and Gwyndra House to distinctive small properties like Boswenna or The Olive Branch. Tregenna Castle Resort shows the grander end of the scale, while places such as The Sandy Duck and Pretty Penny B&B represent the simpler, personally run options found across the county.

With so many towns and a wide spread of styles, it is worth deciding whether you want to be within walking distance of a beach or harbour, or happier basing yourself slightly inland and driving to the coast each day.

Cornwall's attractions range from the well-known, like the Eden Project near St Austell, to smaller finds scattered across the county's coast and inland towns. Newquay and St Ives lean toward beach-based activity, with surf schools and watersports operators making the most of the swell, while Falmouth and Looe offer things like mystery treasure trails for a slower, more exploratory day out.

Inland towns such as Truro, Redruth and Helston tend to hold the indoor options - laser tag, virtual reality venues and visitor centres like the ShelterBox base - useful when the weather turns. Coastal spots including Coverack and Loe Beach cater to sailing and windsurfing, so it's worth deciding whether you want a day on the water or one exploring on foot before picking a base.

Cornwall's eating and drinking scene follows the coastline as much as the calendar, with harbour towns doing much of the heavy lifting. Porthleven has built a strong reputation around its working harbour, with kitchens like The Shed and Tide Flushing making the most of fresh landings, while Falmouth offers a wider spread, from UpperDeck and Beach House to more casual spots such as Milano's and The Fish Cabin.

Away from the water, options widen further still, taking in everything from Chinese buffets to workplace catering like OCS Food Co at Launceston. Choosing between them often comes down to setting as much as menu: a harbourside table in Porthleven suits a slow lunch, while Falmouth's mix of cafes, pubs and restaurants gives more scope for an evening out.

Cornwall's mix of coast, farmland and moor makes it one of the country's busiest counties for camping and glamping, and the range on offer reflects that. Big family sites such as Trevornick Holiday Park sit near the north coast's surf beaches, while smaller certificated locations and farm pitches, like Home Farm Certificated Location or Carn View Camping, offer a quieter base away from the crowds.

For something more than a tent pitch, yurts and shepherd's huts turn up across the county, from Cornish Yurt Holidays and Albion Farm Yurt inland to The Beeches Glamping and Helluva View Camping further out. Around Falmouth, Penzance and Redruth you'll find sites within easy reach of both coastline and town, while pop-up options such as Porthilly Beach Pop-Up Camping suit a short summer stay by the water.

With so many sites spread across the county, it's worth deciding first whether you want coast, countryside or somewhere central, as Cornwall's roads can make longer journeys slower than they look on the map.

Cornwall has one of the largest self-catering stocks in the country, from fishermen's cottages tucked into harbour towns to modern barn conversions inland. Properties such as Squirrels Leap, Stone The Crows and Seacharm give a flavour of the range on offer, and the sheer choice means it's worth deciding on setting before anything else.

Coastal cottages near St Ives, Padstow or the Lizard tend to book up fastest for summer weeks and often sit within walking distance of a beach or coast path, while inland options around Bodmin Moor or the Fowey valley offer more space and quiet at generally better value. Places like Home Park Cottages - Number One and Hawthorn House show how many are grouped in small clusters, useful for family or multi-generation trips wanting separate but nearby accommodation.

With well over a thousand cottages spread across the county, comparing location against what's actually nearby, whether that's a pub, a beach or open moorland, matters more than the property itself.