Pitchside view from Cornwall
Fancy Cornwall this year or next? Here’s some tips from a family of five, says Fiona Scott
I don’t know about you but I don’t really like ‘holiday camps' with ‘canned entertainment’. Even as a child, I hated holidays in a gated community with rows of uniform ‘homes’ and people in brightly coloured jackets trying to get you to take part in tacky games and talent shows.
Therefore, it may surprise you that one of my top tips for families with caravans in Cornwall is Perran Sands, the Haven holiday site, a mile or so from Perranporth. For me, this site worked because it offered choice and you can dip in or out of any entertainment.
We wanted to visit Cornwall in our caravan with three children of different ages and interests. I know the county quite well and some of it is quite remote, so choosing an accessible site as a base was important to us.
Perran Sands has tents, touring caravans, static holiday homes and private static mobile homes. You get a card on arrival allowing access to the facilities on site and you buy additional packages around the entertainment.
Its location means you can just use it as a base to travel around if you wish. For us, having the ability to do both was perfect. We could use the swimming pool, or visit the beach, we could go to the arcades, enjoy crazy golf or we could pay and book for sessions in archery, painting pots, fencing and other classes. All booked in advance so you could plan your days out.
The beach close to this site is a bit of a walk and it’s down a very steep incline but it’s utterly spectacular – a long, wide sandy beach which has never been full when we've visited – and there’s even a little fun train you can catch to get to the top of the incline. There’s also dunes all around the site so you can take your dog for a long walk easily.
As for the pitches themselves, there are a few hardstanding ones which are very level for single-axle caravans – if you can get one of these you are lucky. Mostly you will be on the grass in one of many ‘aisles’ right on the edge of the dunes. The
pitches are not that level and you may have to do a little manoeuvring to get the best position. There are good bathroom facilities across the site and the touring caravans are a distance from the main entertainment centre so you will be walking regularly. One tip, don’t choose to pitch close to the children’s main play area as it’s busy from dawn to dusk.
What I loved most was the ability to explore the area and travel around. My top tips for days out are:
● Perranporth – (five minutes' drive). It’s a sweet little town, with easy parking and aside from seaside tat shops, it has some lovely independents. Most eateries are dog friendly, too, and it’s surrounded by the golden sands.
● Falmouth – (40 minutes' drive).
We really like this town for its quaint and quirky shops, its naval feel and beautiful vistas. There’s always something to see and discover. This is a great day out. Look out for the World War II plaques about St Nazaire in the harbour and read up on that story, it will astonish you.
● Port Isaac – (an hour's drive). This fishing village will be very familiar because it’s the backdrop to a well-known TV series Doc Martin. It is quaint, doesn’t have much in the way of shops, however, it’s a working fishing village and it also has a lovely café front and centre (Doc Martin’s house by the way is a holiday let).
The beach close to this site is a bit of a walk
and it’s down a very steep incline but it’s utterly spectacular
● Lizard Point – (an hour's drive). If you like a walk and beautiful scenery this is for you. You park quite a way out and walk via wellworn paths down to Lizard Point, it’s rugged and beautiful and one of our favourite places. You can even spot seals in the sea. At the Point there’s a walk down to an old jetty and a fabulous small, dog-friendly café and some artists' shops.
● Polperro – (90 minutes' drive). You park at the top of this port village and walk down into Polperro and it’s gorgeous. It has lovely old homes, a community feel, a river running down the road into a busy harbour with hustle, bustle, seagulls, boats and fish. It’s tricky getting into the most popular eateries so you might want to book. We found a spitand-sawdust chippy and that suited us.