Charlotte Cox
Enjoys a peaceful break at a Cornwall holiday park
As the sun goes down, we stroll across the deserted beach, our footprints among the last to mark the sand that day. This is Mawgan Porth, regularly voted as one of the best beaches in Cornwall, and on a balmy evening like this, with its deep sandy bay anchored by dramatic cliffs and rolling waves, it’s easy to see why.
During our short break at this tranquil spot in the north of the county, we’ve been out exploring further afield – Watergate Bay and Bedruthan Steps Beach are nearby – but each evening we find ourselves back here, four miles north of surfing hotspot Newquay.
It’s a 20-minute walk from our base at Sun Haven Holiday Park, owned by Lovat, a relative newcomer to the luxury market having launched
in 2018. Our party of three is staying in a lake-view holiday home. It’s compact but comfortable with a kitchen-lounge, three bedrooms and a patio overlooking the lake.
We find everything we need during our stay and, cocooned in our bedrooms, our heads fall each night on to cloud-like pillows so comfy we
Google them. In the morning, we open the patio doors and sit looking out over the lake. Twice, there’s a solitary fisherman trying his luck.
A short walk from our holiday home, the reception area stocks essentials and the staff are always friendly and happy to help. The on-site playground gets a big thumbs-up from our three-year-old expert, while the pretty woodland walk to the beach is also a hit, even for little legs.
Just across the road from the site is Off the Path Coffee Co, an outdoor spot serving hot drinks and breakfasts. We plump one morning for a breakfast burger and the bun filled with sausage, egg and bacon delivers a hearty energy boost in a relaxing atmosphere. The coffee is good too.
Waking early, it’s a 20-minute drive to Padstow. This harbour town is tucked inside the Camel Estuary and we wend our way through its streets packed with independent shops and eateries.
Strolling to the harbour, we buy tickets (£2 for adults, £1.50 for children) from the harbour office and wait for our ride to the coastal village of
Rock. It takes 15 minutes for our small ferry boat to arrive but the view keeps us occupied. The sea is a shade of blue that seems to belong to another country as birds glide and swoop.
The journey across to
Rock is a delight – especially if you are three. The beach, when we arrive, is a long stretch of golden sand
following the estuary towards the coast.
The day is spent building sandcastles and carefully crafted sand boats and we stay long enough to see them swept away by the sea.
Nearly an hour south of Mawgan Porth is St Ives, perfect for a day trip. We walk through the cobbled streets and past the fishermen’s cottages to Porthmeor beach, which faces the Atlantic and backs on to the Tate Gallery.
Here, we are joined by curious seagulls as we try to keep our picnic to ourselves. The sun glistens on the water and boats bob nearby.
Later, we enjoy an outdoor dinner from Harbour Fish & Chips. The batter is crispy, the chips are chunky, and the harbour view is a feast for our eyes.
Another evening we stay local for dinner. The Catch Seafood Bar and Grill on Mawgan Porth seafront specialises in locally caught fare in an easy, breezy, beachy restaurant, with all-weathered wood and woven chairs.
The grilled daily catch (£22) is lemon sole. The fish is cooked to perfection, the wilted greens are a good accompaniment, and the salty fries are an ode to the waves lapping the beach beyond the restaurant’s decking. The kids’ linguine and tomato sauce (£8.50) is tasty too.
Then it’s back over to the beach to run off that pre-bedtime toddler twilight hour.
Before we head home from Cornwall we make time to visit St Mawgan itself where the post office serves cream teas.
We head to the
Japanese Garden and Bonsai
Nursery.
It’s a charming and calming spot with winding paths through more than 100 specimens of Japanese maples and other plants including azaleas, and well worth a visit.
Again, it’s great for kids who will enjoy exploring the route, checking out statues, bridges and searching for fish in the ponds. We
learn a fraction too late that it is well worth guiding them gently away from the perfectly raked meditation garden.
Wherever we’ve been we always love returning to our base at Sun Haven Holiday Park. It doesn’t feel too busy, and the lodges and holiday homes are far enough apart that you don’t hear your neighbours.
Vitally, while some airports continue to struggle amid cancellations and delays, this is a break in a beautiful region of the country that won’t involve queues through security or lost luggage – and it doesn’t cost the Earth.
Rock is a delight with its long stretch of golden sand following the estuary