When we first collected our Adria Isonzo in April 2018 our second holiday in it was a two week trip to Cornwall in May 2018. We had heard about the narrow Cornish lanes and were concerned about taking our 8ft wide Adria down there. On our first trip we towed down via the motorways and then on to the A30, this is a fantastic road that runs almost the length of Cornwall. All was fine until we had to make our way to the site in Mevagissey, this was a narrow road and took a lot of concentration and patience. We were relieved when we reached the caravan site, Tregarton Park, and we agreed if we returned to Cornwall we would stay closer to a larger road.
A year later and we were keen to return to Cornwall due to the amazing beaches and places to visit. We booked Godrevy Caravan Club site which is situated a few minutes from the A30 and you can walk to the beach from the site.
We hitched up on the 3rd June and set off from Wiltshire down the A303 and on to the A30. The A30 is mainly duel carriageway and is a lovely road to drive, after three hours we arrived at Godrevy. The lane in to the site was no issue, even for the Isonzo, and we were soon pitched up. The weather was lovely and the palm trees on the site added to the seaside feel.
The following day we ventured out to to visit The Lizard, suggested to be named after the Cornish word Lezou, meaning headland. The Lizard was a spectacular place to visit on this sunny day and the views out to sea were amazing. We walked the cliff path and found wild flowers and wildlife and after working up an appetite we headed in to the village centre for a pasty. A quick trip to Ann’s pasty shop and we were soon sampling the famous Cornish pasty. After a good day out and we headed home to the the site where we enjoyed an amazing sunset and fish and chips from the onsite van.
The following day we had more inclement weather so drove down to Penzance where we found a good variety of shops to wander around.
Our next trip out saw us visit the town of Hayle, near to our site, we had a walk around before calling in at another renowned pasty shop, Philps. It was important to try out these pasty establishments we decided. We left Hayle and headed back to the site where he trotted out on foot across the sand dunes to the three mile beach that ran along past Gwithian to Hayle. We had amazing views from the lighthouse out across the Atlantic Ocean and Fudge certainly enjoyed stretching his legs. There was another amazing sunset that night across the bay and we stood and watched the sun go down.
Our next outing was to Portreath, a small village with a lovely sheltered beach. We had a hot chocolate from the beach front cafe and sat and enjoyed the sun and relaxed. We ventured further along the coast in the car and took in the lovely lanes and views.
On the Sunday morning we were up early and heading off to Newquay to meet up with some friends from Yorkshire who were also in Cornwall. We parked up and headed in to the town to meet for breakfast. Once we had eaten we got Fudge, our dog, and set off exploring the town on foot. Newquay is a busy place with plenty of shops. It seemed busy with stag-dos and there was obviously an active night time economy. We found four small beaches in Newquay, the largest being Fistral Beach. It was certainly beautiful to visit and several days could easily be spent here. I would imagine Newquay is very busy in summer and may not be what everyone is looking for in Cornwall.
After leaving Newquay we took a drive south to Falmouth and back along towards Penzance, calling in at several small coastal villages. Our drive back took about two hours but gave us chance to see more of the area.
Monday arrived and we were off again, this time to St. Ives, a busy town on the north coast. The best advice if visiting here is use the park and ride, don’t try to get in to the town as the streets are very narrow and packed with pedestrians. Many of the car parks are full by mid morning but we were lucky to find a space as we went early. We explored St. Ives on foot, it is very hilly so be aware if you struggle with inclines. There are several parts to St. Ives with the harbour and two beaches. St. Ives reminded us of Whitby in North Yorkshire, it was very busy with other tourists but it retained a quaint charm, unlike Newquay. We purchased a lemon meringue from a bakery to have later with ice cream. After a few hours we headed back to the car and were on the road again back to the site.
Monday night saw the arrival of gales and heavy rain, although the Adria had no issue at all the awning wasn’t quite so keen on the bad weather. Tuesday continued with wild weather driven in off the sea, we bunkered down and ate ice creams and cookies.
By now we were nearing the end of our caravan holiday in Cornwall, we headed off for one last trip to Lands End, this turned out to be one of our favourite places. We arrived at the large car park at the most southerly point in the country and paid the £6 which includes admission to the attractions. We ventured in and were glad to see a fresh doughnut stand, we quickly bought a bag to share then continued on to see the sites. Lands End is dog friendly so Fudge enjoyed his walk on the cliff top with us. Lands End was a remote place but very tranquil, despite the number of visitors there was room for everyone. It’s certainly worth a visit and we would return.
After a few more days of inclement weather it was time to hitch up and head off. Our holiday to Cornwall was fantastic and we would recommend it to anyone. If you are towing your caravan make sure you can reach the site you have booked with your caravan, some of the lanes and entrances are very tight. If you are coming with a small motorhome or van conversion you will be fine and we found several small sites we would have stayed on if we were in a motorhome, with amazing sea views.
We plan to return to Cornwall very soon, it offers something for everyone.
