Single-storey. Two bedrooms: 1 x super-king-size with Smart TV and en-suite walk-in shower, basin, and WC, 1 x super-king (zip/link can be set up as a twin on request) with Smart TV and en-suite walk-in shower, basin, and WC. Open-plan living space with kitchen, dining area and sitting area
The village of Praa Sands sits on the south coast in between Helston and Marazion. Praa Sands is known for its mile-long sandy beach and excellent surfing conditions. There is a bar/restaurant overlooking the beach – the perfect spot for lunch with a view or sunset drinks. Praa Sands is also home to a Golf and Country Club, from where the most wonderful sea vista can be enjoyed whilst you play. Just inland from the beach is Pengersick Castle, the tower of which dates back to the 16th century. It is said that Pengersick is haunted, and that the ghost of a monk has been seen wandering the grounds! The house at Pengersick is rumoured to be the birth place of John Carter, the self styled King of Prussia and a tunnel which leads from the house to the beach was apparently once used by smugglers. There are supermarkets and other retail stores in Penzance (8 miles) and Helston (6 miles).
With its sweeping beaches, rugged moorlands, hidden woodlands, and rolling countryside estates, Cornwall is a superb destination if you want to spend some time bird watching on holiday.
One of the best spots is Hayle Estuary Nature Reserve, managed by the RSPB. This rich wetland habitat attracts a variety of birdlife, including teals, wigeons, and goosanders. While winter offers the highest numbers, spring and early summer also bring migrant waders such as oystercatchers, dunlins, and whimbrels to the tidal pools and marshes.
Marazion Marsh, also managed by the RSPB and overlooking the iconic St Michael’s Mount near Penzance, boasts Cornwall’s largest reedbed. It’s a haven for species like chiffchaffs, Cetti’s warblers, little egrets, and grey herons. Bitterns are regularly recorded here, and birds of prey, including sparrowhawks and buzzards, are often spotted too.
For a variety of songbirds and raptors, head to the Rame Peninsula near Cawsand. This beautiful area of tidal creeks, sandy beaches, and peaceful farmland attracts goldcrests, firecrests, warblers, and buntings. You may also glimpse birds of prey such as hobbies, merlins, peregrine falcons, and, if you’re lucky, the rare hen harrier.
At Stithians Lake, a large reservoir, breeding birds like little grebes, coots, and moorhens are common. Waders such as greenshanks, ruffs, and curlew sandpipers can also be seen foraging along the muddy banks.
Not far from St Ives, St Ives Island, actually a headland between Porthmeor and Porthgwidden beaches, is a top spot for seabird watching, especially in autumn. Huge flocks of skuas, terns, gannets, fulmars, and auks pass by, alongside waders like purple sandpipers, whimbrels, and turnstones.
Finally, no trip to Cornwall would be complete without exploring Bodmin Moor. This dramatic granite moorland, scattered with ancient ruins and rich in wildlife, is especially rewarding in spring and summer, when skylarks, stonechats, wheatears, and sedge warblers arrive to breed. In autumn and winter, the moor plays host to thousands of golden plovers, along with snipes and the more elusive jack snipe.