Ground-floor apartment. Two bedrooms: 1 x king-size with LCD TV with Freeview, docking station and en-suite walk-in shower, basin, heated towel rail and WC, 1 x twin with a TV with Freeview. Bathroom with bath, shower over, basin, heated towel rail and WC. Open-plan living space with kitchen, dining and sitting area with balcony
Short drive from St Ives, Carbis Bay is renowned for its stunning length of sugar-sand shoreline. Located on the north coast of the island, the beach features turquoise waters and sheltered circumstances that make it feel nearly tropical. The beach is also home to the Ocean Sports Center, so if sunbathing isn’t your thing, why not rent a kayak or SUP and get out on the water instead? The boutique hotel next door, which has a lovely patio where you can sip cocktails while taking in the view of the beach, offers spa days as an additional option. Small local businesses and eateries, such as Carbis Bay’s fish & chip store and railroad branch, are all found in this seaside town. The railway ride from Carbis Bay to St. Ives, Cornwall, may be the most picturesque in the United Kingdom.
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.
