All ground floor. One double bedroom. Bathroom with bath, shower over and basin. Separate WC. Open plan living area with kitchen, dining area and sitting area with woodburner.
The area around Tintagel is dominated by the sea, rugged coastline, secluded coves and incredible scenery. The town is famous as the home of the legendary King Arthur’s castle, and the castle ruins still overlook the cliff side outside the town. Several beaches, the closest being Trebarwith Strand, are within reach and great surfing is also on offer locally. The South West Coast Path travels through the town and navigates along the cliff tops in both directions through magnificent countryside, then winds down to the sea’s edge. 2.5 miles along the path is the village of Boscastle with its charming old fashioned quay and good village pubs. Tintagel itself offers several pubs and restaurants and the Old Post Office, a National Trust property that is well worth a visit. The popular surfing centre of Bude is 15 miles distant, and Bodmin Moor, Padstow and the fascinating Eden Project are all an easy drive away.
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.
