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Family Holidays: Cornwall family holidays and breaks
Take the Family holiday rating 
Why
Cornwall's north and south coasts are beautiful and geared up for family holidays or breaks come shine or rain. You can take the family surfing in the Atlantic in Britain's surf capital, Newquay, or on more secluded beaches either side. Or you can base yourself in historic towns like Fowey on the south. There are plenty of other attractions along the coast and inland.
Do recognise, though, that Cornwall is aptly described as a ‘beautiful frame around a plain picture’. This is due, in part, to Cornwall's mining legacy, which has had an unfortunate impact on the interior landscape. With the exception of must-do's like the Eden Project your family will almost certainly focus on the coast. But that's more than worth it!
- Top left: Surfers on the beach
- Top right: Lunch in Cornwall
- Bottom left: The beach
- Bottom middle: The Eden Project
- Bottom right: A Cornish town
When
During peak season popular areas can get jam packed, so it is well worth booking early to get the best availability. Whether you want to bake on the beach at the height of summer or gaze at the awesome power of the sea in winter, and eat lots of hot pasties or delicious cream teas, Cornwall will most definately provide the experience for the whole family. (Off season breaks also mean that there will be few tourists, rates are at their lowest, and availability will be good.)
How
take the car or train
Drive so that you have a car when you get there. Or take the train in 3½ hours from London Paddington to Bodmin Parkway. Buy Train tickets from The Trainline.com, the UKs leading seller of train tickets online to all UK mainland destinations.
take the plane
There are also twice daily flights between Newquay and London Stansted on Ryanair, or you can fly from London Gatwick on Air Southwest. Check low cost airline deals from London to Newquay with Opodo. And if you base yourself in Newquay you can either holiday without a car or rent one. Book early to get a good deal. Search for great deals on our car hire travel partners page.
take the coach
Check coach deals to 100s of destiations with National Express. Fares are low, plus one child under 3 not occupying a seat carried free with each adult fare paying passenger, making this one of the cheapest ways to travel.
Stay
take a cottage
If you prefer the flexibility of self-catering accommodation then we recommend staying in one of the lovely cottages provided by our partners, Cottages4you. You'll find hundreds of cottages listed in Cornwall with comprehensive information and what's more they are offering a 5% discount to Take the Family users. Many of them are converted farmhouses and full of character. To check availability at a range of delightful cottages in Cornwall and book for your family, click here. And once you get there consider arriving to a delivery of Cornish Gourmet food from Seriously Good. We also heartily recommend the totally family friendly and comfortable Family Holiday House near Padstow, sleeping up to eight, just yards from one of the most child friendly beaches in Cornwall, and our new partner Parc Vean, a wonderful bungalow in 2 acres of grounds sleeping up to seven.
take a caravan, lodge or tent
Take a look at partners Hoseasons holiday parks and lodges in Cornwall, from only £155 for a family of four per week or £375 for a family or group of eight.
take a hotel room or suite
On the other hand, if your family prefers to be really pampered and would like your children to be cared for then there are also some great family friendly hotel options to consider. Check a huge selection of hotels with partners Active Hotels in and around Cornwall including Newquay, St Ives, St Mawes, Fowey, Padstow and more. You'll also find a few of our very favourites for families on the list on the right of this page, including The Sands Hotel, Bedruthan Steps, Hotel Tresanton, Fowey Hall, The Royal Duchy Hotel, Watergate Bay Hotel, and the wonderful Rosevine on the Roseland peninsula overlooking Gerrans bay, where you can be choose to be looked after as much or as little as you want, with gorgeous apartments and suites. For a family hotel at the heart of the action take a look at The Esplanade Hotel, a 3 star family oriented hotel, with pools, surf centre, wet room, family summer activities schedule, overlooking the famous surfer's favourite Fistral beach.
Do
There’s a lot and much of it is very family oriented. Here are just a few options:
Fowey
Pronounced Foy. Like other towns along the Southern coast Fowey has a rich history and has become one of the most expensive towns in which to own property in the UK. Following raids on Spain and France back in the fourteenth century it was itself attacked by the Spanish way back in 1380. It’s
a lot more mellow now and its harbour has been replaced by numerous yachts. There
are great restaurants here and, if budget permits, you can spend a few days at
the famously child-friendly Fowey Hall Hotel.
Newquay
Newquay was home to the World Surfing Championships until 1998 (though you are substantially more likely to be watching the waves off LA or Hawaii on a surf flick) when they moved to the French Atlantic coast. Although guidebooks still suggest that Newquay is synonymous with tacky, the town has been transformed in recent years. And while you may not love it, the chances are that your children will be enthralled by the activity here that is geared to them. Recent twice daily flights from London also make it much more easily accessible for a weekend break.
Eden Project
Over two million people each year visit the Eden Project's 100,000 plants representing
5,000 species from many of the climatic zones of the world. The giant 50 meter
deep crater the size of 35 football pitches has been sculpted to make a living
theatre of plants and people. Many of these can grow in the mild conditions
of Cornwall, others demand greenhouses and that is where Eden’s two gigantic
conservatories come in. Check deals for hotel and
Eden Project ticket family breaks.
The Eden project is child friendly and a very popular school excursion during term-time.
St. Ives
An artists retreat with terrific galleries and home to a branch of the Tate. It gets very busy, but that’s OK if you are visiting for the day. There are beautiful beaches (some, like Porthmeor are great for surfing, while others are more secluded) a picturesque and lively harbour, great restaurants and art, art, art.
Lost Gardens of Heligan
Gardening eager parents will find these rediscovered gardens at Heligan absolutely fantastic and arguably one of Britain’s highlights as far as gardens go. Your children may or may not. If you have very young children you'll be able to keep them occupied and happy, though the steep descent and subsequently steeper ascent has been known to cause buggy rage among exasperated and tired parents. The highlight for children is the Jungle where you will find a series of four interlinking ponds, the largest collection of tree ferns in Europe, palms and thickets of bamboo, a banana plantation and numerous exotic trees and shrubs.
Falmouth/Helford
Falmouth forms the third deepest natural harbour in the world and in its past was a huge maritime centre. Now primarily a tourist destination, it’s folklore of smugglers and maritime history offer a wealth of places to explore and quaint shopping areas to keep the family busy. Whether it’s a walk to the commanding edifice of Pendennis Castle or a boat trip in the bay, Falmouth caters for all. There are five main beaches around the town leading to the Helford River. Inspirational in the writings of Daphne Du-Maurier , the Helford and it’s surrounding hamlets are surrounded by exotic national trust gardens such as Trebah, and breathtaking walks along its cliff paths. Its beautiful turquoise green waters offer wonderful swimming, boating yachting and fishing. Cornish Holiday Cottages have extensive properties in the area some of which are less than 100 yards from the sublime waters of the Helford. See options for ferry and boat trips in the area, including St Mawes to Falmouth, the Roseland peninsular and many more options.
Crealy Adventure Park (formerly Shires Family Adventure Park) was voted Cornwall’s top tourist attraction of 2003 (by the Tourist Board) and offers Macdonald’s Farm, Pets Paddock, rides, plus an indoor adventure playground. It’s located between Newquay and Padstow.
Eat
Cornwall offers everything from pasties in the local corner store to Michelin starred restaurants. You are unlikely to leave before having at least one meal of fish and chips, and if you do, you won't regret making a trip to Rick Stein's eat in or takeaway fish and chip shop on Padstow's South Quay (take a look at the mouth watering takeaway menu.). Take the time to sip cappuccino in the St. Ives Tate, with amazing views overlooking the coast. And if you've decided to go down the self-catering route then get in touch with Seriously Good and have an order of Cornish gourmet food waiting for you upon arrival.
Cost
You can expect to pay between £300 and £700 per week to stay in a cottage, depending on time of year, size and proximity to the coast. You'll need to budget on top for meals, transport and excursions.
Other accommodation options vary tremendously in price to suit absolutely every budget.
Travel reading
Kids Cornwall: 50 Brilliant Things to Do Rain or Shine
by Kids Cornwall
Essential tips for getting the most out of Cornwall for your family.
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
by David Clegg
Buy from Amazon.co.uk - Save 30%
Refreshingly honest and very useful.
The Rough Guide to Devon and Cornwall
by Robert Andrews
Buy from Amazon.co.uk - Save 40%
Thorough insight into Cornwall.
Eden Project: The Guide
by Eden Books
Buy from Amazon.co.uk - Pre order now (7 April 2008)
Revised and updated edition of the highly illustrated guide to the Eden Project site, with a clear user-friendly explanation of all the exhibits, in a landscape format.
Days Out 2008
by Days Out
Buy from daysout.co.uk - only £4.95 - (inc. p&p). GET £1 OFF SEE BELOW
Days Out magazine offers hundreds of ideas for a perfect day out AND over £700 of discount vouchers at the most popular attractions. Buy the magazine from the Days Out website where Takethefamily visitors will receive £1 off by using discount code TTF0601.
Eco Escape - The New handbook to responsible escapism
by Laura Burgess
Buy from Ecoescape - only £8.99 - Save an Exclusive 10% by quoting 'TTF01'
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Ready to go
The Rosevine Suites & Apartments, Cornwall
from £120*
Luxury family apartments & suites, with hotel amenities, overlooking Gerrans Bay
* from £120 per suite per night, to £2150 per apartment per week
Family Holiday House, Cornwall
from £450*
Comfortable seaside family holiday house, sleeping 8, 100 yards from safe beach
* from £450 for a short break, from £800 per week.
Parc Vean
Parc Vean, Cornwall
from £250*
Beautiful, 3 bedroomed holiday home in tiny hamlet, near secluded bay. Cornish Charm, London Style
* from £250 for a long weekend 3 night break, including free use of Land Rover, and sailing boat.
Hotel Tresanton
Hotel Tresanton, Cornwall
from £310*
Elegance, stunning coastal location, terrific service and great reputation.
* from £310 per night for a family suite (sleeping up to 2 adults and 3 children).
The Esplanade Hotel
The Esplanade Hotel, Cornwall
from £33*
Family orientated hotel with surf centre & wet room, overlooking Fistral beach
* from £33 per person per night, based on 2 adults sharing. Ist child under 11 free and more kids discounts.
Cornish Holiday Cottages
Cornish Holiday Cottages, Cornwall
from £375*
Rose Cottages, Durgan from £318.00 per week. Traditional Cornish fisherman's cottages, stones throw from the beach
* from £375 per week per property, including linen, and electricity and heating in most properties.
Fowey Hall, Cornwall
from £170*
A highly recommended member of the Luxury Family Hotel chain & the inspiration behind Toad Hall!
* per room per night, including dinner and breakfast
Sands Hotel
Sands Hotel, Cornwall
from £662*
Overlooks beautiful beaches, great range of activities
* per week, half board for 2 adults and 2 children under 7
Penstowe Park, Cornwall
from £210*
A family friendly resort in the north of Cornwall with close access to the Cornish beaches
* per week for a 4-6 person cottage, lodge or villa.
Hengar Manor, Cornwall
from £220*
Award winning resort in the heart of Cornwall, offering activities and exploration opportunities
* per week for a 3 bedroom, 6 person villa.
The Valley, Cornwall
from £445*
Set in the picturesque cornish countryside, offering a luxury family retreat.
* from £445 per cottage for 7 nights, up to 4 people
Gwel An Mor, Cornwall
from £420*
Located on a hilltop overlooking the ocean, Gwel an Mor is close to the beach as well as a variety of pubs and restaurants.
* from £420 per lodge for 7 nights up to 4 people
Late Rooms
The Royal Duchy Hotel, Cornwall
from £103*
A Warm Welcome awaits you at the Four Star Royal Duchy Hotel, Falmouth
* from £103 per person per night, based on 2 sharing for 2 nights. Includes, breakfast, dinner and a round of golf at Carlyon Bay Hotel
Late Rooms
Watergate Bay, Cornwall
from £32*
Hotel & self-catering, contemporary beach holiday with a view to end all views
* from £32 per person, per night including breakfast and dinner
Late Rooms
