UK Holiday Series – Cornwall
I stayed with my wonderful friend Heidi in Par, Cornwall and spent a lovely few days exploring the area. It’s such a beautiful part of the country, I would highly recommend paying a visit if the occasion arises. Here are some of the places we explored…
Par village
Par itself is a beautiful village with a gorgeous beach and sand that genuinely looks like glitter – I tried to capture it on camera but no photo or video did it justice unfortunately. The bay is beautiful and quite sheltered from the wind, so we could enjoy the gentle breeze without any chill. It was a gorgeous afternoon when we visited but it’s the sort of beach that would be wonderful all year round and from what I gather (based on half a dozen being there at the time) it is dog friendly.
There is a duck pond and a play park right by the beach, along with a cafe that serves all the usual goodies, but it wasn’t the greatest for vegans or allergies so I would bear this in mind. They also have a ‘book hub’ where you can donate unwanted books and pick new ones up for free – this is the first of its kind that I’ve seen and I think it’s fabulous! On the walk back from the beach we saw a family of ducks on the river and one of the houses had the sweetest cart outside with succulents in teacups for sale; you simply pop your change into the money box and pick your teacup.
This village is somewhere I wouldn’t have known to visit had it not been for my friend living there but I would highly recommend it for a morning or afternoon out.
Hubbox, Pentewan Sands Holiday Park
Hubbox is a chain restaurant that I hadn’t heard of before. Heidi recommended them because A) they’re delicious, and B) they cater well for vegans, vegetarians and gluten-free individuals. Essentially a burger bar, they have more than 10 vegan options to choose from and they have a vegan dessert. They also serve breakfast and have a super handy online menu that allows you to easily select your dietary preference – you can check it out here.
Mevagissey
Mevagissey is a beautiful village and one I am so happy we visited! Parking isn’t the easiest due to its size but if you’re happy to take a short walk then you can easily park on a road and take a slow meander into the village. It is in a valley so bear this in mind as the walk to and from the car involved a few steep hills!
We were here on the first Monday of the summer holidays and it was understandably busy; pretty much all restaurants and cafes were fully booked so I would suggest planning ahead if you would like a proper meal and are visiting during a busy time of the year.
We, however, survived with a portion of chips (and a sausage for each of the non-vegans) and some ice cream. She Sells is a wonderful little ice cream parlour that had multiple dairy-free options so of course I was beyond excited and despite having a tummy full of chips I soldiered on and had a scoop of both chocolate and vanilla – absolutely divine, one of the best vegan ice creams I’ve ever had! 10/10 would recommend.
We popped into Hurley Books as my friend Heidi is quite the lover of reading (check out her Instagram if you’re interested in reviews, recommendations or a virtual book loving buddy) and perused some of the other independent stores. It was a wonderful way to spend a few hours in the sunshine!
On the walk back to the car we stumbled across The Shack at Port Mellon, a delightfully quaint establishment offering low-waste options. Dehydrated and having finished our water bottles we were thrilled to pick up a bottle of still water without having to worry about unnecessary plastic – am I the only one who wishes we had drinking fountains the way the French do?!
The Lost Gardens of Heligan
We spent the afternoon exploring The Lost Gardens of Heligan, one of the most popular gardens in the UK. These gardens are absolutely beautiful and are welcoming to all, including dogs, and they have a section on their website dedicated to accessibility so those in wheelchairs or with concerns can easily check to see which areas are suitable for them.
They have a lovely shop which sells a huge variety of items, from local honey to cork coasters, and a cafe that serves breakfast, lunch, drinks and cakes. Whilst we didn’t eat anything here the traditional Cornish cream cakes looked heavenly and according to their website they actually grow and rear some of their ingredients on-site, and 92% of their external suppliers are from Cornwall, which is fab.
The jungle was the highlight for me, it truly felt like we were in another land. It was a reasonably overcast day when we visited, but the garden’s beauty really shone and I found the sunshine wasn’t needed. The paths here are a little more uneven and the rope bridge is stunning for photographs and provides great entertainment and wonderful views. Shoutout to my girl Grace for being my personal photographer, I rarely get pictures of myself that aren’t selfies and I am hugely grateful to you for your fab photography skills!
The gardens also boast an Insect Hotel and a Honeybee Observation Hive which are well worth exploring and The Productive Garden will give a real insight into the past of the Tremayne family and how they were fed from the land. There are plenty of birds and other wildlife to be seen and lots to climb on and explore.
They offer a range of tickets including a family ticket with only one adult and up to three children, and under 5’s and carers can visit free of charge. Their prices do vary depending on the date you go and pre-booking is essential so do bear this in mind.
Charlestown
Our last morning was spent exploring Charlestown, a beautiful harbour village with some really sweet independent shops and a variety of restaurants and pubs. We had lunch at The Pier House and I was delighted with the vegan options! The “cauliflower scampi” was heavenly and the view over the harbour was wonderful, made even better by Heidi recalling her teenager years spent harbour jumping – I did not know this was a thing but I absolutely want to try it in the future, it sounds so fun!
Cornwall really is a beautiful place and one I would like to see more of; if you have any recommendations for places to visit please do comment down below as I know this trip only just scratched the surface!
Happy travelling,
Summer and Livvy
