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Right on the doorstep of your holiday home, Whitsand Bay Golf Club features a perfect cliffside setting for your next game of golf. Originally established in 1905, Whitsand Bay Golf Club is a magnificent cliff top course providing golfers with exceptional panoramic views of Rame Head and even Looe island, hosting some of the most breath-taking holes in the UK. The course measures a modest 6,015 yards but this links-style course provides golfers a fierce challenge! You will find everything you need for your game in the well-stocked pro-shop on site and it also offers a fantastic clubhouse, the Dovecote Café, serving light bites, local beers, wines and spirits that is open seven days a week. A warm welcome is guaranteed!
Owing to its location, jutting straight out into the Atlantic Ocean, Cornwall is a magnet for swell. Combine this with its milder climate and a host of great beaches and you have the UK's surf capital. Whilst the beaches of Fistral, Watergate and Perranporth are popular for surfing on the North Coast, they can become exceedingly crowded with other surfers in the height of summer and when the South Coast is working, our local spot at Whitsand Bay can be exceptional, even hollow, through the tides. Tregantle is probably most popular, with many other spots towards Rame Head. If you are a newcomer to surfing and want to learn, we highly recommended booking a lesson with Whitsand Bay’s Adventure Surf School, who also offer surf hire and coasteering. (Check the surfing conditions at Whitsand).
The South West Coast Path, Britain’s longest National Trail, runs through Polperro, Looe and Whitsand Bay. Along this route, you can explore the old fishermen’s allotments in the warren of interconnecting paths around Polperro, take on a rollercoaster walk from Polruan or stroll the expansive Whitsand Bay cliffs. Portwrinkle is a great base for exploring the Rame Peninsula and even the rest of Cornwall. Within walking distance is Rame Head, where you can get some exceptional panoramic views, when the tide is out you can walk up to four miles along the beautiful sandy beaches, stopping off for some light refreshment at either the Eddystone or Cliff Top Café along the way. For more details about some favourite local hikes and trails, please look at our ‘Walking in South East Cornwall’ blog post.
In the small Cornish fishing village of Kingsand, just 6 miles from Portwrinkle, is the pleasant little Kingsand Beach. Consisting mainly of sand and shingle this south east facing beach backs right onto the village and is home to the iconic seafront clocktower. The beach at Kingsand overlooks Plymouth Sound and has fantastic views of the ships coming and going.
Portwrinkle boasts two beaches directly below the village, less than 200m from your door; Finnygook and Hoodny Cove. Finnygook is a lovely sandy beach and is also well known for its rock pools at low tide, an added bonus for families. Great for picnics and BBQs in the Summer, it also has a cute little café, The Jolly Roger, perched above should you want for an ice cream or light refreshments.
Whitsand Bay is a magnificent stretch of coast just to the east of Portwrinkle, with fine sandy beaches and panoramic views from Rame Head in the east to Seaton and beyond to the west. The long sandy beach starts at Portwrinkle and extends all the way to Wiggle Cliff at the edge of Rame Head.
Based in the stunning, Forgotten Corner at Whitsand Bay in South East Cornwall, Adventure Bay provides quality and fun surfing lessons, surf hire and exciting coasteering routes. They are open year-round (by appointment December to March) and large groups and families are a speciality. Their team of experienced guides will take you on a coastal thrill that you’ll be sure to remember for years to come. You can find them directly below Whitsand Bay Holiday Park on Tregonhawke beach.
Adrenalin Quarry is exactly what its name suggests! A superb place for adults and children alike, looking for that ‘thrill’ in the great outdoors. It houses a water park, gravity park and race track, all set around a beautiful flooded quarry within easy reach of the A38. A local's favourite and a must do for visitors to Cornwall with unique rides to rival the best. If your heart can take it, try The Zip, The Giant Swing, the massive Aquapark or even Axe Throwing!
Support a local charity and visit Wild Futures Monkey Sanctuary, offering a safe haven for monkeys since 1964. Nestled into the side of the south Cornish coast between Looe and Seaton, Wild Futures’ Monkey Sanctuary cares for a range of different species of rescued monkeys, giving visitors an intimate insight to a working sanctuary and a chance to meet some of its amazing monkey residents and wildlife inhabitants. There’s a lot to do for the whole family who can take a tour of the monkey enclosures and learn about these fascinating animals from the team of expert carers.
The Eden Project contains artificial biomes boasting plants that are collected from all around the world. The project is located in a reclaimed Kaolinite pit, located 1¼ miles (2 km) from the town of St Blazey and 3 miles (4½ km) from the larger town of St Austell, Cornwall.
The National Marine Aquarium (NMA) is the UK’s largest aquarium. It is run by the Ocean Conservation Trust, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the Ocean. The NMA tells the story of the Ocean through a journey around the world, building emotional connections to the Ocean with all who visit.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan, near Mevagissey in Cornwall, are one of the most popular botanical gardens in the UK. The style of the gardens is typical of the nineteenth-century gardenesque style, with areas of different character and in different design styles. Heligan, seat of the Tremayne family for more than 400 years, is one of the most mysterious estates in England.
This gastro-pub is a big hit with locals and visitors alike. The expansive menu boasts locally sourced produce, and plenty of seafood. It has built up a great reputation for food whilst also having plenty of live music and a great atmosphere. The pub is located in Crafthole, a 5 minute drive up the hill from Portwrinkle and is easily within walking distance for those who would like a few beers! Sunday lunch bookings advised.
Situated just behind the harbour wall, you might hear waves crashing just yards from the Devonport’s front door. Thanks to current owners Jerome & Dawn Leopold, it’s a welcoming, buzzy meeting place for villagers and holidaymakers alike, with pub and restaurant given equal billing. Jerome hails from France & his unpretentious cooking mixes Gallic touches with West Country ingredients.
The name says it all. This restaurant sits in a stunning position on the cliffs above Whitsand Bay, offering an amazing panorama of Rame Head and the Eddystone lighthouse. Chef Matt Corner was classically trained, but prefers a simpler, unfussier style these days – classic flavours, artful presentation and premium local ingredients. Booking essential.
Home of the Earls of Mount Edgcumbe for 400 years and one of Cornwall’s finest country estates. It has wide-ranging parkland, formal gardens, ever changing coastal views and a country house with adjoining workshops and exhibition spaces. The house and furniture have been restored to reflect the 18thC, the period of which this nationally important historic garden was at its peak.
Antony is a beautiful early 18th-century mansion with a fine collection of paintings, furniture and textiles. The grounds, landscaped by Repton, sweep down towards the Lynher estuary and include formal gardens with topiary, a knot garden, modern sculptures and the National Collection of Daylilies.
Cotehele is a wonderfully preserved Tudor house filled with stories and legends situated deep within the Tamar Valley. Outside, the formally planted terraces, 'Valley Garden' with its medieval stewpond and dovecote, the Upper Garden and orchards all offer great opportunities for exploring and discovering the sights, smells and sounds of the season.
Polperro is a large village, civil parish, and fishing harbour within the Polperro Heritage Coastline in South East Cornwall. Its population sits at around 1,554.
Kingsand and Cawsand are twin villages in southeast Cornwall, United Kingdom. The villages are situated on the Rame Peninsula and in the parish of Maker-with-Rame.
Looe is a small coastal town, fishing port and civil parish in South-East Cornwall, with a population of 5,280 at the 2011 census.
The Cawsand Ferry runs daily during the seasonal months, between the beautiful beaches and Cornish villages of Cawsand and Kingsand on the Rame peninsula and the Barbican Landing Stage. A wonderful boat trip in itself, this half hour ferry journey takes you back in time to the quaint fishing and smuggling villages of Cawsand and Kingsand, with secluded beaches, spectacular walks and magnificent scenery. You can be sure of a warm welcome in the many pubs, restaurants, shops and cafes.
Take a trip on the historic foot ferry from the Rame Peninsula, known as Cornwall’s forgotten corner, to Stonehouse in Britain's Ocean City, Plymouth. Loved for centuries by all who have travelled on her, the Cremyll Ferry is one of Plymouth’s true gems and provides a gateway to discover this beautiful part of the South West.
Hop on and off the new Barbican, Royal William Yard & Mount Edgcumbe ferry service, linking three iconic destinations on the water. Experience the restaurants, bars and boutique shopping at Royal William Yard, the historic house and acres of stunning Country Park at Mount Edgcumbe in Cornwall and Plymouth’s historic Barbican, a short walk from the city centre. Well behaved dogs are very welcome.
