Cornwall has a welcoming climate alongside dramatic vistas. Its no wonder people flock here. They come to enjoy the quintessential British seaside towns with their dramatic geography and history.
As far west as England goes. This is it, Land's End.
Some callously disregard Land's End as nothing more than a tourist trap. Well, that might be so if the visit is confined to the various attractions at the visitor's center. The more adventurous will go exploring about the footpaths leading away from the main venue.
For photographers, like myself, the backdrop is stunning. High cliffs of granite impose themselves on the the Atlantic ocean. There are many places to perch and admire magnificent scenery and breathe in clean, moist air. Seagulls glide effortlessly in the updraft winds.
Here, you will want to just stop a moment to take in the magical atmosphere. Rest and have bit of a picnic. Take some photos, draw, relax. This is why you came here, isn't it.
We had to leave far too soon. Being on a coach tour has some drawbacks when the tour has a schedule to keep.
The main welcome center has good number of attractions to keep the attention of the tours. Displays of maritime equipment, a movie theatre, and some shops where you can find a lovely souvenir.
Newquay enjoys a fantastic shoreline with its waves, beaches, and towering cliffs. I enjoyed Newquay for this and more. This place had some great qualities I wasn't expecting. Somehow I had a prejudiced view that Newquay was a surfing town and attracted some hard-partying crowds. Wrong! I found a gentle quality surrounds the people here and we had a great time with our cameras and video cam.
The shoreline gave us photographic and cinematic opportunities on a grand scale along with lengthy walk. Cornwall's South West Coastal Foot Path winds its way along the bluffs and through the busy streets of Newquay. Our walk took from The Barrowfields to Little Fistral Beach.....and back.
The Barrowfields are named for the fifteen barrows dating to the Bronze Age. You can feel vastness of the expanse of sky and endless ocean when perched atop the high cliffs of the Barrowfields. You can descend a pathway to Tolcarne Beach here. The waves were high when were here making for some nice video.
The Great Western beach leads to Town beach where surfers satisfy their addiction to ride the reliable waves rolling onto the wide beach. Kites are flown, ball games, sand-castles abound in this people friendly space. After some scrambling the odd soggy spot we made our way to the harbor.
Newquay harbor bustles with activity. Fishermen are going about their business as the charter fishing tours take the adventure seekers out to try their hands at reeling in a catch. There is a seal that has figured out how to get a free meal by following tourist boats back to harbor and begging from the tourists. They being happy to get some pictures in trade for few sardines. This home of the Newquay rowing club. The gleaming white boats with 6 oarsmen and a coxswain make their forays out to the ocean.
We had our eyes set on the Towan Head, a point of land jutting into the sea crowned with a small building where one can sit and rest. Along the way is the Huer's Hut. In times gone by a man would wait and watch for schools of fish and let everyone know by calling out with a megaphone to direct the fisherman where to place the nets. Along the coast more adventure seekers swim along the rocky bluffs playing in the crashing waves while trying to avoid being dashed on the rocks.
St Ives attracts visitors who marvel at its exquisite beauty. Photographers are rewarded by the endless opportunities to capture picture postcard views. Artists have been coming for a very long time seeking to capture the atmosphere of the seaside in such a beautiful setting. The Tate St Ives art gallery, overlooking Porthmeor beach, adds to smaller galleries and museums found here.
The harbor is where to begin an exploration of this old fishing town. The Sloop Inn founded circa 1312 is located harbor-side showing all the character of a pub of its age. There are steaming hot tasty Cornish Pasties available along Wharf road. The pastie is 'the' food of Cornwall, its a satisfying pastry stuffed with stewed meat, potato, and vegetable. Beware the seagulls patrolling overhead waiting for some hapless patron to give them the opportunity to swoop swiftly in and make off with their snack. You have been warned.
St Ives Harbor
With the retreating tide people flow onto the fine sandy beach to play. Dogs scamper back and forth among the stranded boats. The boats are painted in a variety of bright colors adding character to this picturesque harbor. But this is just one of St Ives beaches that frame the rugged peninsula St Ives is founded on. A sturdy pier protects the harbor from the sometimes ferocious waves and gales of the Atlantic. Not surprisingly we find a lifeboat station ready to assist located here. St Ives has seen tragedy in the past.
