WALKING HOLIDAYS IN CORNWALL

Our Cornwall walking holidays line-up a long list of highlights. On the South West Coast Path, you can trek around Mount’s Bay from the granite ridges of Lands End to Lizard Point – mainland Britain’s most southerly peninsula. Along the way, tick-off the notorious smuggling den of Prussia Cove, Minack Theatre’s far-reaching Atlantic views, and St Michael’s Mount – a tidal island crowned by a medieval church and castle. There’s also north Cornwall’s St. Agnes Heritage Coast. Hike over grassy hilltops littered with the ghostly ruins of ancient tin mines and find out how the Cornish pasty was born. And when it’s time to take a break, stop off for a Cornish ice cream or afternoon tea complete with scones, jam, and lashings of clotted cream.

The name on everyone’s lips on a Cornwall walking holiday, however, is St Ives – the seaside hub that has inspired generations of artists with its working harbour, historic fishing communities, white-sand beaches, and surrounding landscape.

Relive the golden age of piracy and smuggling

The awe-inspiring coastal scenery fits perfectly with the romantic image of the Cornish smuggler. Treacherous shallows navigable only by the smallest of boats and a network of maze-like grottoes and sea caves made Cornwall’s coastline a haven for the smuggling trade. At its 18th century peak, half of all the brandy drunk in Britain was smuggled through Cornish ports.

Today Cornwall still thrives on its smuggling past, but in a different way. After a long day’s walking, drop into the pint-sized village of Mousehole and take your pick from a slew of waterfront pubs with names that pay homage to famous smugglers.