Why Cornwall is better than the Med

Cornwall is better than the Med.

Fact.

UK residents made a whopping 14 million visits abroad in 2016. But, with a weaker pound, long airport delays, and concerns over safety, staycations have never been more popular.

Boasting awe-inspiring views, beautiful beaches, and luxury accommodation, Cornwall attracts over 4 million visitors a year. What is it that brings families back to Poldark-country year after year? And why are many people choosing the South West over international travel?

Here is why Cornwall is better than the Med*:

The food

Many popular Mediterranean resorts are packed with “British” pubs, serving pizza and chips, burgers and chips, and lasagne (and chips). Why settle for poor quality food with little flavour on your precious Summer holiday?

Instead, you can enjoy Michelin-starred dishes, prepared with fresh local ingredients, eaten overlooking the gentle waters of the Atlantic ocean. Or tuck into a freshly prepared Cornish cream tea in one of the county’s traditional beach cafes.

The weather

No need to laugh. We know the Cornish weather doesn’t always deliver wall to wall sunshine. But neither does it create dangerous weather conditions that require holidaymakers to stay in the shade and avoid the sun….

Cornwall’s Summer is ideal – when the sun shines, you really wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. The white sand, the blue seas, the gentle breeze – just perfect.

The cost

Brits are reportedly paying 35% more for their holidays to Europe since Brexit caused the pound to fall in 2016. Whatever your views on Brexit, the amount we get for our shiny new pound coins has fallen – from a high of €1.36 in 2016 to just €1.11 today.

But your pound will still get you the same in Cornwall today as it always did – a pasty, a pint, an ice-cream or a tub of clotted cream.

The journey

Those early morning starts are never fun, particularly when they end in a lengthy wait in an airport, slumped in an uncomfortable plastic chair surrounded by other tired and grumpy families.

The lengthy queues for boarding, the tall man in front crushing your legs as he reclines his seat on the plane don’t give the best start to your holiday.

Then there’s the baggage claim. Standing around hoping your bags appear on the conveyor belt, undamaged and still in one piece, and  the hot and sticky bus ride to your hotel, hoping that the loud group at the back of the bus don’t get off at your stop….

How about instead you simply get in your car and drive to the coast? The recent dualling of the A30 around Temple has removed a significant traffic bottleneck in Cornwall, giving you a blissfully smooth drive to your staycation.

The crowds

Many beaches in the Med are so crowded that you can almost touch the stranger on the sunbed next to you.

If you’d rather not get splashed with their suncream as they reapply, or have someone reading your favourite thriller over your shoulder, make Cornwall your next holiday destination.

There are hundreds of beaches to choose from, whether you’d like a large sandy beach with plenty of facilities, or a deserted bay with calm waters and not another person in sight.

The days out

Come to Cornwall and no-one will harass you to book an excursion as you walk down the street. But there are loads of attractions that you might want to check out on your own.

There’s the famous Eden Project, with its horticultural biomes packed with interactive displays and fascinating flora and fauna.

There’s the white-knuckle rides of Flambards Theme Park and Camel Creek. Then there are the award-winning gardens with their acres of rare and exotic plants. The historic sites and National Trust properties such as Lanhydrock, Cotehele and St Michael’s Mount are also a major draw.

So before you decide to stick to the beaches, widen your search, get in the car and get exploring.

The watersports

The long queues for banana boat rides on sweltering beaches are never that appealing, and those You’ve Been Framed videos of terrifying paragliding incidents gone wrong are pretty off-putting….

But in Cornwall, you can jump in with both feet and try your hand at surfing, coasteering or kayaking at one of the many watersports training centres around the coast.

Run by qualified instructors and covered by all the relevant insurance and health & safety regulations, you’ll  be in safe hands as you hit the water.

The events

Whenever you visit Cornwall, you’ll most likely find a quirky event taking place nearby. The annual Boardmasters Festival in Newquay attracts 150,000 visitors to its annual surf and music event in August.

There are also regular food festivals, where you can try local produc, meet artisans living and working in the county, and pick up some tips from top chefs at their live cookery demonstrations.

You could also check out the many literature & poetry events, country fairs and agricultural shows that take place all year round.

So that’s why Cornwall is better than the Med.

See? We told you. The result is obvious.

Will you be replacing your passport with a pasty-port for your next holiday?

Or will you instead be opting for that hideous drive to the airport, the long wait in baggage claim, the uncomfortable bus ride to your destination, followed by unbearable temperatures and expensive food?

We know which we’d choose, and it doesn’t include crowds, curry nights or a dawn race to the sunbeds….

* Source: The marketing department, Ocean Blue Cornwall, 2017 😉