THE CREAM OF Cornwall

On a spring break, Elaine and Joe Ormerod enjoy taking in some of the South-West's most appealing hotspots

- Elaine and Joe Ormerod

Whichever time of the year you choose to visit Cornwall, you’ll always be able to enjoy the beautiful scenery. But in summer, it has a justified reputation for being busy, so we chose to tour in May, hoping that it would be quieter, with spring weather.

We made two overnight stops en route, before finally arriving at the Caravan and Motorhome Club site at Treamble Valley, near Newquay. This pretty campsite, set in a wooded valley, is laid out in individual pitching zones, giving a pleasantly secluded feel.

When we arrived, we were pleased to see that there were plenty of pitches available and we took one next to our friends Helen and Roy, who had pitched up there the day before.

Hugging the coast

On our first day, we parked with our friends in Newquay - the only car park with no height or weight restrictions is Tregunnel (TR7 1TS). Newquay’s fabulous beaches, Towan, Great Western and Tolcarn, are all within walking distance, as is the most famous of them all, Fistral. This long stretch of shoreline has some of the best waves in the world for surfing.

Unfortunately, the moment we arrived, the rain came down, so we sought shelter at Fistral Beach Bar for coffee. Impressively, the weather didn’t stop keen surfers riding the waves!

We moved on to Perranporth, where Helen had seen a café the day before that offered converted beach huts for outdoor dining. But when we got there, we found a notice on the door, ‘Closed due to rain’. We did spot an ice cream parlour, but we were already wet and cold, so instead, we bought pasties and ate them back at the site. The unpredictable weather was the only downside of touring earlier in the season – you just have to be adaptable!