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Falmouth has a very diverse shopping mix with high street names, surf shops and quirky craft and art galleries on every street. Near the National Maritime Museum on Discovery Quay you’ll find shops from the glossy and chic end of the spectrum; if you duck into the side streets you’ll come across tiny boutiques and one-off shops.

Falmouth is home to a well-respected art school and the town’s galleries and craft shops have a young feel; it’s a good place to see contemporary art and ceramics. Demelza’s Gallery focuses on Cornish artists and its aim is to offer affordable pieces from young artists. Original pieces might not be in the budget but the gallery offers good quality prints, fantastic sculptures and silk screen works that are much less expensive.

More bohemian is the Tyto Boutique and Gallery on the old High Street. Describing themselves as a ‘maverick little establishment’, Tyto is an eclectic hotchpotch of local crafts, vintage bits and bobs, clothes and shoes. It’s retail that defies description and won’t be pigeon-holed.

Willow and Stone is a blend of antique and reclaimed household items and vintage-styled gifts, home ware and garden paraphernalia. The range of doorknobs and cupboard handles alone is staggering. Great for retro lighting and quirky framed prints and there’s even an artist in residence selling original work.

There are countless places to grab a coffee in Falmouth but one of the best is the Courtyard Deli. This hidden treasure has a café and deli on the ground floor, with tables outside, while upstairs is the Arts Café, with exhibitions and performances from poets, musicians and comedians. At weekends the Courtyard stays open later and becomes a tapas bar. So much going on in such a compact space!

When you’ve had enough of retail and want to escape, decamp to one of Falmouth’s beaches. Just the other side of the town from the quay is Swanpool, complete with beach huts for a retro feel. The café here is a classic cute beach shack with decking out over the sand and if it’s ice cream you’re after, this is the place. The ‘Quirky Ice Creams’ here are standard cones turbo-charged with toppings like dark chocolate-coated ginger or coffee beans, amaretto liqueur swirls or jelly babies. That’s got to be worth the walk…

 

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Courtyard Deli
2 Bells Court, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 3AZ, Tel. 01326 319526

Demelza’s Gallery
30 Church Street, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 3EQ, Tel. 01326 316472

Willow and Stone
18 Arwenack Street, Falmouth Cornwall, TR11 3JD, Tel. 01326 311388

Swanpool Beach Café
Swanpool, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 5BG, Tel. 01326 314740

This pretty little harbour town is the epitome of chocolate-box Cornwall, with crooked streets, whitewashed buildings and boats jostling on the waterfront. It does get very busy in the summer, so make an early start to guarantee a parking space. Past all the ice cream kiosks and fudge shops are a few gems worth a nosey – The Summerhouse does a lovely line in vintage-inspired quilts and cushions, Rocky Point has one-off jewellery and utterly original hand-made bags and Stein’s Gift Shop stocks upmarket textiles, tableware and ceramics that Jill Stein chooses from around the globe.

Padstow is a surprisingly good choice if your wardrobe needs fattening up. Cornish brand Seasalt is renowned for distinctive prints and knitwear; Mudd and Water, almost hidden in an old converted fisherman’s cottage on Duke Street, is a real find for womenswear and shoes that you’ll never see on the high street.

It’s impossible to talk about Padstow without mentioning the famous chef. Some say Rick Stein’s influence has put Padstow on the map and enhanced the whole town’s prosperity, other’s call it ‘Padstein’ in a disparaging voice; either way, his patisserie in the centre of Padstow will derail the most hardened dieter – the cakes and pastries here are divine.

If you’re picking up a tipple to go with dinner later, forgo the supermarket selection and head to wine merchant binTwo. You’ll get exceptional wines by the bottle and expert advice here, and if you’ve got time to linger, you can grab a table and indulge in a glass of bubbly or, if driving commitments deny that treat, a barista-prepared coffee. The view over the harbour’s not bad, either.

When something more substantial is called for, Padstow is brimming with places to eat, from the simple to the extravagant. Pescadou focuses on the fresh fish that is landed just outside its door on the quay; it’s more affordable than the famous Seafood Restaurant and you don’t need to book months in advance. Rojano’s, just along the harbourside, has been serving pizzas for almost 40 years; two years ago it was taken over by Paul Ainsworth, a Michelin starred chef, and the whole place was given a make-over. The prices are bafflingly low while the quality is deliciously high.

 

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The Summer House
28 Duke Street, Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8AB, Tel. 01841 533138

Rocky Point
9 Broad Street, Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8BS, Tel. 01841 533892

Stein’s Gift Shop
Middle Street, Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8AP

Stein’s Patisserie
Lanadwell Street,Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8AN

Seasalt
3-5 Lanadwell Street, Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8AN, Tel. 01841 533994

Mudd and Water
24 Duke Street, Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8AB, Tel. 01841 533969

binTwo
The Drang, Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8BL, Tel. 01841 532022

Pescadou
The Old Custom House, South Quay, Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8BL, Tel. 01841 532359

Rojano’s
9 Mill Square, Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8AE, 01841 532796

It’s almost impossible to have a holiday in Cornwall without the sea playing a starring role. The big blue surrounds us on three sides and it’s a huge playground for visitors. Most of us dabble at the edges, paddling, surfing or swimming, but you’re far more likely to see the most impressive wildlife if you head further out to sea.

There are a number of companies offering sea ‘safaris’, the goal of which is to spot dolphins, seals and whales – although there are no guarantees since the wildlife can’t be coerced into performing on cue! Different parts of the coastline will give a different experience, with seal colonies more established and static, dolphins and whales harder to pin down.

Newquay Sea Safaris launch from Newquay harbour, where resident seals are pointed out by name. Trips include a two-hour jaunt out to Seal Cove, site of a colony of grey seals, combined with a cruise into deeper water on the hunt for dolphins and basking sharks. If that’s not close enough to the wildlife, you can opt for the guided snorkel safari. On a select few dates through the summer adrenaline junkies can even try shark cage diving (obviously not suitable for young children, though).

Padstow Sea Life Safaris has a high-powered option for viewing the rocky north coastline; a one hour powerboat spree out through the mouth of the Camel Estuary and north to Port Isaac, the archetypal Cornish fishing village. For the ultimate alfresco dining experience they also offer a picnic trip, stopping at remote, hidden coves to eat on a beach you’ll have all to yourself.

The south coast has a different feel and a seafaring culture rich with smuggling history. A trip with Orca Sea Safaris shows you the creeks and inlets around Falmouth, with stories of the shady past. The birdlife in this area is incredible and dolphins are regularly spotted. Every Orca Sea Safari includes a free ticket to the National Maritime Museum, so it’s two experiences for the price of one.

Not all trips with all companies mentioned are suitable for very young children and safaris are weather-dependent to a degree, so check before booking.

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Padstow Sealife Safaris
Padstow Harbour, Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8BP, Tel. 07754 822404

Newquay Sea Safaris
South Quay Hill, Newquay, Cornwall TR7 1HR, Tel. 01637 877613/07582 466122

Orca Sea Safaris
Events Square, Discovery Quay, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 3QY, Tel. 01326 214928