Cornwall has often been dubbed the British Mediterranean... and for good reason! To see photos of Cornwalls beaches and rugged landscapes on Instagram, it would be easy to believe you are looking at a tropical paradise. We usually look for places abroad to give us the exotic vacations we crave, but with the year 2020 came Coronavirus alongside it, the lockdowns! For those of us who love travel, it was a hard blow realising that safe travel and adventures in foreign countries would not be a possibility for a long while. However, after some research, we realised (like so many other Instagrammers who have now admitted) that there were so many places in our own home country we had not yet explored. The excitement took over us and we immediately started planning our next trip to Cornwall! These were our absolute favourite places to visit as well as the places that gave us the MOST beautiful Instagram photos (stick around until the end as we've saved the best till last!):
1. The Eden Project
It wouldn't be a Cornwall list without the Eden Project! As with most places during COVID19 we had to pre-book our tickets, and as lovely and gorgeous as it was, it was an awful lot of money to pay when a lot of it was unfortunately closed due to regulations :( This is why this is at the bottom of our list, but we would definitely recommend visiting when the virus has skipped town and you will get much more bang for your buck! However we did really enjoy the biomes there (even with wearing a mask!) and was so great to be able to learn about these different areas of the world and how to protect the nature and environment there with little things we can do at home such as buying products without palm oil and using less plastic! There was also a really great zipline there that we did backwards! For Instagram photos, there was still so much there that we really enjoyed photographing! They had the most beautiful rope bridge, Greek statues and even a waterfall! We had the luxury of it being VERY quiet when we went as it was first thing in the morning and reduced numbers during COVID19 but bare in mind we did think it would be hard to get nice photos when it is normally peak season due to how busy it will be!
2. Padstow Town
Padstow's main attraction is its beautiful harbour and the quaint seaside town that wraps around it! When we were feeling a nice relaxed afternoon one day we decided to head into Padstow town and we were so glad we did! Sitting watching the boats come in and out the harbour whilst we ate our vegan pasty and ice-cream, was one of our most relaxing experiences of our whole trip! If you crave the feeling of a proper British seaside town then this is definitely the place to go. For Instagram we found this best for fun Stories and Reels showing the food you're eating from the many options and all of your adventures in the whole selection of cute family run shops. There is also a coastal walk where we found a mysterious abandoned war shelter there too which is perfect for photos! You can also get some cute videos of you wandering along the harbour but you have to be creative! As with all British seaside towns, this place gets VERY busy!
3. Lizards Point
Lizards point is not for the faint hearted! We hiked miles to get to this point and Zoe was SO glad she wore shorts underneath her dress as the wind was aggressive! We would definitely recommend visiting here on a warmer sunnier day to get the most out of the experience. The outside of the lighthouse was beautiful (unfortunately the inside tour was closed due to COVID19) and still contained many of the historic traditional features from when it was built! The gorgeous British style lamppost showing the distance to all the other Lighthouses and the old style fog horn were really lovely and great to learn about the history of this Lighthouse! We even got to visit the old abandoned Lifeguard buildings and learn all about the journey through time of the Royal Life Saving Society (fun fact - Zoe & Alex met each other both working as lifeguards!) Instagramming was tricky here just due to the intense winds! Hair everywhere and dresses flying up are not the easiest thing to try and capture haha! But there was some gorgeous sights and viewpoints to photograph, we even did a whole Story sequence after a long hike where we got a gorgeous view of a mama and baby seal on the coast! 4. The Lost Gardens Of Heligan
We have visited here a few times now and we keep coming back for more!
The Lost Gardens Of Heligan just have the most BEAUTIFUL landscapes and gives you such a chance to connect to the nature around you. If you love Mother Earth you could spend ALL day here. When we first visited here Zoe was actually in a wheelchair due to her Achilles Tendonitis but this most recent time Zoe was able to fly over the obstacle course! We love that this place is accessible for all and can be enjoyed by any age, gender etc! If you shoot for Instagram, you will be here all day! There are so many props, landscapes and secret places that you can use! Our favourites were the old cart that we found abandoned by their farm section and the rope bridge going through their tropical sections! 5. Tintagel Castle
Don't be fooled by the name like we were...
We booked a ticket to 'Tintagel Castle' without doing any research!
Our previous experience with castles in the UK is soaring towers, grand regal ballrooms, and huge drawbridges! However when we arrived at Tintagel Castle, we realised it was a very different castle to what we were used to!
In fact, it was the very disintegrated ruins of a grand castle that no longer was! It was a big surprise but a pleasure nonetheless to get to experience such an amazing part of the past. It was wonderful seeing the ruins and learning all about the history!
It does have some fantastic areas within the ruins that are great for Instagram! There is doorway to the coast which they have preserved beautifully and it is very famous on Instagram, as well as the lovely archway shown in our photos above! Plus the views from the top were absolutely extraordinary!
6. Minack Theatre
Not for those who are claustrophobic... but a beauty none-the-less!
The Minack theatre was on our Cornwall bucketlist and we knew we definitely had to visit before we left! Our experience was slightly different due to the COVID situation, in that unfortunately we could not watch a full show/performance which as Zoe is a major theatre nerd, was a bit disappointing! But we made the most of the trip anyway and enjoyed the views and spectacular scenery!
It was also lovely to learn all about the history of this place including listening to a talk from own of the actors/staff. A wonderfully historic place that almost transports you back in time.
For Instagram you can get some absolutely gorgeous shots here, but you do have to be creative!! Because of the vastness of the theatre its quite hard to get a photo that shows the true impact of the place, especially with the beautiful ocean backdrop. With some clever camera angles and editing you should be able to capture some gorgeous shots... just bear in mind it was EXTREMELLY busy when we went (even with COVID!!) and we had to take photos and edit people out later!
7. Kennel Vale Nature Reserve
A beauty you could enjoy explore all day!
Nature here is WILD, if you love adventures in rugged genuine nature, then this is the place for you! The entrance is hidden in the back end of a small village and you actually have to walk through someone's driveway to enter the reserve! However once you arrive, it is a stunning piece of natural earth. We are big lovers of water and Kennel Vale holds the most beautiful rivers and waterfalls and as well as rough exciting rapids. This is definitely one to remember to wear your big boots for as paths are few and far between!
It is also home to lots of ruins, rich in history! This isn't however a museum, and there is no explanation or information on these old buildings, leaving it to your own imagination as you explore the dilapidated village! You can find the full history of this collection of ruins online... but we wont ruin that for you!
For Instagram you really can get some gorgeous natural shots here! However it is a rugged landscape and there isn't many options for balancing your camera, so make sure you bring a tripod and a neck strap/bag for holding your equipment as you cross slippy rivers!
8. Camel Bike Trail
If your the active type, you definitely do not want to miss out on this one!
You can pick up your bikes at multiple places along the trial but we've always started at Padstow. We've done the trail on normal bikes before, but this time we went for a tandem bike and if you've never been on one before... be warned its more difficult than it looks! You can hire the bikes for a full day and make your way down the coast with beautiful views of the sea, through the local town for some sightseeing, into the deep forest for the most relaxing afternoon and finally stop at the loveliest little Tea Gardens.
The family owned business is the perfect place to take a break after a long ride, they have benches to relax in the sun and they even offer Vegan Cornish Pasties and Coffee which we highly recommend! You can then either ride on (if you're crazy) or take the trail backwards to drop your bikes back off and wobble home on your very tired legs haha! You could even watch the sunset on the Padstow beach if you have time before you leave.
For Instagram this may be a more difficult one if you are more focused on enjoying the long bike ride rather than taking stops along the way to take photos! However, if you're an Instagrammer you will love all of the photo opportunities along this route with lots of beautiful scenery. Its also great to get plenty of videos of rushing along on your bike and your afternoon food stop for your story.
9. Fistral Beach
One we are sure you have heard of, famous for its surfer scene! Another place we cant get enough of every time we visit!
This beach is well known for its strong waves and clear sandy shores, making it perfect for surfers and bodyboarders. Now we admit, we are both terrible at surfing... therefore its definitely bodyboarding for us! We usually come down early when its less busy in the water, even if its cold or raining you will soon warm up, bodyboarding is hard work fighting against the current! Once we've had a few hours of swallowing salt water and being battered by waves, its still warm enough to grab some chips and spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying relaxing on the beach!
For Instagram you can get some beautiful shots on the beach, its so large that if you walk a while from the entrance you can get to some really quiet little coves all to yourself. You wont however get many photos in the waves as its just too wild! We would suggest however taking a waterproof go-pro if you have one to get some awesome bodyboarding or surfing videos!
10. Bodmin Moor
Definitely one to rise early for - this is a whole day of exploring!
We've saved the best till last! Bodmin Moor had to be our favourite place for adventures when we visited Cornwall. This is a very natural landscape so walking boots and wind jackets are a must, but if you don't mind a trek in the wild then you can find the most gorgeous places on this seemingly never ending moor! From strange rock formations on mountain tops, to mysterious ruins, to a beautiful calm lake that was perfect to a picnic, this place will always bring a new surprise just around the corner.
For Instagram this was obviously one of our favourite places to get shots, which I'm sure you can tell if you look at our feed full of this beautiful place!! There are so many picturesque areas and because it is so large its also quiet enough not to have anyone else in your photos without queuing up for a photo point. We would warn you though that it can be super windy here especially if you choose to go out of the summer, so be careful with balancing cameras on tripods as we nearly lost ours!!
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