Things to do
Praa Sands beach is the stuff of dreams: a mile-long stretch of golden sands,
equally suited to bucket and spading, surfing, swimming, sunbathing,
rock-pooling at the far reaches under the cliff-top walks, and night fishing - eg for seabass. Throughout the summer a
lifeguard patrols the beach, and flags highlight
the safe swimming areas. Above the beach is the greensward, where you can fly a kite or watch the waves. At the southern end of the beach
you can hire surfboards and wetsuits, and a beach cafe/shop open in the summer months sells ice creams,
postcards and beach/surfwear.
Forget castles in Spain, here you can build real sandcastles in Cornwall.
There are pastimes and places to suit all ages.
Let's start with children. Flambards theme village with the aero park (Helston) is always
a winner with
kids, but there is also Birdworld (near Cambourne), the Seal and Donkey Sanctuary (at Gweek), and
they may be fascinated by the National Trust Engine Houses at Cambourne.
Those with a liking for ancient sites could seek out Cornwall's neolithic past: the
standing stones at Lanyon Quoit, Men an Tol, and the Chysauster Ancient
Village. and however over-hyped you may think Land's End is, the sunsets there stick forever in the mind, though Cape Cornwall, just to its north, vies as the westernmost point of England.
Sightseers are spoilt for choice: Mousehole with its tiny picturesque harbour, is a bottleneck not designed for modern
cars, but cannot fail to enchant. Nor will The Lizard, with its walks, coves, and moonscape Goonhilly; or
St Michaels Mount, where if you haven't guaged your time right for the causeway a boat can
ferry you across. Legends and stories abound
round this tiny romantic island, said to have been built by the giant Cormoran who was defeated by the
young boy, Jack. A monastery was built on the site in the 8th century and the St Aubyn family have been
there since the 17th century.
No one can visit Cornwall without noticing the engine houses and chimney stacks, relics of its tin
mining heydey and one can be seen on a short walk along the coast from Praa Sands. Mining has been carried out in Cornwall since the 1st century BC and in the 18th
century there were 340 mines operating in Cornwall, employing 20% of the population.
By the beginning of the 20th century this had all but fallen into abeyance, though there has been a recent
drive to revive some. Working mines can be visited at Geevor and Wheal Jane.
Cornwall, across the Tamar, was the refuge of pagan Celts, until it was evangelised by missionaries from
Ireland and Wales. Their sites of worship were marked by a Celtic cross, stone cairns or primitive
chapels. Some 300 crosses can still be found in Cornwall,
generally marked by Celtic-Irish knots or interlacing, or a simple carving. The magic of Cornwall lives on...
Surfers will know Praa Sands has been hosting international surfing championships since 1998. But
it is not just the professionals and 360ers who surf here,
beginners too come here to learn, hiring wet suits and surfboards from the store on the beach, and one end
of Praa Sands is reserved
for these black seals attempting to ride the waves.
Windsurfers too sometimes come in droves to Praa, showing off their prowess on the rolling surf,
entertaining lounge lizards on the beach with their skill (more or less).
Walkers will find they have come to the right place. From either end of the beach you can join the
National Trust Cornish coastal path, which runs along
the clifftops east and west of Praa Sands, taking you eastwards towards Pendeen tin mine (recently
restored) and hidden coves, or west, past equally secluded little bays, such as Bessie's Cove,
Prussia Cove (named after the pirate John Carter, "King of Prussia" who lured many a merchant ship to the
rocks), dotted along the coast to Marazion and Mounts Bay.
Golfers need only venture a mile up the road from Praa Sands, to find
an 18hole golf course. Additonal courses can be found on the Lizard and near St Ives.
There is fishing of all kinds on your doorstep too. You can book a place on a deep sea fishing boat
in Penzance to catch mackerel, ling, or anything else the fish finder detects, and take
the fish home to eat the profit of the day.. Sea fishing from the beach is also popular, and details and
bait can be found at Rosudgeon tackle shop a mile from Praa Sands, on the A394. Spinning and fly
fishing is also well catered for, with reservoirs near St Just, and lakes near Cambourne.
Sailing enthusiasts can enjoy dinghy sailing in the Helford Passage and on Smithians Lakes.
Lapidopterists will enjoy scouring the beaches for sight of amethyst, rose quartz, citrine (found
at Praa and more easily in Mounts Bay),
and will enjoy finding serpentine, which is particularly plentiful around the Lizard.
Birdwatchers can look out for razorbills, gannets, cormorants, sandpipers, terns, oystercatchers,
whitears, stonechats and
may even hope to spot a puffin (more easily seen on the Scillies).
Theatre-goers should take advantage of the excellent productions at the Minack Theatre - no stage
setting could be more dramatic. But bear in mind it is
outdoors and take a rug or jacket.
Art afficianados will be familiar with the Newlyn and St Ives School, which evolved around the
late 19th-century artists
like Whistler and Sickert,and later Barbara Hepworth and others, all inspired by the spectacular
Cornish light and seascape. No trip would be
complete without a visit to the Tate Modern. Even if modern art is not your scene, you are sure to enjoy
its setting, and afterwards can wander round the cobbled
streets of St Ives looking for the man with seven wives.
Keen gardeners will need no encouragement to visit the stunning Eden Centre and Lost gardens of
Heligan, well worth the 50minute drive from Praa.
But there are also National Trust and other gardens closer to home that are well worth a visit - such as
Trewithen, Trelissik, Trenwainton, Godolphin, Lanhydrock, St Michaels Mount...
These will also interest anyone who enjoys visiting country houses.
Shopping is a cinch. You can probably find all your immediate needs at the local shops in Praa
Sands, such as the Post Office stores (from New World chardonnay to locally made pasties)
and nearby farms sell fresh vegetables. But for bigger shopping, supermarkets are at Helston and Penzance
, where you will also find
excellent bookshops, art supplies, and a lot of the usual high street shops.
Finally another dimension awaits you 30 miles off the coast. If you decide to treat yourself to a day trip
on the Scilly Isles, helicopters (30minutes) and ferries (2-3hours) both from Penzance
can whisk you off to enthuse at the history of St Mary's, be enthralled by Tresco's tropical luxury of
plants and marvel at the west
indian style white sand beaches and crystal clear waters.
The only problem you are likely to face from your holiday in West Cornwall at Villa Comino is going to
be fitting all the things you want to do into your week's or fortnight's stay. No wonder
our visitors keep coming back...
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