bimbling cottage

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We have 2 beaches very close by! Portreath beach is situated on the North Cornwall coast, and was originally a small fishing village. Today it's a beautiful retreat with a narrow harbour, secluded sandy beaches, rock pools and a stream running to the sea on one side. It is ideal for swimming and surfing watched by the local Surf and Life Saving Club. Portreath offers the pleasures of the sea and countryside with beautiful views, spectacular cliffs and walking trails. There is a surf school, a beach rental shop and plenty of places to get food and drink.

Porthtowan is the other close beach. Occupying a dramatic valley location with one of the most spectacular and beautiful beaches of the Atlantic Coast, Porthtowan has one of Cornwall's finest surfing waves. Producing good waves at all states of the tide. It is not for the faint-hearted, and beginners should be careful. An excellent surf school operates from the beach. The beach stretches down to St Agnes Head and Chapel Porth Beach at low tide, where you will find a lovely National Trust Cafe full of warming hot chocolate and fabulous views.

There are also many more beautiful beaches for you to explore across the Cornish coastline.

Let’s face it, you’ve come to Cornwall, you might want to try out surfing. Porthtowan Surf and yoga school is a great place to try this out, there is also a surf school at the Portreath beach.

If it is walking you like, why not try out the Coast-to-Coast Trail which links the harbour town of Portreath on the Atlantic coast with the harbour of Devoran on Restronguet Creek. Alternatively, why not explore Illogan Woods with its lovely streams and a circular walk leading to the 14th-century church tower of Illogan. There is also Tehidy Country comprising of 250 acres of woodland, lakes, bridleways, cycling and nature trails.

There are a few golfing options close by, the Tehidy country park has an adjoining golf course, plus Gwel an more offer a 9-hole course.

2 minutes up the road from the cottage we have “The track” – a safe and exciting place full of bike ramps and jumps suitable for age 3 to adults. There are also numerous bike trails in the area, and you can even rent a bike in the local town of Portreath if you don’t have your own.

There is also a beautiful swimming pool, archery and tennis courts at Gwel an mor.

There is plenty of opportunity to sit back and relax at our cottage. Whether that’s making the most of the private hot tub, or just enjoying the peace and quiet whilst admiring the views in your private outdoor area. If you want something a little extra, you could also take a short stroll to the onsite treatment room.

If you fancy going a little further afar, there are plenty of beautiful walks in the local area, Tehidy county park has several ponds and a lake with swans and various kinds of waterfowl. Or you can find a spot on the beach and listen to the waves roll in and out, or even take the short drive to the top of the cliff to admire the views from that angle.

If it’s a bad weather day, there are also nearby spa and leisure resorts which we’d recommend. Both Gwel an Mor and the Penventon Hotel offer an indoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi, and a range of bookable treatments. 

Gwel an mor also have a peaceful lake where you can spend a half or a full day fishing on the banks of the lake. Choose between taking your own equipment and h

If you want to have an adventurous day out, close by we have: Cornwall Gold which offers Bear building and pottery workshops, panning for gold and krazy golf; Xtra Dimension VR - The Ultimate Virtual Reality experience and Feadon Farm Wildlife.

Slightly further afield there is:

· Flambard’s theme Park – rides for all ages and plenty of other attractions like the “Britain in the blitz”.

· Eden project - a beautiful global garden, where you’ll rediscover the natural world as you've never experienced it before.

· Dairy Land - plenty of animals to meet here, as well as outdoor and indoor play areas.

· The Cornish Seal Sanctuary - a charity that rescues and rehabilitates around 70 grey seal pups each season from around the Cornish coastline.

· Camel Creek Adventure Park - uniquely interpreting the legends of the area and famous for delivering great adventures and days out for the whole family. 

· Minack Theatre - a spectacular open air theatre, perched on the Cornish cliffs.

· Lappa Valley - transports families on an exciting nostalgic train ride into a secret world of traditional fun and family adventures.

· Tanglewood - a natural garden and woodland boasting native trees and plants mixed with the odd exotic variety, great for encouraging butterflies and bees.

In the local beach town of Portreath, there are numerous places to eat and drink, from the 2 café’s on the side of the beach for fish and chips, the bakery for a proper Cornish pasty, the pubs for pub grub, a Chinese take away, or if you want to treat yourself, you could try out the Bait shed!

Heading to the other local beach of Porthtowan, there is the Blue Bar right on the edge of the beach, the Porthtowan beach café famous for their delicious cakes, or the Unicorn pub with great food and a big outdoor kids play area.

There are many other great places to eat within 15 minutes drive. Some of the more unique places we have to offer include:

· Carn Brea Castle, one of the most iconic and historic places for miles, an intimate atmosphere with the taste of Jordan 

· The Redruth Meadery, a candle-lit medieval eating hall complete with drapes, shields and lances – along with waiting staff in period costume – creating an atmosphere and experience that is both relaxed and exciting.  

· Taste searoom restaurant, here you will find perfectly cooked crab meat, hake and mussels, tasty sundaes, brownies and parfait.

· Smokey joe’s, yes its dated but if its no thrills, cheap but high quality breakfast you’re after, try this place out - can you manage the Hungymans?

· Jenn’s American Diner, with an authentic vintage American family-friendly atmosphere.

· Miss Mollys tea room – set in an antiques shop, serving traditional British cuisine.

If finding out about our Cornish history is your thing, then there’s plenty to see here! At the beginning of the 19th Century Cornish mines were some of the largest enterprises anywhere in Europe and very much at the forefront of the industrial revolution. 

There are many mines and related attractions still around and we’d recommend having a visit:

· East pool mine - Impressive Cornish beam engine and industrial heritage discovery centre.

· Moseley Heritage Museum - home to a collection of industrial and mine locomotives, as well as plenty of rail-related equipment.

· Wheal Peevor - a fine example of Cornish mine site, not just because there are three houses left in relatively good condition, but also remains of the dressing floor, chimney and calciners.

But there is more than just mines here, some other historic places include:

· Gwennap Pit - a Methodist outdoor place of worship dating back to the mid 18th century, thought to be built from a collapsed mine. 

· Bassett Monument - Standing at over 90ft high, it can be seen from all over Cornwall’s high grounds and looms over the mining towns of Redruth and Camborne.

· Bodmin jail - the paranormal investigations are intense and varied exploring the minds of people past and present, looking at the fearful life they endured to the dark cold lifestyle in a gloomy cell.