I’m just back from my “credit crunch” holiday of the year. For the last week, I’ve been visiting Cornwall and North Devon whilst the British weather maintained its unpredictability and gave us one of the best weeks this summer in late September!

The first part of the holiday was spent in Penzance and one place you have to visit is the Minack Theatre. We were not fortunate enough to see a show but just visiting this amazing theatre that sits on top of a cliff at the waters edge was enough. We also visited the Eden Project which is an amazing botanical concept, brought to life in a reclaimed clay pit, just outside St Austell.

From Penzance, we travelled up the North Cornwall coast, via Padstow, Tintagel and Boscastle and spent the rest of the week in Ilfracombe on the North Devon coast. We made the most of the good weather and spent most of our time cycling the Tarka Trail and walking the coastal paths around the area.

One recommendation I would give is to go to the Quay in Ilfracombe. This modern bar/restaurant is owned by the artist Damien Hirst and sits slightly out of place amongst the souvenir and fish and chip shops next to the harbour. However, it’s worth the visit if you’re in the area as the food is delicious and the décor is beautifully done (as you would expect from an artist!!).

If you need to hire a car while you’re in the area, Avis has offices at Exeter Airport as well as in Plymouth and Truro.

Have any of you visited the area? Do you have any recommendations for where to visit? Or have you taken the opportunity to holiday in the UK this year? Let us know.