Having visited the picturesque and fairytale-esque lands of western England once before, many years ago, I was highly anticipating revisiting the area, with its endless beaches, sunny temperament, friendly locals and fresh food and drink.
Beautiful beaches – salty air whipping along stretches of golden sand as seagulls squawk and the sun beats down on sunbathers and surfers…..
It sounds like an idyllic description of a far-flung and distant destination but surprisingly it’s the memory of somewhere a whole lot closer to home.
Bournemouth
The memories of these stunning seaside views are amongst some of my happiest – a summer spent travelling along England’s South West coast exploring some of the country’s most stunning coastline.
Pulling into our first port of call I can remember being shocked at the huge selection of beautiful accommodation stretching throughout the town. There really is something for everyone. The charming Best Western’s hotel (the Connaught) that we stayed in was perfectly positioned for a brief stay and most importantly, was close to the town’s seven-mile stretch of shimmering sands.
I can remember the sun shining and a lot of singing in the car as we pootled out of Bournemouth along to our next beach stop where we were determined to find a hotel as close to the stretched-out surfing hotspot of Croyde Beach as possible.
Devon
A lot can be said for staying close to home and the stunning scenery, perfect surfing conditions and long, hot sunny days in a superb little hotel all helped make this a wonderful summer that we will all remember for a long time. We spent our sun-kissed days in Devon frolicking along the gorgeous sands of Woolaccombe and the rugged cliffs of Babbacombe, yelling to be heard over the deafening squawks of the swooping sea gulls. We spent the warm summer evenings exploring the nearby towns, including the vibrant and cosmopolitan Plymouth and Torquay, the charming seaside resort of Torquay, made famous by fictional resident, Basil Fawlty.
Cornwall
Our last port of call was the place we were to stay in the longest so we took our time selecting it.
As I recall we deliberated long and hard on where to stay, finally reaching a compromise in the Best Western Hotel Bristol which was close enough to Newquay’s buzzing nightlife but still central for access to the amazing beaches.
During our last few days we managed to really get about and explore the western tip of Blighty. As well as the usual surfing (or trying to) at Fistral Beach and Watergate Bay we visited some of the beautiful towns including Truro, Portcurno and Perranporth. They all have a magical continental feel – I could have continued to explore them for days. Perhaps my favourite afternoon in the area was our visit to the Eden Project and I highly recommend anyone interested in botany and nature to pay it a visit.
The hotel was perfect – days were long, the nights were fun and the memories of that summer are ones I hope to recreate again one day.
Whether you’re travelling with friends or a family the English coastline provides an astonishingly beautiful backdrop for hours of fun and laughter in the sun. Simply pick the perfect hotel in which to unwind at the end of your journey and plot a memorable adventure along beautiful coastline – the journey really is as fun as the holiday itself, something you’re never likely to hear yourself saying when standing in a painfully long queue at an airport!