‘Beautiful’ town in Cornwall named one of the best staycation destinations | Beach Holidays | Travel
Time Out UK has named the best places for a staycation in 2023. The team were looking for undiscovered gems.
Padstow in Cornwall was chosen as one of the best staycation destinations and the stunning town has plenty to offer British tourists.
Time Out said: “The Cornish town of Padstow has been a haunt for foodies for some time.
“Rick Stein launching his restaurant empire back here in the 1970s was the beginning. Gordon Ramsay buying a massive pad across the water in Rock also helped.
“Now a new generation of chefs is attracting gourmets from across the country. You’ve got Prawn on the Lawn and its sophisticated seafood.
“You’ve got The Pig at Harlyn Bay, one of the country-hotel chain’s most recent openings, with its restaurant either growing or sourcing everything from within 25 miles.”
Time Out recommends tourists start their day with a walk along the Camel Trail, an 18-mile scenic route.
Another top spot is the National Lobster Hatchery, where tourists can marvel at the majestic creatures and even adopt their own lobster.
Tourists can relax at Padstow Harbour and enjoy a meal, and the scenic spot is one of Padstow’s top-rated Tripadvisor attractions.
A visitor wrote on Tripadvisor: “What an amazing little place, a quaint little harbour, beautiful scenery with some stunning coastline to walk especially at low tide.”
Another tourist wrote: “Padstow Harbour is a lovely place, in a beautiful town. There are lots of cute shops in Padstow, along with lots of great places to eat.”
Padstow might be best known for the ’Obby ’Oss Festival, one of the UK’s oldest celebrations.
The festival features two processions making their way around the town, each led by a hobby horse known as ’Obby ’Oss.
It always takes place on May Day (May 1) making the start of May the perfect time for a Padstow holiday.
Padstow was a thriving fishing port during the time of Elizabeth I and many of the town’s fishermen still supply the local restaurants today.
The town’s harbour is nowadays filled with pleasure boats and tourists can take a boat trip around the nearby coastline.
If tourists can’t get a table at one of the town’s fine dining establishments, they can always pick up some fish and chips from Rick Stein’s takeaway.
In the summer, some of the most popular nearby beaches include Daymer Bay and St George’s Cove.
However, despite Time Out’s recommendation, tourists have been warned to stay away from Cornwall in 2023.
Fodor’s ‘Regions to Reconsider’ list included the English county due to the ‘sheer’ number of tourists visiting each year.
Some Cornish residents have complained that holiday lets and second homes have pushed up the prices for locals.
British tourists could try visiting Padstow outside of the peak summer season if they want to avoid the crowds.
