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Sandcastles, surf and seafood set the tone for any Cornwall holiday. This is Britain’s most popular holiday destination drawing families, adrenalin junkies and foodies from across the country.

This ancient Celtic kingdom offers wild coastline, long stretches of beautiful beaches, sandy coves and an array of inland activities to keep every age group occupied.

For watersport fanatics the waves of Cornwall’s west coast make it a haven for surfers of all abilities and there are surf schools aplenty for those looking to learn. Newquay is surfer central and draws the crowds. Further north in the Camel Estuary, Rock is fab for sailing and windsurfing.

The Cornish Coastal Path offers ramblers the most detailed interpretation of this rugged western corner of England. If you’re going all the way around, you’ll find Lizard Lighthouse pretty much halfway. Now a heritage centre, it dates from 1751 and now exhibits displays on Cornish shipwrecks.

If you’re further inland the most renowned activities are the Eden Project and The Lost Gardens of Heligan. Both take an approach to nature and explore and will more than fill your day. They’re reasonably accessible from both the north and south coasts too.

For the foodie in your party, they need to have a penchant for fish and seafood. At the harbour wall in Mevagissey you’ll find a little hut selling the fish fresh off the boats – self-catering doesn’t get any better than that! The obvious foodie draw in Cornwall is Padstow, dominated by Rick Stein’s businesses this is once again a thriving fishing village – as much for the eateries as for the catch of the day.

Let’s not forget the buoyant independent industries of modern Cornwall (Kernow in Cornish). Local producers are so abundant here you may not even realise you’re buying local but look closely and what wonders you will find.

Cornwall holiday cottages are plentiful, it’s just worth booking early to get the best of the best.