Camp and Hike in North Devon and Cornwall

Anyone else has been living in the UK for ages but haven't visited Cornwall or Devon yet?

I am telling you, you are missing out!

I have never thought of England as a beach holiday destination, and I possibly still won't, or at least it won't be my first option, but Cornwall kind of changed my mind about it.

Living in the Midlands, I never really planned on driving hours and hours to get down to the South Coast of England, because I could never imagine it being THIS beautiful:

The South coast of England is full of incredible outdoor weekend destinations.

Summer travel usually means road trips in the country, which is especially convenient now with the travel restrictions caused by COVID-19.

I, now know that there's so much to see and explore so I wanted to offer up a few of my favourites for weekend warriors or long haul caravaners.

As always, this summer I encourage you to travel safely and so I recommend reading this blog post. It talks about ideas on how to hike and camp responsibly not only in England, but in any destination in general.

1. Croyde Beach

I have personally never heard about this beach before, until my friends were on the way to it on the same day as us. We decided to make a stop there to say hi to our friends and enjoy the beach. I am sure there are so many of you who haven't been yet, but I am telling you, it is worth the drive.

The beach is private and a short drive away off of A39, and there's plenty of parking options. We decided to park on the street, since it was free.

To experience the real Southern Coast I recommend you try Squire's Fish and Chips takeaway. This was my first ever fish and chips and eating it on the coast has definitely been a highlight to our trip.

We also decided to camp on a hill right across the beach. We made sure that we left no trash behind the next day. A little tip here for new campers: when setting your tent up, make sure it's shielded from the wind so that you get a good night's sleep. We unfortunately made the mistake of setting the tent up right on the highest point of the hill, so the wind was just a little too unbearable for the ears at night.

Croyde Bay is perfect for a romantic getaway, weekend camping, or even a solo trip for those looking to disconnect.

Campsites to check out:

Ocean Pitch Campsite

Freshwell Camping

2. Bossiney Cove

Visiting Bossiney Cove was the main reason of our trip to Cornwall. This small cove located in the civil parish of Tintagel.

An unusual part of the cliff that I found interesting was the Elephant Rock, where a high vertical arch has formed almost separating a ″narrow trunk of rock from the mainland″. This feature shows the relationship of vertical jointing to cliff features. The cove has a sandy beach which is completely covered by the tide at high water, so the sand if usually wet.

This cove is definitely one with amazing views and space for a lot of fun to be had.

Campsites to check out:

Ocean Cove:

The Headland:

3. Merlin's Cave

This beautiful cave is located beneath Tintagel Castle. It is a sea cave formed by marine erosion along a thrust plane between slate and volcanic rocks. The cave fills with water at high tide, but has a sandy floor and is explorable at low tide.

It is a lovely little hike off the road, and definitely not to be missed.

4. Rocky Valley

This beautiful valley carved by Trevillet River sits about a Mile East of Tintagel. We followed Google Maps for its location and ended up at a Campsite where the owners pointed us to the trail.

The valley is owned by the National Trust, therefore the trail has all the essential signs and marking, making it easy to navigate.

We had a lovely hike along the trail and took a moment to admire the beauty and the power of the sea.

Make sure you have you camera with you for this one as it is amazing!

5. St. Nectan's Glen

St. Nectan's Glen is situated by the end of a beautiful trail by the Trevillet River.

The walk from the car park to the actual waterfall takes about half an hour. I recommend not rushing your journey; pause awhile there to absorb the glory of this place. Lose yourself in the amazing beauty, with a sense of time suspended and time eternal, with the wind through the trees, bird song, and the music of the water itself.

The last admission is at 3PM, so make sure you get to the end of the trail by that time to be able to catch a glimpse of the beautiful falls.

There is also admission to be paid, but it's only a couple of pounds.

By the Visitor Center you can take some time to enjoy a a well deserved coffee or cake after your walk.