After the seven and a half hour drive to get here, understandably we felt quite tired from the concentration of driving, we share the drive so it’s less of a toll, we have our dogs in the car too, we made sure to stop a couple of times for them on the drive, good opportunity to get some needed caffeine too.
After we got to our site and unpacked, we headed straight to the beach which was just a few minutes walk away, we all needed to stretch our legs, the weather was.. interesting, it was sunny but very, very windy, it made for some great shots though, video of all the tall grass swaying with the waves in the background, photos of the dogs with their ears being wind-swept, it was a good walk.
We chose to head to the Minack Theatre the next day, followed by St. Michael’s Mount, if you’ve never heard of either of these places, they’re both fantastic studies, especially the former.
The Minack Theatre is a world-famous open-air theatre perched on the cliffs at Porthcurno, Cornwall. Built largely by hand in the 1930s by Rowena Cade, who lived nearby, it’s carved into the granite with terraces looking straight out over the Atlantic. The stage is backed by the ocean, so performances often unfold to the soundtrack of waves and seabirds.
It began with local performances of Shakespeare and has grown into a unique cultural landmark, hosting plays, concerts, and storytelling through the summer. The mix of rugged Cornish landscape, crashing seas, and live theatre makes it one of the most dramatic venues in the world.
I’ll attach some unedited photos for you.
St. Michael’s Mount, there’s another fascinating place, it is a tidal island in Cornwall, linked to the mainland by a granite causeway that’s only walkable at low tide.
It’s home to a medieval castle and church, with origins as a monastery in the 12th century and legends tying it to giants and Cornish folklore.
Over the centuries it’s been a fortress, a pilgrimage site, and a family home.
Today it’s jointly managed by the National Trust and the St Aubyn family, attracting visitors for its history, gardens, and dramatic sea views.
It’s a place where myth, medieval stonework, and the rhythm of the tides all meet in one small but striking spot.
Both places are amazing to visit and I would highly recommend them if you’re ever in the south of Cornwall.
This was quite a long day, with the travelling to multiple locations, once we were ready, a quick stop off at the local Cornish fudge shop to buy some butterscotch fudge, and away we went back to Perran Sands.
So, Fistral Beach is the surfing heart of Cornwall, sitting right by Newquay.
It’s one of the most famous beaches in the UK for consistent waves, drawing both beginners and pros.
The beach itself is a wide sandy stretch backed by dunes and cliffs, with plenty of space for sunbathing, walking, and beach games when the tide’s out.
It’s also a hotspot for big surf competitions like Boardmasters, with a lively atmosphere around the cafés, bars, and surf shops nearby.
The combination of Atlantic swells, dramatic scenery, and Newquay’s holiday-town buzz makes Fistral both a sporting landmark and a classic Cornish hangout.
It’s a bit like the Wembley of British surfing — even people who’ve never touched a board know its name.
This is one of Rufus’ (white cavapoo) favourite beaches, he loves the smells of the rocks on the beach, Freddie (apricot cavapoo) also loved it, this was his first time coming to Cornwall and seeing the amazing sights and smells.
There were a lot of surfers in the sea, surfing isn’t really our thing though, but we did know of a little cafe that’s in the corner of the beach that doesn’t the best pancakes we’ve ever had, I’m not joking, seriously, the best pancakes, bacon, blueberries and syrup!
I’ll attach some photos below.
The following day we travelled to Crantock beach, this beach sits just south of Newquay, where the River Gannel meets the sea.
It’s a wide, golden stretch of sand backed by dunes, with dramatic cliffs framing the edges.
At low tide it feels huge and open, perfect for walks, surfing, or horse riding, while the river creates calmer spots for paddling.
The Gannel estuary itself is tidal and can be tricky to cross, so timing matters.
Quieter than neighbouring Newquay beaches, Crantock has a more relaxed, unspoilt feel, with strong tides reminding you it’s still very much a wild Atlantic spot.
Because the wind had subsided today, mostly anyway, we decided to have a little family photo shoot, I brought my tripod, it’s not the best and most stable, but I didn’t want to sink money in the extra aspects of photography unless I was getting paid, anyways we found a nice place to set it up, had my R8 on it with the 24-105mm f4 lens attached, set it on auto focus and had it taking pictures every couple of seconds, it’s a good time frame considering there are dogs involved, you never know what they’ll decide to do when you’re outside, so best get many photos when you can!
All in all, it was a lovely time away for us, we’ve both been working very hard recently, especially with our new house, this felt like a great get away, yes it was windy and cloudy, yes it meant that we couldn’t spend as much time out on the beaches as we would of liked, but that’s okay, because it has to be, no point being upset about things you can’t change now, is there?
I am really pleased to be able to get some shots of us together, it’s been a while since we’ve had some done so it’s nice to get fresh updated photos in.
Cornwall is a place I would suggest everyone to visit, it holds some amazing places to explore, doesn’t matter if you’re into history, geology, surfing, a foodie, or just want a place to unwind, there really is a place for everyone there.
This blog is really only some of the things we saw and experienced, I’ve actually created a video that I’ve uploaded to my YouTube that you could watch, if you’re interested, it’s a travel style vlog with little to no speaking, but with nice hand picked music behind it.
Video will be below.
Thank you for reading another blog and potentially even watching the video above.
Looking forward to creating another blog soon, see you in the next one,
Richard,
Pixeled World Photos
