The coastline around the
country's extreme south - western tip is wonderful - a mix of
high jagged cliffs and pretty inlets sheltering little fishing
villages.
In the 18C & 19C Cornwall
dominated the world's tin and copper markets. Most of the mines
have now closed , leaving the ruins of engine houses on the craggs
and cliffs overlooking the sea.
The "Riviera"
coast to the south is a gentle area of farms, wooded inlets and
ancient, pretty fishing villages, it's milder climate favouring
many plants that thrive nowhere else in Britain. There are several
gardens worth visiting, with rhododendron trees growing almost
as tall as in their natural Himalayan habitat.
The south western
tip of Cornwall has plenty to offer the visitor with Land's End,
St. Michael's Mount, Penzance and St. Ives.
Some of Britain's best beaches
face the Atlantic along the north Cornwall coast. Newquay is
the most famous surfing beach and Tintagel Castle the legendary
birthplace of King Arthur, and Boscastle, a picturesque harbour
with 14C cottages clinging to the hillside. The Scilly Isles
comprise a group of 140 rocky islands with an extremely mild
climate benefitting from the Gulf Stream. St. Mary's, Tresco,
St. Martin's, St. Agnes and Bryher are inhabited. St. Mary's
is the largest (3 miles by 2) and has most of the population.
Most of the islands have white sandy beaches and clear water
that attracts divers.
me