Family Camping in Cornwall – Seven Days of Rain, Beaches & Adventures
There’s something rather special about a family camping holiday in Cornwall. Beautiful sandy beaches, spectacular coastal scenery, surfing, bodyboarding and long summer evenings outside the tent.
At least that’s how we imagined it.
Unfortunately, the British weather had other ideas!
This time, The Hadwins headed to Globe Vale Holiday Park near Redruth for seven nights of family camping during the May half-term holidays.
We had a brand-new air tent, a trailer full of camping equipment, two excited children and Roxy coming along for the adventure.
What could possibly go wrong?
Well, quite a lot actually.
And with Scott already worrying about the weather forecast before we’d even left home, we knew this could be an interesting week.
Packing for Cornwall – Do We Really Need All This Stuff?
If you’ve watched our previous camping adventures, you’ll know that we don’t exactly travel light.
Our latest addition was the enormous Vango Ventanas II Air 650XL, which we’d purchased to replace our old poled tent.
Unfortunately, a bigger tent also meant more weight, more equipment and considerably more effort getting everything into the trailer.
Add the children’s belongings, camping furniture, beds, cooking equipment and everything Roxy needed, and it felt like we were moving house rather than going away for a week.
Naturally, Scott had plenty to say about it.
But somehow, we managed to get everything packed and were ready for our Cornish adventure.
Arriving at Globe Vale Holiday Park, Redruth
We left Swindon at around 6am, hoping to beat the May half-term traffic and, more importantly, the rain.
The forecast suggested it would start raining around midday and continue for much of the week.
Not exactly what you want to hear when you’ve got an enormous tent to pitch.
With the trailer attached and a few stops along the way, the journey took approximately four and a half hours.
We arrived at Globe Vale Holiday Park near Redruth at around 11am.
And would you believe it?
It wasn’t raining!
Globe Vale turned out to be a convenient base for exploring Cornwall, particularly as it’s close to the A30 and within reach of some beautiful beaches on both the north and south coasts.
It also had pitches large enough to accommodate our enormous new tent, which was rather important considering its footprint was nearly eight metres by six metres.
Pitching Our New Vango Air Tent – An Interesting Experience!
One of the reasons we’d bought an air tent was because we thought it would be easier and quicker to pitch.
Our new Vango Ventanas apparently had an advertised pitching time of around 12 minutes.
Brilliant!
Unfortunately, our first attempt took approximately 90 minutes.
We managed to confuse the inflation valves, struggled with the pump and generally demonstrated how not to put up an air tent.
But despite our lack of experience, the weather stayed dry long enough for us to get everything set up.
And once it was standing, we absolutely loved it.
The tent was enormous, comfortable and, as we discovered throughout the week, remarkably good at handling wind and rain.
If you’re considering buying a large inflatable family tent, you can watch our Vango Ventanas II Air 650XL review and first pitching attempt on YouTube.
Camping in Cornwall in the Rain – What Can You Actually Do?
Once we’d settled into the campsite, the weather began doing exactly what the forecast had promised.
Rain.
Wind.
More rain.
And occasionally a little sunshine, just to give us false hope.
But rather than spend the entire week sitting inside the tent listening to Scott complain, we decided to get out and explore.
And as it turned out, Cornwall has plenty to offer families even when the weather isn’t particularly kind.
Marazion Beach and St Michael’s Mount
One of our first adventures took us to Marazion Beach, with its wonderful views towards St Michael’s Mount.
On a sunny day, it’s an absolutely beautiful place.
You can also visit St Michael’s Mount itself, with access depending on the tides and available transport.
Unfortunately, our visit was rather wet.
So instead of exploring the historic island, we enjoyed the scenery and attempted to eat a Cornish pasty on the beach without getting completely soaked.
Sometimes you’ve just got to make the best of things!
St Ives – Beautiful, But Where Do You Park?
We also attempted to visit the lovely seaside town of St Ives.
And when we say attempted, we really mean attempted.
We drove around approximately five different car parks, only to discover that every single one was full.
Even in the mist and fog, St Ives was absolutely packed.
Eventually, we gave up.
So here’s our advice if you’re planning to visit St Ives during the school holidays: arrive early or consider using the park-and-ride transport options.
Otherwise, you might end up spending your day sightseeing from the car.
Which, as you can imagine, did absolutely nothing for Scott’s mood.
Porthtowan and Portreath – Brilliant Beaches for Families
Two of the beaches we really enjoyed exploring were Porthtowan and Portreath.
Both are popular with surfers and have beautiful stretches of sand, especially when the tide is out.
The children loved exploring the shoreline, paddling and looking for little sea creatures.
They were also lovely places to take Roxy for a walk where permitted.
And, importantly for us, both had pubs nearby where we could escape the weather and enjoy something to eat or drink.
Do check seasonal dog restrictions and local safety information before visiting, particularly if you’re planning to take your dog onto the beach.
Perranporth – One of Our Favourite Cornish Beaches
If there’s one beach in Cornwall that we all love, it’s Perranporth.
When the tide goes out, the beach seems to stretch forever.
It’s fantastic for families, with plenty of room for children to play, explore and enjoy the sand.
There’s also the famous Watering Hole, a pub situated right on the beach.
On a dry day, it’s a wonderful place to sit and enjoy a drink while looking out towards the sea.
Perranporth also has a lovely little town with shops, cafés and parking options.
And after our experience trying to park in St Ives, that was very welcome!
Holywell Bay – Sand Dunes and Bodyboards
One of the biggest surprises of the holiday was Holywell Bay.
This turned out to be an absolute favourite with the children.
There’s a small stream running towards the sea, a beautiful sandy beach and some enormous sand dunes.
The children discovered that they could use their bodyboards to slide down the dunes.
And once they’d started, there was no stopping them!
Even when the sea was too cold or the weather wasn’t suitable for swimming, they still had a fantastic time.
There were also places nearby to eat and drink, making it a brilliant destination for a family day out.
Just be mindful of protected dune areas and any local restrictions before attempting activities on the dunes.
Praa Sands – Finally, Some Bodyboarding!
Despite spending an entire week in Cornwall, we didn’t actually get many opportunities to use our wetsuits and bodyboards.
Fortunately, Praa Sands gave us our chance.
The beach was beautiful, the waves were good and we all enjoyed finally getting into the water.
For us, this was exactly the sort of activity we’d been hoping for when we booked our holiday.
There was parking nearby and somewhere to stop for refreshments afterwards.
A definite highlight of the week.
As always, it’s important to check sea conditions, tides and lifeguard information before entering the water.
Slip and Slide Near Newquay – A Fantastic Family Treat
As an extra treat for the children, we visited Slip and Slide near Newquay.
This was a huge outdoor waterslide, approximately 350 feet long, and it turned out to be brilliant fun.
Three of us took part while Scott stayed on dog duty with Roxy.
At the time, we paid approximately £40 for three people for an hour.
Even though it was windy, we had a fantastic time.
It was something a little different from our usual beach activities and definitely worth considering if you’re looking for a family attraction in Cornwall.
Prices, availability and opening arrangements may have changed since our visit, so check before travelling.
Did Our Vango Air Tent Survive the Cornish Weather?
With all the rain and wind we experienced, we certainly put our new tent through its paces.
And we have to say, it performed brilliantly.
Despite some pretty unpleasant weather, we experienced no leaks, and the inflatable air beams remained impressively sturdy.
It was a huge improvement on the flapping and swaying we’d sometimes experienced with our previous poled tent.
Having a large, comfortable living area also made a real difference when the weather forced us to spend time inside.
We might not have been able to control the rain, but at least we had somewhere warm and comfortable to retreat to.
Would We Go Family Camping in Cornwall Again?
Absolutely!
Despite the rain, the wind, the occasional navigation disaster and Scott’s regular complaints, we genuinely had a fantastic week.
We explored some beautiful beaches, discovered new places, enjoyed bodyboarding and made some wonderful family memories.
And that’s really what camping is all about.
You don’t need perfect weather to have a brilliant holiday.
Sometimes the unexpected adventures, the little disasters and the moments when everything goes wrong are the things you remember most.
Although we’re not entirely sure Scott would agree!
Watch Our Family Camping in Cornwall Video
Want to see what seven nights of camping in Cornwall actually looked like?
In our vlog, we show you the journey, our campsite setup, the beautiful beaches we visited and the reality of trying to enjoy a family camping holiday when the British weather refuses to cooperate.
There are plenty of laughs, some wonderful scenery and, naturally, quite a lot of moaning from Scott.
If you’re considering camping in Cornwall with children and a dog, we hope our experience gives you a few ideas of places to visit and proves that a little rain doesn’t have to ruin your holiday.
After all, the best family memories aren’t always made in perfect sunshine!
