We are offering a fantastic £960 off half-term in Falmouth at Nightingale House, a stunning four-bedroom, waterside property set in the heart of Falmouth overlooking the harbour.

This traditionally styled house sleeps up to eight and is perfect for a large family or two sharing. 

When the sun shines and the temperatures begin to climb, South Devon is a great place to be.  The unspoilt rolling countryside leads down some beautiful beaches flanked by cliffs to provide stunning vistas.

And late April, early May is a great time to visit with quieter roads and beaches plus a widespread feeling of complete peace and tranquility.

4 Pottery Cottage offers fine accommodation to match the natural beauty of the area.  Positioned in an exclusive waterside setting on the River Dart in Dartmouth, the property offers an excellent, five star rated standard of accommodation, just a short walk from Dartmouth Castle on the river estuary.  The town centre is a pleasant walk along the river where some of the most noted restaurants in Devon can be found on the waterfront - The New Angel and The Seahorse Restaurant.

The opening races of the Zapcat powerboat season will take place in Newquay, Cornwall on 24 and 25 April.

 Up to 16 heats of racing will take place culminating in two divisional finals each day.  Each daily round will earn the competitors vital points towards the prestigious National Championships, the Services, Rookie, and Team, Mixed, Home Nations and Surf titles, all of which will come to their tense finales in October.

 The opening races of the Zapcat powerboat season will take place in Newquay, Cornwall on 24 and 25 April, when the Blue Chip Newquay Zapcat Grand Prix race weekend takes place at Fistral Beach.

Viewing will be free and a range of entertainment and freshly prepared food and drink will be available for spectators. Opportunities to meet the race teams and see the powerboats up close will be laid on to encourage a growing following for the championship, which already has international status

 Cornwall’s largest St Piran's Day celebration takes place on 05 March, close to the charming town of Perranporth, where thousands dressed in black, white and gold will march across the dunes to St Piran's Cross.  The colourful flag-bearing pilgrimage culminates in a traditional play on the beach re-enacting the life of St Piran, the Patron Saint of Tinners, starting at 2pm.

  The beautiful panorama of the South West was enjoyed by Blue Chip Holidays Marketing Executive Michelle Roberts this weekend when she enjoyed a bike ride from Brixham to Coleton Fishacre along the coastal path, taking in Sharkham Point and the striking Mansands Beach.

 North Cornwall surf instructor Nick Tiscoe reports here on the ideal surfing conditions that can be enjoyed during your holiday in the South West. 

Once again we have seen a record number of participants taking to the waves over the New Year desperate to start the year with a bang (or end the previous one in style, depends which way you look at it!).

As always we have surpassed people’s expectations of the temperature, many people come along assuming it will be freezing and all go away saying, and I quote, ‘I can’t believe how warm I was!’. To think all these years that dedicated surfers have been enjoying this fantastic sport year round and most of it crowd free, always under the suspicion from onlookers as total nutters. If people are still not sure then the newest accessory is the heated wetsuit!

 If odd, unusual and entertaining Cornish customs are your thing, the annual Hurling of the Silver Ball held each year in St Ives, could be just the thing for you.

Held on Feast Monday, 08 February, the celebrations start at 10.30am when the silver ball is thrown from the wall of the Parish Church into the thronging crowd below. The ball is then passed from one person to another over the beaches and through the streets of the town, and at noon, the person in possession of the ball receives a traditional reward of five shillings from the Mayor at the Guildhall.

With that ‘back to work' feeling well and truly established this January, what better way to raise your spirits than a relaxing half term break in the South West. If its long stretches of sun kissed sand and lapping emerald waves, stunning expanses of countryside and brilliant nature trails aren't enough to convince you, then how about a ‘kids go free' offer at some of Torquay's finest attractions? That is exactly what the English Riviera is offering its visitors this February! Finding ways to keep the kids amused during the break is often hard work, so why not de-stress the week with a host of fun-filled attractions for you and your family to enjoy?

Blue Chip Holidays Holiday Advisor Kerry Curtis reports here on the recent trip she took to the charming South Cornwall villages of Kingsand and Cawsand. 

I was curious to see what Kingsand and Cawsand had to offer when we left Brixham early one Monday morning. We headed to Plymouth in the car, I must admit I had no idea what to expect from the small villages in South Cornwall frequently referred to as ‘The Forgotten Corner of Cornwall'. As a frequent visitor to Plymouth, I am ashamed to say I have never taken the passenger ferry across to Cawsand during the summer months or even the all year round Torpoint ferry across to Cornwall! The Torpoint ferry was our mode of transport today; we drove onto the large modern ferry and took our place for the ten minute crossing from Plymouth to Torpoint. I was surprised at how cheap this was, only £1.00 for a single journey!