It’s no secret that Cornwall has a warm welcome for any visitor (as any of you who have been will know), but the county is preparing to give a very special greeting as Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh will be paying a visit to St Ives and St Michael’s Mount on Friday. Guests of our St Ives holiday cottages will be able to go along and join in this historical moment for Cornwall, so start practicing your most regal waves...

The exciting royal visit will see the royal pair wander along the stunning St Ives seafront before touring the RNLI lifeboat station. They should arrive at the RNLI station at 10.40am., where they will greet the brave team of volunteers and their families. After the tour they will be taken to the Tate St Ives to enjoy some of the artwork on display.

The royal visit will be the couple’s first to St Ives, and huge crowds are expected to turn out for a glimpse as they make their way around. St Ives remains one of Cornwall’s best loved resorts, and the couple will no doubt appreciate the beauty that has inspired generations of artists.

Newquay’s Watergate Bay hosts the award winning Veuve Clicquot Polo on the Beach once again from 18 – 19 May, so get ready to watch the action as the players battle it out in the surf.

Some of the best polo players in the world will descend on Cornwall’s infamous beach for an exhibition polo match to thrill the watching crowds. It’s the first time the popular waterside event has been set for a weekend, so don’t miss the chance to get close to the excitement as the high speed game unfolds in this spectacular setting.

The weekend will include live events, entertainment and a beach barbeque and bar, so if you’re staying in one of our luxury Watergate Bay holiday apartments you couldn’t be closer to the fun. The event is free for everyone, and two teams of international polo players are set to demonstrate how it’s done.

Well ladies and gentlemen the results are out - The Radio Times have revealed their eight favourite beaches in Britain, so how did your favourite fare? Taking its inspiration from the BBC2 series Coast, The Radio Times has put together its favourite beaches for lounging, exploring and enjoying the scenery – and we have a selection of luxury holiday cottages close to two of the winners.

Newquay’s no stranger to the top of a beach poll, and the beautifully modest Crantock flies the flag for it at number one. Crantock is one of the quieter beaches in the Newquay area, and it’s just out of the way enough to avoid the crowds that its neighbours attract. If you park up in the National Trust car park at the bottom of Crantock village and make your way over the dune you’ll see just why it’s today’s number one.

The sprawling sandy beach feels miles away from anywhere, and it’s easy to spend hours enjoying the views without even realising it. You can even catch a ferry across the Gannel to Fern Pit and sample the fresh lobster before returning. We have Newquay holiday apartments within easy reach of Crantock Beach, and many of them welcome dogs too (don’t forget that Crantock Beach is dog friendly all year round).

There’s a brand new event coming to Cornwall this month. Watergate Bay will host the very first Legends of the Bay from 27 – 28 April, and spectators are promised a display of breathtaking beach action as the experts compete in stand up paddle boarding and kitesurfing.

The exciting event will be the first ever collaboration between British Kitesurfing Association and the British Stand Up Paddlesurf Association, and if the conditions mean one of the disciplines can’t go ahead the other one will instead. Watergate Bay is four miles from Newquay, and with a two mile stretch of golden sand at low tide there’s plenty of room for the crowds to soak up the atmosphere and watch the action out on the waves.

Don’t forget that Newquay’s a laidback sort of place, and dogs are welcome on the beach throughout the year, so if you’re staying in one of our dog friendly Newquay holiday apartments you’ll be able to take your pet along to watch the fun.

Take advantage of a family discount when you book a unique Falmouth sightseeing tour with AK Wildlife Cruises. AK Wildlife Cruises operate small boat trips to help visitors get up close to Falmouth’s impressive coastline, and guests of our Falmouth holiday cottages can enjoy a discounted trip for 8 (a full boat) for just £300.

Captain Keith heads all cruises, and his knowledge and experience ensure that passengers won’t miss a thing along the way. Choose from four or three hour boat trips, and keep your eyes peeled for dolphins, porpoises and a huge range of sea birds. The dolphins in particular always delight passengers, and if they like the look of the crowd they’ll follow the boat along.

AK Wildlife Cruises also offer a family discount ticket which offers a great saving for a party of 4.

• On 4 hour trips enjoy family ticket for £135
• On 3 hour trips enjoy a family ticket for £110
• On the all day trip £245

Family discounts mean a party of four can enjoy great savings on various boat trips from Falmouth, and each tour will be taken by the experienced Captain Keith, who will make sure you don’t miss a thing along the way. There’s also a snack and a free hot drink for everyone during the trip.

For those who have an interest in various sailing boats, military vessels, and cruise liners, Falmouth has a great variety of the above to offer you. From its traditional working boats, to modern, visiting cruise liners, AK Wildlife Cruises makes the most out of viewing these vessels.

AK Wildlife Cruises is a family based company and it specialises in taking out small intimate groups twelve months of the year to see this part of Cornwall and the glorious coastline and marine wildlife that is on offer. There are no two excursions the same and one never really knows what you will see next, as anything including basking sharks can pass through this area any month of the year.

Fowey is one of those towns that know how to put on a fantastic festival and the Fowey Festival of Words and Music already has a programme packed with celebrity guests and inspiring events.

The festival will run between 8 -18 May and certain events are already available for booking. The programme includes talks, guided walks, workshops and cruises along the River Fowey, the inspiration for Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows stories.

We have Fowey holiday cottages available throughout the festival, and this riverside retreat is the perfect place to get away from it all.

Art galleries don’t get much more family friendly than Tate St Ives, and its Walkabout Talkabout event this Easter will make it even more accessible for younger visitors.

Families will be able to join a member of the learning team for an extra special journey into the current exhibition, bringing the attraction to life for visitors of all ages.

The service is free with admission, and there’s no need to book in advance, just ask to take advantage of the event when you arrive. Walkabout Talkabout will be running on the dates below at 11am:

The many branch lines of the West Country remain one of the rail world’s pleasures, and if you haven’t started the year resolving to ride at least one then you may just miss out.  Not only are they a great way to enjoy some of the views along the way, but journeys such as the route between Lelant and St Ives in Cornwall are also a handy tool for hikers who fancy a one-way stroll.

Our St Ives holiday cottages are often filled with hikers keen to see the stunning coastline of the bay from every angle, and this classic walking route is hiker heaven, as you can walk right beside the ocean-side railway and then hop on a train for the return journey. The coast path and the railway follow the coastline closely, so whichever you choose you’ll have uninterrupted views of the beautiful St Ives. Trains between St Ives and Lelant run every hour and the journey takes ten minutes.

The ancient village of Lelant is five miles from St Ives, and legend has it that most of the ancient village was buried under the sands. It’s said that the Norman arch still visible in the present church is that all remains of the former version of the village, so have a think about the Cornish history you could be walking above as you trudge your way through the dunes.

In 1990 a Cornwall landowner discovered a tiny room, with an etching saying “do not come here to sleep or slumber” surrounded by signatures. The door hid an overgrown thousand acre garden, and the graffiti was written by the workers who left it to fight in WW1. Now restored to their former glory, the Lost gardens of Heligan remain one of Cornwall’s most romantic and inspiring sites, so what better place to explore on Valentine’s Day?

The gardens will be softly illuminated with lanterns, candles and moonlight to guide couples around their paths from 6pm on 14 February.  This special evening includes the chance to enjoy a stroll through the lantern-lit Northern Gardens whilst enjoying nibbles and pre-dinner drinks, before sitting down to a Valentine’s mean in the cosy Heligan Tearoom.

Choose from a hot cider or red wine to sip as you take in your enchanting surroundings; then enjoy a warming hot soup in the Melon Yard before wandering to the tearoom to enjoy a main course and dessert in this unique setting. Our Cornwall holiday cottages are always popular at this time of year, the area’s sandy beaches are perfect for quiet walks before the crowds of summer arrive and with attractions such as Heligan, the Eden Project and Newquay Zoo it’s a lovely area to discover as a couple.

There aren't many events that have been happening for a thousand years, and the Hurling of the Silver Ball is still performed with energy and gusto that grips the watching crowds.

The Hurling of the Silver Ball takes place on St Ives Feast Day (4 February this year). Dating back nearly one thousand years, the event is always held on the first Monday after 3 February, and the game is one of rugby's oldest forms.

The event marks the anniversary of the consecration of the Parish Church of St Eia all the way back in in 1434 AD and it all starts at st la well close to Porthmeor Beach. After the blessing of the historic well, the mayor's procession winds its way back through the dunes to the town - and that's where the game kicks off.