Finding Family Adventures

Date of trip: May 2025

Total cost: £200 including accommodation, food, activities for 3 days/2 nights.

Number of party: 5 (2 adults, 3 children). 1 dog.

Bodmin is an under celebrated joy! Cornwall beaches pair well with the wilderness and adventure Bodmin has to offer to make a perfect family getaway for those who like adventure in their lives.

Rough Tor walk and scramble

We started the trip with a walk up Rough Tor. This starts in a carpark at the end of a no-through road where the SATNAV can be disingenuous. Check against a map to make sure you are heading to the right spot. Also, check the roads your SATNAV wants to take you are real roads, not crazy 4×4 tracks. There are no facilities at the carpark but there are trees for a quick wee if caught short. On the hill, there is very little cover until you get to the top.

The path is straightforward and obvious. At the top of Rough Tor there are lots of rocks to scramble on and tunnels to explore. Our kids loved this. With a picnic, this could easily occupy the rest of the day. Just be careful, some of the rocks are a little wobbly. Check out what the kids play on first.

From here, you can continue to Brown Willy walk if the family still has energy. The route is fairly obvious from the top of Rough Tor.

Siblyback Lake

Siblyback Lake is a fantastic all round spot for a day or two. Great views, a park, café, toilets, canoe hire and family friendly easy cycle route suitable for all ages around the lake.

Cardingham Woods

Cardingham Woods is fantastic for mountain bike trails and walks. It has toilets, a café and a park.

Golitha falls

Golitha falls is a short but lovely walk suitable for all ages and a buggy. Our kid’s enjoyed walking along the leat and splashing in the river by a sandy beach section. The carpark can get busy so it is best visited early or later in the day. There is also a café in the carpark.

Trebarwith Strand beach

The geology here makes for a very interesting bit of coast. At low tide you will be greeted by a sandy beach with plenty of space to play on and explore. There are toilets and a café. At high tide the beach completely disappears. The tide comes in quickly so be careful that you don’t get cut off anywhere. There are lifeguards during peak times who were quick to recognise swells and large waves that may pose problems when our boys were scrambling over rocks. At high tide, we enjoyed wave watching and climbing on the rocks. The beach also allows dogs all year round.

There is an excellent pub here waiting for our next visit.

Tintagel

Tintagel castle is the ruins of a medieval fortress built on top of a hill poking out to sea with steep cliffs surrounding it. It is a beautiful spot and the kids will enjoy crossing the bridge to enter the castle and at low tide, exploring the caves. There are toilets and café. You will need a ticket for entrance to cross the bridge and enter the castle but can get a good view from the coastal path.

Widemouth Sand Beach

An excellent sandy beach and a bit quieter than the main Bude beaches. You can take a dog onto the beach during the Summer and access is easy.

Sandy Mouth Beach

Another beautiful sandy beach. There is a little walk to get down onto the beach with a steep step. At high tide, the beach disappears. At low tide, there are lots of rock pools to look for wildlife and warmer pools to swim in. The waves make for good bodyboarding or surfing for kids when the tidy is out.

Accommodation

Camping just outside Bude for just under £60 for 2 nights. There are plenty of Airbnb options and holiday caravan options for reasonable prices just outside the main beach areas.

Highlights

Dreamy beaches, rocks to scramble over, ice-creams and child friendly walks.

Top tips to keep the kids interested

Sweet treats and ice cream. Stop or play in parks and plan time for scrambling on rocks and plenty of beach play. Keep walking distances reasonable for your children and their ability. Pack plenty of sacks and drinks.

Bring plenty of towels, warm clothes and shoes that can get wet/muddy. Chuck them in a bag and deal with the mess when you get home.

Tell stories on the walks or play games. One of our favourites is “This is not a leaf, it is a ….”. Often, my son will turn every leaf into a bomb and everyone has to run for cover before it explodes. Everyone gets a turn.