Cornwall's ocean-fringed landscape speaks for itself. But it's what you can do here that's the real story – from surfing and sailing to mountain biking and rock climbing.

Consistent Atlantic swells light up the north coast from Bude to Land's End, making Cornwall the undisputed home of UK surfing. Newquay is its capital, with a line-up of surf schools and kit hire for every level – and every season. But beyond Newquay, you'll find plenty of other great spots along the north, west and even south coasts.

But you don't even need to find your balance for the coldwater buzz – bellyboarding, bodysurfing, and sea swims deliver all the thrills, with shoreside saunas making it easy to warm up before the next adventure.

Don't want to get your hair wet? Cornwall's land-based adventures are just as compelling – from mountain biking to zip wiring, there's no such thing as a quiet day. Unless you choose one.

The South West Coast Path is the megastar trail – walk just one of its 300 miles and you'll see why. From clifftops to coves, fishing villages to wide Atlantic horizons, it's one of the UK's greatest.

Cornwall's soul-stirring scenery doesn't begin and end on the coast. The Saints' Way crosses the peninsula from Padstow to Fowey. The Mineral Tramways trails cross World Heritage Mining landscapes. The Copper Trail circles the heights of Bodmin Moor. The Tamara Coast to Coast Way traces the historic boundary between Cornwall and Devon. And The Smugglers' Way threads from cliff to cove via legend-soaked hamlets.

Coast or countryside, epic or easy – lace up and find your own way.

Slow down. Breathe it in. Some of the best days in Cornwall are the unscheduled ones – following your nose through narrow streets and 'opes', ducking into independent shops and cafés, slipping away to a subtropical garden.

Soak up the scents and colours of the mighty Lost Gardens of Heligan or Trebah. Go gallery-hopping through St Ives, Falmouth or Penzance. Hunt for antiques in Lostwithiel. Graze away an afternoon at a farmers' market. Watch the birds on an estuary walk, or go for the birdie on a clifftop golf course.

Cornwall rewards the unhurried. Give it time.

Jam first, always. That's the Cornish way. But cream teas are far from the only food tradition to savour here.

From the mighty pasty to Michelin-starred tasting menus, beach picnics to street food pop-ups, Cornwall's food scene covers serious ground. Oyster festivals, celebrity chefs, farmyard tables and whopping side orders of sea views.

But it's the bounty plucked fresh from land and sea that makes it world class. Fish flipped from boat to plate. Farms and market gardens where the Atlantic breeze flavours everything reared and grown. Hedgerows and beaches bursting with wild produce. And artisan breweries, cyder makers and distillers bottling craft and traditional beers; cyders, perries and juices; and coastal botanicals into small-batch gins and copper-pot rums.

Rooted in place. Proud of its provenance. Made by passionate producers.

Coasteering to kite flying. Theme parks to steam trains. Sea life sanctuaries to sea life safaris. Cornwall is packed with family adventures for every age and every weather.

Family days out don't start at the beach and end at the Eden Project. Be a viking, a knight or a king at a clifftop castle. Walk in the footsteps of a legendary giant to a fortress in the sea. Step into rainforests and subtropical wonderlands. Adopt a lobster. Spin on high rides, swoop down slides, hang on high ropes, and pedal family-friendly cycle trails along estuaries and moors.

Splash in rock pools or waterfalls, run wild in woods, sip hot chocolate around a beach fire. Get outside. Stay inside. Family memories start in Cornwall and last forever.

Dig in. In Cornwall the past is never far away. Stone circles and legends loom in the moorland mist. Cliff castles crumble dramatically into the sea. Engine houses stand sentinel across the landscape – monuments to the industry that shaped a nation.

Tintagel, St Michael's Mount and the Minack Theatre are some of the headline acts. But the lesser-known sites you stumble across are often the ones that stay with you – stone circles, iron age cliff forts and smugglers' passageways burrowed in granite.

Besides, Cornwall's history isn't stuck in the past. Padstow's Obby Oss and Helston's Flora Day are centuries-old rituals still very much alive. Tall ships fill Falmouth and Charlestown harbours. St Ives has been pulling artists into its light for over a century, and still does.

Cornwall doesn't just preserve its history and heritage. It lives it.

Rain or shine, Cornwall is one of the best places in the world. And we think you'll agree.

Surfers will tell you the best waves come with a brooding sky. Walkers know that mist on the moor is its own reward. Winter is for wild coastlines, warm firesides, cosy pubs and solstice celebrations. Spring and autumn for nature's incredible palettes, fresh seasonal ingredients and breathing space.

When the rain properly sets in, Cornwall delivers indoors too — galleries, museums, cider houses, characterful pubs, and enough indoor attractions to fill a week. A rainy day in Cornwall is still a great day.