January in Cornwall: a special time to visit

Magical moorland tinged with sparkling frost; coastline bathed in winter sunshine that illuminates the leafless trees and yellow gorse flowers. January is a special time when it feels you almost have Cornwall to yourself.

January in Cornwall is a great time to:

1: Wrap up well and brave the outside with a walk along the shore and nine times out of ten it’ll just be you, the sea and the sky.

2: On the south coast’s misty inlets and river estuaries take a ferry from shore to shore and get a heron’s eye view of the winter landscape.

3: Up on the north coast hunker down in the sand dunes and simply watch the sea whip up a swell and unleash its power as giant waves explode on the shore.

4: To warm up, there’s nothing better than a steaming mug of hot chocolate in a beachside café or a pint in a friendly pub with a roaring fire and more than hearty food - just the thing to finish off a trek on the moor or a jaunt along the cliff path.

5: A great time to explore the atmospheric narrow streets of our coastal villages, relax and do a bit of shopping. Browse an antique shop, pop into a local restaurant or potter around the local museum.

6: Get a taste of Cornwall’s heritage with a visit to mediaeval castle, a Tudor fort or an opulent Victorian mansion or delve further back in time by standing in the middle of a prehistoric stone circle or strolling around an Iron Age village.

7: Take the kids on a countryside walk and it’ll be a great way to see nature waking up after its winter slumber.

8: If the weather gets too grim, then there are plenty of things to do in the warm and undercover. Cornwall is one of the world’s greatest artistic centres, so it’s a great place to introduce yourself to painting, pottery and sculpture at galleries and museums that take the stuffiness out of all things arty.

9: Exploring the miles of easy going multiuse trails dotted around the county. Discover history, industry and nature all in one day and the whole family gets a bit fitter into the bargain.

10: Why not get out early and watch the sun rise at 8am from either a beach or from high ground - don't forget your camera!