Morwellham Quay

Morwellham Quay is an award-winning, evocative museum and visitor centre in the heart of the newly inscribed World Heritage Site and Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Just four miles west of Tavistock the historic port, mine workings and Estate, border the beautiful River Tamar. Amidst towering cliffs and gently rolling farmland, a lost world lives again.

So that's the official description. But we reckon this is one of the nicest tourist attractions in Devon - mainly because it is so low-key and uncommercial. You can pay if you want to experience things like the underground mine train. But it's completely free if all you want to do is wander around this remarkable heritage site. The mini hydro-electric power station, powered from the Tavistock canal, is worth a visit if nothing else. And there are miles of lovely walks around the site and along the River Tamar.

For more info visit http://www.morwellham-quay.co.uk/

Transat race starts from Plymouth

On Sunday 11th May, Plymouth saw the start of the Artemis Transat single-handed transatlantic yacht race, following a fabulous week of warm-up for the event in the specially created Transat Race Village within the historic environs of Plymouth's Sutton Harbour.

We were fortunate enough to be able to experience a close-up view of the race start from a boat in Plymouth Sound. An awesome sight as the fleet of Imoca 60 and Class 40 yachts headed out for their transatlantic adventure.

A few useful links:

For a gallery of photos featuring the run-up to the start of the race, and the race start itself, visit the Sutton Harbour Group photo gallery on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sutton_harbour_group

To follow the race live on-line visit the official Artemis Transat website: http://www.theartemistransat.com/

Mousehole hideaway

A visitor to http://www.simplydevonandcornwall.com/ contacted us recently to ask for a recommendation for somewhere nice but simple to stay in West Cornwall, convenient for Lands End. We had no hesitation in suggesting the Ship Inn at Mousehole. It's a lovely, unspoilt, traditional pub right on the quayside in the delightful harbourside village of Mousehole, just down the coast from Penzance. The rooms are simple but comfortable, and the Ship Inn has a nice, good-value restaurant (or there are more fancy restaurants in the village to choose from).

>>> Click here for more information on the Ship Inn, Mousehole

Transat comes to Plymouth

The Transat single-handed Transatlantic yacht race starts from Plymouth's Sutton Harbour on Sunday 11th May. In the week running up to the spectacular start of the race, the historic Barbican and Sutton Harbour area will be transformed into a race village open to the public, with entertainment, food, drink, and nautical interest. Visit the official Transat website for more information. And for information on hotels in Plymouth if you're planning to visit, click here to check out our hotel pages including helpful reviews to help you plan your stay.

A chilly Easter

Easter has, of course, fallen rather early this year, and those who headed down to Devon and Cornwall for a long Easter weekend were greeted with some rather chilly and showery weather (although, as my brother often reminds me, there is no such thing as bad weather - just the wrong clothes!).

On Easter Monday we decided to brave the showers and head for the North Cornwall coast.

First stop was the Bedruthan Steps Hotel (pictured here) for a delicious coffee and homemade biccies. The Bedruthan Steps is a long-established, family-run hotel at Mawgan Porth near Newquay, in a spectacular location overlooking the golden sands of Mawgan Porth beach. The hotel is famed as a child-friendly hotel for the well-to-do, and has been extensively and considerately refurbished in recent years to create a fabulous luxury family hotel - >>> click here for more information

After coffee we headed into Newquay. To be fair, Newquay is in need of a bit of regeneration - the town centre is a bit basic, and the bars and pubs are really geared towards the "youth" market. But the beaches (especially the surf-heaven of Fistral Beach) are spectacular - especially on a wild and windy day like today.

For a civilised end to the day, we headed to Padstow for a pot of tea, and papers, at the very welcoming and comfortable Metropole Hotel - >>> click here for more information

>>>> Visit our website at http://www.simplydevonandcornwall.com/

A taste of Morocco.... in Plymouth!

The Souk is a Moroccan meze bar and restaurant, overlooking Sutton Harbour in Plymouth. Step inside and you'll be greeted by the sounds, sights and smells of a tastebud-tantalising Moroccan restaurant. A great lunch, including a drink, for about seven quid!

For more information on The Souk, and other great restaurants in Devon and Cornwall, click here to visit our Restaurants page

A "Grand" weekend

We had a great night away with the family at the Grand Hotel in Torquay.

The Grand is a well-managed, traditional, large hotel, right on the seafront in Torquay on the "English Riviera".

Nice lounge areas, a decent leisure centre and good food. If you book a dinner-inclusive package, you can choose from anything on the a la carte menu, which makes it particularly good value. Breakfast is a very comprehensive buffet (although they seem to have trouble producing toast, which consistently arrived only half-done!).

The rooms vary a lot, in terms of decor, location, views etc - so it's worth making sure exactly what type of room you are booking.

In summary, a very decent, good value, quality seaside hotel, ideal for a family getaway any time of year.

>>> Click here for more info