With its mild climate, breathtaking scenery and long stretches of sandy beach, Cornwall, located on the far western tip of England, has long been one of Britain's most popular summer holiday destinations. In recent years, the county's newfound sense of style has brought with it an influx of chic and contemporary hotels, boutique shops, trendy bars and fine restaurants, including a number of Rick Stein establishments (Seafood Restaurant, Fish and Chip shop and café) in Padstow, now nicknamed Padstein, making it an instant rival to the continent's Mediterranean coast. Surfing and kite surfing are amongst the most popular watersports, while the Tate St Ives and the Barbara Hepworth Museum attract an arty crowd. The Eden Project opened in 2000 and is still a huge draw as are the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the many miles of scenic coastal walks.

ABBEY HOTEL
Abbey Street, Penzance (01736 366 906). Small harbour hotel owned by former model Jean Shrimpton. ££

ENNYS
St Hilary, Penzance (01736 740 262; fax: 740 055; www.ennys.co.uk; email: ennys@zetnet.co.uk). Glorious farmhouse B&B in a luscious rural setting, run by Gill Charlton, who clearly learned a thing or two in her years as The Daily Telegraph's travel editor. £

FOWEY HALL HOTEL
Fowey (01726 833 866; fax: 834 100; www.luxury-family-hotels.co.uk). A superbly luxurious seaside pile, dating from 1899. Children are both welcome and well catered for. ££

GODOLPHIN ARMS
Marazion (01736 710 202; fax: 710 171; www.godolphinarms.co.uk). The 10 rooms, most with views of St Michael's Mount, are decorated in eccentric colours. The pub/restaurant is, sadly, unattractive. £

HOTEL TRESANTON
St Mawes (01326 270 055; www.tresanton.com). Olga Polizzi, sister of Rocco Forte, has created a haven of understated luxury. The rooms have great views. Don't miss drinks on the terrace at sunset. Hotel Tresanton was featured in our special feature UK Boutique Hotels Part I. £££

RESTORMEL MANOR
Lostwithiel (01208 873 444; fax: 873 455). B&B in a rambling, atmospheric manor house in a hidden valley of the Fowey river, below the 13th-century Restormel Castle. A self-contained wing of the manor can be rented by the week. £

ST EDMUND'S HOUSE
Padstow (01841 532 700; www.rickstein.com:). Six sea-view rooms next door to Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant, designed by his wife Jill. ££

ST ENODOC HOTEL
Rock (01208 863 394; fax: 863 970). The sister establishment of the Knightsbridge Green Hotel in London, St Enodoc is contemporary and chic in style. The Porthilly Bar and Grill is building a reputation for modern fusion food with dishes such as roast monkfish with olive and chive potatoes. The St Enodoc was featured in our special feature UK Boutique Hotels Part II. £

THE COVE HOTEL
Lamorna, near Penzance(01736 731411; www.thecovecornwall.com). This Cornish stone mansion, located west of Penzance in a beautiful secret valley, has been refurbished with 13 chic self-catering apartments. There is a restaurant serving fresh seafood, a small spa and a gorgeous outdoor pool with loungers high above the valley. Gardens descend the hill and close by are fabulous beaches, including Sennen (great surf) and Porthcurno (fine sand, turquoise water). Rooms have turquoise, caramel and white decor, Egyptian cotton bedding, wooden floors and well equipped kitchens and living rooms that give you hotel comfort and service but also the space, privacy and flexibility of your own apartment. All have beautiful views down to rugged Lamorna Cove. During the high season, the place takes on a more hotel-like level of service: hot croissants are delivered for breakfast and the restaurant opens its doors. Staff are young and attentive, and the hotel is very family-friendly, offering flexible dining options, sofa beds in all but one room and babysitting. £££

THE GURNARD'S HEAD
Treen, Zennor, St Ives, TR26 3DE (01736 796 928; www.eatdrinksleep.ltd.uk/Gurnards_Head; see Where to Eat). Reopened in April 2006 under new management, this cosy, inviting gastro pub, only five minutes drive from St Ives, has seven comfortable rooms. Owned by the team behind the well-known Felin Fach Griffin, near Brecon in Wales, the emphasis is, unsurprisingly, on delicious, seasonal food. The pub, which overlooks the Atlantic, has been awarded Best Newcomer of the Year 2007 by the Which? Good Food Guide. Breakfast is taken at a large table which looks out to the Atlantic, lunch menus are chalked on a blackboard. Dishes include roast brill with sauce bordelaise, duck and raisin terrine with pear chutney and soda bread, and grilled mackerel with purple sprouting broccoli. £

TREBREA LODGE
Trenale, Tintagel (01840 770 410; fax: 770 092). A small, beautiful and luxurious hotel in an 18th-century manor house, much loved by the growing band of smart Cornwallites. 'Well-behaved dogs' welcome by prior arrangement. £

TREGAWNE
Near Bodmin (01208 831 552; fax: 832 122). An 18th-century Cornish farmhouse, with a river running through the grounds, which provides relaxed and comfortable B&B accommodation. The house sleeps 10 and can be rented as a whole. £

COTTAGES

BOTELET
Botelet Farm, Herodsfoot, Liskeard (Tel: 01503 220 225; fax: 01503 220909; www.botelet.com). Set within 250 acres of rolling farmland, Botelet comprises two original cottages for hire and a farmhouse offering bed and breakfast. A babysitting service is available in the farmhouse as are therapeutic and reflexology treatments. There are walks to a Neolithic hill fort and wild iris woodland. ££

For more on hiring a picturesque Cornish cottage, call the Cornish Tourist Board (01872 241 313).

THE GURNARD'S HEAD
Treen, Zennor, St Ives, TR26 3DE (01736 796 928; www.eatdrinksleep.ltd.uk/Gurnards_Head; see Where to Stay). This cosy, inviting gastro pub with rooms, only five minutes drive from St Ives, is owned by the team behind Felin Fach Griffin, near Brecon in Wales. The kitchen is led by Matt Williamson, formerly of The Lansdowne in Primrose Hill. Breakfast is taken at a large table which looks out to the Atlantic, lunch menus are chalked on a blackboard. Dishes are seasonal but may include rib eye of beef, parsnip purée, purple sprouting broccoli, porcini butter and chips, battered hake and chips with tartare sauce, and confit leg of rabbit, choucroûte, black pudding with potato.

THE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
Riverside, Padstow (01841 532 700; www.rickstein.com; email: reservations@ rickstein.com). Rick Stein's signature restaurant first put Padstow on the culinary map. If you are lucky enough to get a table, try turbot with Hollandaise sauce or the shark and monkfish vindaloo.

BROCKS
The Strand, Padstow (01841 532 565). Never mind Stein: Tim and Hazel Brocklebank's place is rapidly asserting itself as a fine restaurant in its own right. The menu includes sea bass in a fragrant nage with paysanne vegetables and whole Padstow crab with new potatoes.

ST PETROC'S HOTEL AND BISTRO
4 New Street, Padstow (01841 532 700). New and very welcome addition to Padstow.

THE ABBEY RESTAURANT
Abbey Slip, Penzance (01736 330 680; www.theabbeyonline.com). New arrival specialising in fresh local produce, cooked and served by Ben and Kinga Tunnicliffe. The well-priced menu includes such interesting combinations as pigeon, quince and rocket salad and cep stroganoff with herb dumplings. The light-filled, 26-seat restaurant has views over the harbour; there's a Seventies-style bar downstairs.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The Quay, Fowey (01726 832 221). Low-beamed harbour restaurant notably proficient in its use of Cornish fish and seafood. The plates of roast shellfish (half a lobster, scallops, oysters, mussels, crab claws and clams) are good value.

PANDORA INN
Mylor (01326 372 678). Great pub food (Mylor Bridge sausages with apple chutney; crab cakes) in an idyllic riverside setting.

PORTHMINSTER BEACH CAFE
Porthminster Beach, St Ives (01736 795 352; www.porthminster.co.uk). Trendy, fun place on the beach. Exciting seafood cooking with Mediterranean and Asian influences, such as John Dory with mussel risotto dumplings, and seafood with lemongrass, chillies and ginger.

ALBA
The Wharf, St Ives (01736 797 222). The old lifeboat house has been transformed into a stylish place. In the upstairs, formal dining room, prices are reasonable to high. Downstairs, a deli-cum-brasserie serves mussels, crab cakes and more.

BLUE FISH
Norway Lane, St Ives (tel/fax: 01736 794 204). This trendy restaurant, just over the harbour with terrific views, gets booked up quickly. Seafood, of course, is a speciality (mussels in a ginger, lemon grass, coriander and coconut sauce.

HARRIS'S RESTAURANT
46 new Street, Penzance (01736 364 408; fax: 333 273). An old favourite of some 20 years standing. Roger Harris serves the freshest seafood as well as meat dishes such as medallions of venison with beetroot.

THE MILL HOUSE INN
Trebarwith, Tintagel (01840 770 2000; fax: 770 647; www.themillhouseinn.co.uk). Benedict Hughes, formerly of the French House in London, is the resident chef of this remote yet hip restaurant/bar/hotel tucked away down a network of tiny lanes. Business is blooming, thanks in large part to Hughes's unfussy food (oven-baked plaice with sautéed kale, langoustine ravioli with roast fennel).

PORT GAVERNE INN
Port Isaac (01208 880 244; fax: 880 151. Chef Ian Brodey serves a three-course dinner menu which is strong on seafood.

PORTHMINSTER CAFE
Porthminster Beach, St Ives (tel/fax: 01736 795 352; www.porthminster.co.uk). This isn't so much a beach cafe as a sophisticated restaurant with a terrace. The menu includes combinations such as baked Newlyn cod with celeriac and fennel confit.

PORTH GWIDDEN BEACH CAFE
St Ives (01736 796 791). Run by the same team as the Porthminster, with marginally simpler, cheaper, dishes.

THE SUMMER HOUSE RESTAURANT WITH ROOMS
Cornwall Terrace, Penzance (01736 363 744; fax: 360 959; www.summerhouse-cornwall.com). Chef/patron Ciro Zaino, who worked with Anton Mosimann in London, serves a chic three-course menu. Open for dinner only.

TABBS RESTAURANT
Tregea Terrace, Portreath (01209 842 488). This homely place in an unexceptional beachside town serves delightfully creative dishes, sardines with mixed leaves, tapenade and fresh chilli, monkfish with smoked pancetta and green lentils. Not open for lunches except on Sunday.

TRENGILLY WARTHA INN
Nancenoy, Constantin (tel/fax: 01326 340 332; www.trengilly.co.uk). At Mike Maguire's restaurant near Falmouth, you can savour dishes such as local loin of pork glazed with honey and served with Lyonnaise potatoes and a mellow, Cornish-mead sauce. This is unpretentious modern British cuisine that excels in its local flavour.

TRESANTON
Lower castle Road, St Mawes (01326 270 055; fax: 270 053; www.tresanton.com). Paul Wadham's cuisine lives up to the standards of this much-admired hotel. The three-course dinner menu includes dishes such as dover sole with artichokes, potatoes and black olives.

THE SHIPWRIGHT'S ARMS
Helford (01326 231 235). Traditional British food, steaks on the griddle and beef-and-beer pie, in a thatched pub.

HANSON'S BAKERY
Hayle. Produces great Cornish pasties.

JELBERT'S
On the road, between Newlyn and Mousehole. A good stop for ice cream.

ART GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS
Tate St Ives (01736 796 226). Best known for its work by the St Ives group, including Nicholson, Wallis and Lanyon. It also houses special exhibitions. Open daily 10am-6.30pm.

Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, St Ives (01736 796 226). Displays works by one of the greatest British sculptors of the 20th century.
The Pilchard Works, Newlyn (01736 332 112. A brilliant working museum. Take home some salted pilchards.

THEATRE
The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno (01736 810 181; www.minack.com). Open-air theatre situated on a clifftop with the sea as a backdrop.

VINEYARDDS
Camel Valley Vineyard (01208 77959; www.camelvalley.com). Fine Cornish wine made by Bob Lindo ('A very refreshing, well-made, well-balanced wine. I am very impressed,' said Jancis Robinson).

GARDENS
Eden Project (01726 811 911; www.edenproject.com). Ecological grand project with a touch of folie de grandeur. Plants from different climates are housed in two vast covered biomes and a 'roofless' biome. Open daily 10am-6pm.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Pentewan (01726 845 100; www.heligan.com). An achievement deserving of all the hype. Don't miss the Pineapple Pit. Open daily 10am-6pm.

Trebah (01326 250 448; www.trebah-garden.co.uk). A subtropical garden with waterfalls that spill down to a private beach.

TINTAGEL CASTLE
Tintagel (01840 770 328). Sixth-century stronghold of King Mark (and legendary birthplace of King Arthur) in a dramatic, rugged setting.

WATERSPORTS
Cornwall is a popular summer holiday destination. The water may not be that hot but there are plenty of watersports on offer at its array of stunning beaches. Newquay is great for surfers. Go in August for the British Olympic Championships, held on Newquay's Fistral Beach. Contact the British Surfing Association, Penzance (01736 360 250), for information.

BEACHES AND COVES
Porthcurno is the perfect little white sand beach. There's an abundance of coves around Helford where you can find secluded spots. St Ives Bay has several miles of dramatic golden sands. Lamorna has one of the prettiest coves in Cornwall, with good walks along the coast path. Sennen Cove, one mile from Land's End, has a Blue Flag beach, which is excellent for swimmers and surfers.

BIKE RIDES
Hire a bike and take the Camel Trail, a clifftop cycle path from Padstow to Bodmin.

BY RAIL
Cornwall is situated in the south west of England, approx 300km from London. Contact National Rail Inquiries on 0345 484 950 for information about trains.

BY CAR
Take the M5 to Exeter, from where you can take the A38 or the A30.

BY AIR
British Airways (0845 773 3377; www.britishairways.com) flies daily from Gatwick to Newquay.

Cornwall provides some wonderful cliff-walking in breath-taking settings year-round. However it is at its best in the summer (June to September). The weather is warm, the sun is shining and there are plenty of events on, including the British Olympic Championships for surfing in August and the St Ives Festival of folk, jazz and blues in mid-September.

You can contact the Cornish Tourist Board on 01872 241 313. Otherwise the St Ives tourist office is in the Guildhall, in the narrow Street An Pol. Open Mon-Sat, 9.30am-6pm; Sun, 10am-1pm. Penzance's tourist office is open Mon-Fri, from 9am-5pm; Sat, 10am-4pm; also Sun, in summer, 10am-1pm.

Always consult the Foreign Office before travelling.