A Windy Escape to the Cornish Coast: May 2024

A Windy Escape to the Cornish Coast: May 2024

May 2024 marked our family holiday near Newquay, tucked away in the beauty of the Cornish coast. While the trip was meant to be a family escape, I found myself drawn to the rugged shoreline whenever I could sneak away from our campsite. The wild, untamed coastline called to me, and I couldn’t resist the pull of the ocean waves crashing against the ancient cliffs.

The weather, however, was not on my side this year. May had brought its stubborn chill, grey skies, and winds that whipped through the air with relentless force. Sunsets, usually the crowning moment of coastal visits, remained elusive—hidden behind thick clouds. But even under the veil of gloomy weather, there was something magical about the coast, something demanding to be admired.

I took these moody skies as a challenge, though. Training my eye, I sought to capture the essence of what I couldn’t see before—the intricate play between sea and sky, the ever-shifting texture of the waves, and the sheer vastness of the landscape. It became an exercise in mindfulness, of noticing the beauty not in golden light but in the rawness of nature.

One of my favourite places to visit was Pentire Point West, just a stone’s throw from Newquay. Its rugged cliffs provided the perfect vantage point to take in the wild Atlantic. The waves would hurl themselves at the rocks, their roar echoing in the wind. There was something profoundly humbling in the way the sea moved, an untamed force that seemed both welcoming and unforgiving at the same time.

Further up the coast, I ventured to Trevose Headland, a place equally as dramatic and isolated. Here, the wind had an even sharper bite, cutting through my jacket as I stood at the edge of the cliffs. Yet, despite the cold, it was great—breathtaking even. The solitude, the freedom, the connection to something much bigger than myself—it was all there.

The cold, blustery days of our Cornish holiday made this year’s trip an unexpected adventure, pushing me to see the landscape with fresh eyes. And although I didn’t get the picture-perfect sunsets that Cornwall is famous for, I found a different kind of beauty—a beauty in the rawness, in the power of the sea, and the thrill of the wind against my face.

Sometimes, it’s these unpredictable moments that create the most memorable experiences.