I planned a trip to Devon and Cornwall with Steph and I’m using my planning document as the base of the post. https://docs.google.com/document/d/19xCOHsyaY0__cSt82KbPWPybtJqP9dQBqh4mf8jcY7M/edit?usp=sharing
My Maps with locations
Accommodation Details
| Location | Rating | Thoughts |
| Bovey Castle | Amazing | Bovey is a true luxury resort. The staff were amazing and the building and grounds were gorgeous. The rooms and grounds were put together tastefully and with a great eye to design. I could go back here. |
| Camelot Castle Hotel | Bad | We didn’t care for Camelot. It was gaudy and over the top in the wrong ways, while being thrown together in other ways. Their main entrance was a gift shop / jewellery story with lots of pictures of famous people who had come to the castle. The rooms were also strange, and the walls were thin. We had to get our room changed because the children in the room above us were jumping around until late at night and it was incredibly loud. |
| Tregenna Castle Resort | Good | This was the oldest of the three by a good bit; built in the 1770’s and upgraded in the 1870’s, while the other two were built in the 1890’s. The decor and amenities were ok, but not the same kind of luxury the other two were going for. I enjoyed the time here, but wouldn’t stay again. |
Daily Itinerary
Day 1: Saturday, Dec 27, 2025
- We left from London and got to Exeter St. Davids. We decided to stop by the cathedral and it was gorgeous and large, even for the cathedrals we’ve seen in the UK. We then got an uber to the car rental place.
- We made it to Bovey Castle and were able to walk to North Bovey before the sun got low.
- We had a late lunch and walked around the grounds for a bit before relaxing in the main castle before dinner.
Day 2: Sunday, Dec 28, 2025
- John showed us around Dartmoor. He took us on a great walk up several of the tors, through an old quarry with a stone road, an ancient village, and lots of wild ponies. It was an amazing hike, and we went back to his house afterwards.
- In the evening we went to the Torque Light Trail, which was ok. It had a number of light installations, but most were either small or more standard than we would expect. The kinds of things Kew would put between exhibits. It was still worth going and the town was interesting to see.
Day 3: Monday, Dec 29, 2025
- We took the morning at Popham Farm Alpaca Trek, which was really fun. We got to meet their horses and tiny goats, as well as getting to walk around with some of the Alpacas. Steph lost hers, and they had to catch it again. We were also followed around by the sweetest farm cat. It was hilarious to watch the Alpacas interact with the farm cat, as they all just watched it as it was near to them.
- We got to Camelot hotel near Tintagel, and it was ok, not great. We hiked some along the coast and then got dinner at a pub.
Day 4: Tuesday, Dec 30, 2025
- In the morning we went to the Tintagel ruins. It was one of the more interesting castle ruins, both from the formations and sea cliffs, but also from the stories associated with the location. The original story says King Arthur was born there, and there is another ancient story based there. Tintagel is also a site that is far more ancient than the castle, with people using it as a port for thousands of years.
- We spent the afternoon at the Eden Project. It was an interesting space, but clearly a tourist trap. It was also a place to take kinds and we didn’t spend much time there.
Day 5: Wednesday, Dec 31, 2025
- We took the morning at Pendennis Castle, which was one of the coastal forts built by Henry VIII. It also had some good WWII history. I got a cream tea here, and it was amazing. The scones in Cornwall are closer to the southern biscuits with the fluffy warm moist texture instead of the dense texture the scones get in London.
- We found a small town to spend some time in before the light walk in the evening and I rather enjoyed it. First we went for a coastal hike which was gorgeous. Then we sat and had a drink in Charlestown harbor, which was a unique treat to see. It was an old working harbor that had lots of mechanisms and steep sides.
- In the evening we went to The Lost Gardens of Heligan Lights Walk. It was better than I was expecting, with one of the best light exhibits I’ve seen. They had both unique and excellent light displays, and I would say it is the fourth best we’ve seen overall, which is high praise.
Day 6: Thursday, Jan 1, 2026
- We walked around St. Ives in the morning and had a great time of it. St. Ives is a really nice town, and a place I’d go back to. We ended up walking up over a hill just as a hundred people on the beach below us ran into the sea. It was amusing, and half immediately got back out, while the other half stayed for a while.
Day 7: Friday, Jan 2, 2026
- In the morning we went to St. Michael’s Mount, although most of the island was closed. The island and beach around it and the causeway were amazingly picturesque. I really enjoyed it, but would have greatly preferred to have seen the castle as well.
- The trip back was a little rough with the train we were on being turned back due to issues with the track ahead. We were able to get a different route, but it was packed due to the larger train getting cancelled.
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