Mount Pleasant Eco Park

For all the superb activities on the campsite, people don’t come to this neck of the woods to stay put. With sea views from your tent there’s no doubt that one of the first places you’ll be heading is to the beach. A sign on the campsite points you in the right direction, down an old mining path that leads through the picturesque valley to Porthtowan Beach (about a 15-minute walk). Porthtowan is wide, sandy and popular with surfers (you can book a lesson at Porthtowan Surf School or hire a bodyboard from Tris Surf Shop; 01209 890990). At the very lowest tides of the year you can walk along the sands to the next beach north, Chapel Porth, which is owned and run by the National Trust (car park right on the beach) and is overlooked by the famous Wheal Coates Mine. Both beaches have good cafés, where you can watch the sun go down and you can walk between them via the South West Coast Path (along with many other beaches along the coast). Those on the hunt for a more dog-friendly option should try Trevaunance Cove, while, from here, at low tide you can also get round to Trevellas Porth, the smallest and quietest beach in the area (but there is no lifeguard, so it’s not recommended for families and you must stay aware of the tide).

Away from the beaches, the campsite is just up the road from the Mineral Tramway cycle path, which runs all the way between the north and south coast and takes in the areas mining history with good signage and information. It’s an easy flat ride and is almost entirely on purpose built cycle paths making it perfect for young children and families. If you don’t want to bring your own bike, you can hire one from Aggie Cycles – a great range of bikes and they’ll deliver them right to the Eco Park. Good local walks can be found on the St Agnes Forum website, while sea kayaking is also popular – Koru Kayaking (07794 321827) run guided tours and know all the secret spots.

Mount Pleasant Eco Park is home to the excellent Cabana Kitchen & Café. The food is vegan and vegetarian, with produce grown in the site’s allotments on the surrounding organic farmland or sourced locally. The café is only open Tuesday–Friday, 10am–3pm, though it does sometimes extend outside of this in peak season and the park hosts a number of special foodie events on weekends and other dates. Elsewhere, walk down to Porthtowan for a drink at shabby-chic Blue Bar (01209 890329) or a bite at the beach café (01209 899016; BYO booze permitted) – there’s another good café at the next beach up the coast too, Chapel Porth (01872 552487). If you’re enjoying keeping all things local, head a tad further north for a tour of Driftwood Spars Brewery (01872 552 591), just outside St Agnes, finished with a well deserved pint at the end.