Planning on visiting Cornwall this summer??!! Hiring a bike is a must, with amazing scenery, a dramatic coastline with fantastic beaches and a deeply mystical heritage hiring a bike is a great way to spend a day exploring the wonders of Cornwall. I moved to Cornwall back in 2003, from Swindon, Wiltshire and had the pleasure of living and working around the Launceston and St Austell area for 7 - 8 years before moving to Somerset. How does it feel to be back within the Cornish borders??!! Great, and it feels good to be surrounded by familiar faces and places again and I'm so glad I chose to return for the summer, its going to be a good one indeed.
You can hire a bike from pretty much anywhere across Cornwall and the prices are pretty reasonable considering you normally get a full day hire along with a kit consisting of a puncture repair kit, bike lock with key and a pump. I hired a bike for £13 from a local bike hire shop in Wadebridge as this was our starting point to lead us into Padstow taking the 5.5 mile bike trail (Camel Trail) that runs along a former rail route and runs parallel to the Camel Estuary. The Camel trail is virtually flat for the entire length from Bodmin all the way into Padstow which in all is 14 miles long, welcoming walkers, cyclists and horse riders. There is a coffee/tea shop halfway down the Wadebridge to Padstow route - a guy towing a cart on his pedal cycle, nice spot to admire the views over the estuary and looking onto Padstow.
Padstow is a lovely little town and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, during the summer months it becomes extremely busy with visitors who enjoy a variety of things from sailing to walking, horse riding to cycling, surfing to shopping and not forgetting trying the local tasty treats. You really do get a taste of Cornwall from Padstow, locally sourced fish for a delicious portion of fish and chips to creamy Cornish ice cream (probably the best ice cream in the world) to Cornish fudge and proper Cornish pasties.
You can jump on the Padstow Rock ferry for £3 return (adults) and £2 return (children) which runs between Padstow and Rock every 20 minutes.
There are a variety of local restaurants run by celebrity chefs such as Rick Stein or Jamie Oliver. Rick Stein owns four restaurants - The Seafood Restaurant, St Petroc's Bistro, Rick Stein's Cafe and Stein's Fish & Chips, four hotels, The Cornish Arms in St Merryn as well as three themed shops - a delicatessen, a patisserie and a gift shop. So yes, he pretty much owns the place to a certain extent and its funny because most of the locals and residents in and around the area have nicknamed Padstow "Padstein". Surely you can see how and why??!!
