Tourism returns to UK town after lockdown lifted

Spotting seals

Some of Cornwall's most famous residents live on the shores of Godrevy in West Cornwall, which is home to a vibrant population of gray seals. Mutton Cove, just past Godrevy head, is the perfect location for seals to lounge about and breed their pups because the rocks and cliffs surrounding it make it impossible for predators and humans to access.

The seals are there throughout the year, but numbers start to increase from autumn, and January brings the largest numbers. You will have to plan your visit for low tide, because during high tide, the beach disappears, and seals take to the sea to catch dinner.

Bring your binoculars to get the best glimpse of the playful spotted pups bobbing in the water while their parents take a long nap on the sand. From this point, you can also see St Ives, which is arguably the best-known destination in Cornwall.

St Ives

Few towns in the UK can boast both number and quality of beaches in comparison to St Ives. There are no less than five beautiful sandy beaches within easy walking distance of St Ives town center.

The fine golden sand and turquoise waters of St Ives Bay are some of the cleanest in Europe with at least two regularly receiving the international Blue Flag status. Beaches in St Ives vary greatly, from family beaches with sheltered baths to surfing beaches with constant waves from the Atlantic Ocean, to bustling or blissfully empty beaches.

Apart from the beaches, you can visit local galleries such as the Barbara Hepworth Museum and the local outpost of the Tate Gallery in London. Overall, expect to see streets lined with souvenir shops, art galleries, pubs and ice cream shops.

One of the best locations for waterfront dining is Pedn Olva. In addition to being dog-friendly, they offer innovative vegan options, including a nut roast. Bursting with hazelnuts, almonds and pignoli and covered in rich gravy, it's a decadent alternative to the traditional Sunday roast, which consists of roasted meat and potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding. This spot doubles as a hotel and occupies prime real estate over the St Ives Bay and is close to the train station.

The best place to catch the sunset at St Ives is the St Nicholas Chapel, where you have a panoramic view over the whole bay, from the well-known surfing beach Porthmeor on the west side to the sail boats on the north.

Botallack mines

A pasty is a British pastry and is usually synonymous with Cornwall. Filled with meat, onion, turnip and potato, the Cornish pasty was first created for the region's hardworking tin miners, who used it as a quick and reliable source of calories. In those days, the crust of the pasty was meant to be discarded, as the miners often had poisonous arsenic-a byproduct of tin mining-on their fingers.

Today, the crust is happily devoured with the rest of it, and a local butcher shop is probably one of the best places to go buy one.