Outdoor activities in Cornwall

It’s probably not for the most die-hard adrenalin junkies, but Flambards Theme Park is still a lot of fun for the whole family. Less than a mile from our Helston hotel, you can roll out of bed and be on the log flume in a jiffy! There’s a ride for everyone, young children and adults alike – the Hornet Rollercoaster being about as wild as it gets. It’s not all fun and games though; you’ll also find a number of informative exhibitions at Flambards, including the Victorian Village Experience and the Britain in the Blitz experience, that have both been drawing in visitors for over a quarter of a century.

Dominating over 100 acres of Cornish countryside, Camel Creek is Wadebridge’s giant children’s playground. There are thrilling water rides like Thunder Falls and Raging Rivers, as well as indoor activities like the 5D Super Sim Theatre. As you might have guessed from the name, animals play a significant role in Camel Creek, so the kids can take a ride on the ponies, brave a visit to crocodile corner, and even see some meerkat magic. It’s all enough to build up quite an appetite, so it's a good job there are plenty of food and drink options on site, including the Handmade Burger Co and Swampy’s Fish & Chips.

Their slogan of ‘Throwing people off cliffs since 2009’ says pretty much everything you need to know about Adrenalin Quarry. Okay, we’ll elaborate a little – these adventurous guys and gals in Liskeard decided the people of Cornwall, and the rest of the country, were missing an opportunity to fling themselves off a cliff and rocket down a 490-metre zip wire at 40mph. And they were right; it’s a hell of a lot of fun – and with riders ranging from 19 months old, to 94 years young, you don’t have an excuse not to give it a miss. You can also take part in axe throwing at Adrenalin Quarry or take a ride on The Giant Swing, which they endearingly describe as ‘the scariest ride we’ve ever built’ – it’s a bit of a knee trembler.

Fancy a whole lot of fun absolutely free?! Roll up to the Holywell Bay Fun Park just four miles from Newquay. There’s a vast variety of things you can do – the F1 go-karts are an excellent way for kids to show their parents who rules the road. The Bounce Zone is a mix of a bouncy castle, trampolines and a giant pillow, for some high-jumping, soft-landing shenanigans. And watch out for the football golf – it’s surprisingly addictive!

Birds of prey are pretty impressive when you can get up close and personal with them, and Screech Owl Sanctuary gives you the opportunity to do precisely that. They take in sick and injured owls and care for them until they’re well enough to return to the wild. And for the ones that need long-term looking after, they provide a safe home at the sanctuary – which is just over a 15-minute drive from our St. Austell hotel. Visitors can pet a number of hand-reared owls, while there are flying displays and a whole host of other animals to see too, including meerkats, racoons, alpacas and emus.