Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Amélie's at the Smokehouse
( 01326-554000;
www.ameliesporthleven.co.uk
; mains £12-16; 10.30am-9pm)
This popular har-
bourside bistro is a good bet for a light bite, with mains such as wood-fired pizzas, bouil-
labaisse, dressed crab and the rather excellent Bruneski burger, served in a brioche bap.
Glass doors and local art make for an attractive interior. For a special treat, they also offer
lots of Cornish treats in their lavish
Gourmet Picnics
(
BRITISH
££
01326-554333;
www.gourmetpicnics.co.uk
;
pic-
nics £75-150)
.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
LOE BAR & LOE POOL
A mile south of Helston is the treacherous sandbank of Loe Bar - scene of many a shipwreck down the centuries
- and Loe Pool, Cornwall's largest freshwater lake, said by some to be the resting place of King Arthur's magical
blade, Excalibur. Walking trails wind their way around the lakeshore and the surrounding Penrose Estate, but
swimming is dangerous due to unpredictable rip currents.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Gunwalloe
Five miles from Porthleven, the out-of-the-way National Trust owned cove of Gunwalloe
feels miles from anywhere. It's best-known for the tiny 15th-century
Church of St Winwaloe
,
which is half-buried amongst the dunes behind the beach. There's also a golf course
nearby.
Up on the headland, the hulking 200ft mass of
Halzephron Cliff
was an infamous ship-
wreck spot - in 1785, the Spanish ship
Vrijdag
was wrecked offshore along with its
2.5-tonne cargo of silver dollars, and local legend maintains that the pirate John Avery
once buried a fabulous horde somewhere in the Gunwalloe dunes. Don't be surprised if
you see a few metal-detectors hard at work on nearby
Dollar Cove
.
Sleeping & Eating
Barefoot Kitchen
( 01326-240517;
www.barefootkitchen.com
; B&B from £130 per night)
This 'lifestyle' outfit covers
many bases, with foraging courses, a surf school, a food and homewares shop, and two
luxurious safari tents (£426 to £1110 per week) for clifftop glamping. There's also a range
B&B
££
