One of the premiere tourist attractions within the UK, Cornwall attracts a wealth of Brits and international visitors alike.  A charming county with a slow paced lifestyle and laid back atmosphere, tourists flock here to relax, to soak up the sun (it has the most in Britain!), and to enjoy and explore some of the UK’s finest natural attractions and outdoor activity scenes.

Cornwall combines beautiful surf spots, gorgeous gardens, cliff top walks and beautiful weather. It offers visitors the chance to take a stroll along the beach, indulge in a bit of wave watching, and then head back to a tradition pub to enjoy a pint with friends beside a glowing log fire.

Though this Cornwall is highly publicized, and these attractions and draws are very well known. So to add, here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about Cornwall.

Geocaching is a Sport

Geocaching combines technology with a good old fashioned treasure hunt, and Cornwall get’s right into the game!

Travelers who first register on http://www.geocaching.com/ will find clues for hidden caches all around the area, so remember to pack a GPS device or a smart phone for your next holiday in Cornwall. Who knows, you could even find one in your Cornwall caravan holiday park!

Every time you find a treasure trove, choose something from the stash and leave something else for the next person.

Geo-caching Around the world. Photo CC by fhwrdh.

Beaches are the Best in the UK

Rated among some of the best beaches in the UK, and even the world, around 80% of Cornwall is surrounded by the sea, making this the perfect destination to soak up the sun. In fact, Cornwall boasts the longest coastline in Great Britain, measuring 433 miles, and it’s beaches attract up to 5 million visitors per year.

Cornwall beaches are varied and provide some of the best surfing conditions in the country. Travelers have the choice between long, exposed stretches of sand, more sheltered sandy coves, or remote beaches which offer great opportunities for swimming.

The main beach at East Looe is one of Cornwall’s most popular, but there are plenty of other beaches to be discovered. These include East Looe, Hannafore, West Looe, Lantic Bay, Lansallos, and Seaton, as well as Talland and Whitsand Bay.

BBeautiful beaches. Photo CC by Giuseppe Milo

Weather is the best in Britain

Perhaps another reason why Cornwall’s beaches are so popular among visitors, in comparison with the rest of Britain, Cornwall sees relatively warm and sunny weather. In-fact, British seas are currently warmer than California’s!

One of the sunniest regions in the UK, Cornwall sees over 1541 hours of sunshine per year, with the highest average in the country of 7.6 hours of sunshine per day in July.

Famous For it’s Ice-cream

More than 75,000 cows call Cornwall home, making the region famous for its ice cream. Made with Cornish clotted cream and mixed with sorbet, ice cream today is still produced using milk from Cornish farms, and Cornish ice cream is sold all over the UK.

While in Cornwall consider visiting a working farm and indulge in award-winning ice-cream for yourself.

So good it’s all gone! Photo CC by Jim Champion

Vibrant Folk Music Tradition

Cornwall has a vibrant folk music tradition, making folk festivals very popular throughout the county. The county is known to be historically Celtic, and as such, Celtic-derived musical traditions have become a large part of Cornwall’s cultural scene.

Popular folk festivals include “9th Bude & Stratton” which takes place 22-25 May 2015, “Dartmoor Folk Festival” (7th-9th August 2015), and of course, “Cornwall Folk Festival” from 28th – 31st of August 2015.

Meg Jerrard is an Australian Journalist who has been travelling and blogging around the world for the last 7 years to inspire others to embark on their own worldwide adventure!  Her husband Mike is an American travel photographer, and together they have made the world their home.

Follow their journey on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

Featured Photo CC by Nana B Agyei