Padstow

Harbour, hatchery and the Black Tor Ferry over two Padstow days

Two days cover Padstow. Day one takes in the National Lobster Hatchery on South Quay, the Padstow Museum, Prideaux Place and the coast path to Stepper Point, with dinner booked at a Rick Stein restaurant. Day two is for cycling the Camel Trail to Wadebridge and crossing on the Black Tor Ferry to Rock.

Day one, morning. Start on South Quay at the National Lobster Hatchery, where juvenile lobsters are reared for release, then walk round the harbour to the small Padstow Museum on Market Place for the story of the port.

Afternoon. Climb to Prideaux Place, the house of the Prideaux family above the town, then follow the South West Coast Path north along the estuary to Stepper Point, where the Camel meets the sea. Return for a pint at the Shipwrights Inn on North Quay.

Evening. Book dinner ahead: Rick Stein's Café on Middle Street is the relaxed choice, the Seafood Restaurant on Riverside the formal one.

Day two, morning. Hire bikes near the old station and ride the Camel Trail to Wadebridge, about 5 miles along the estuary, with cafés and pasty shops at the far end.

Afternoon. Back in town, take the Black Tor Ferry across to Rock for its sands, or drive west to Trevone for the Marble Cliffs and the Round Hole. Finish with fish and chips on South Quay.

Rick Stein's restaurants and pasties on South Quay and Middle Street

Padstow eats seafood. Rick Stein's places cover every budget: the Seafood Restaurant on Riverside for a full dinner, Rick Stein's Café on Middle Street and Stein's Fish & Chips on South Quay, with the first two needing a booking in high season. Cornish pasties from the town's bakeries make the obvious Camel Trail picnic.

Seafood dominates. Rick Stein's restaurants cover every budget: the Seafood Restaurant on Riverside for a full dinner, Rick Stein's Café on Middle Street a couple of streets back from the harbour, and Stein's Fish & Chips on South Quay, a small restaurant with a takeaway where the queue is part of the experience in summer. Booking matters for the first two in high season.

Cornwall's own food fills the gaps. The Cornish pasty, beef, potato, swede and onion in a crimped pastry case, is sold in bakeries across town and makes the obvious picnic for the Camel Trail. A cream tea, scones with clotted cream and jam, is the reward at the end of a ride; the Camel Trail Tea Garden is one stop along the route.

For drinks, the London Inn and the Golden Lion on Lanadwell Street are the old pubs, while the Old Custom House on South Quay looks straight onto the boats.

The 'Obby 'Oss on 1 May and Mummers' Day in Padstow

Padstow's biggest day is 1 May, when the Old 'Oss and the Blue Ribbon 'Oss dance through the streets and every bed in town is taken. Summer brings the busiest weeks on the Camel Trail, autumn is the quietest season, and Mummers' Day parades fill the streets on Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

The year's big day is 1 May. Celebrations start at midnight on May Eve with singing, and on May Day two 'Osses, the Old 'Oss and the Blue Ribbon 'Oss, dance through the streets with their followers before meeting at the maypole in the evening. Our 'Obby 'Oss May Day page has the detail; for a visit, simply know that the town is crowded and every bed is taken.

Summer brings families, sailing boats and the busiest weeks for the Camel Trail. Autumn is the gentlest season, with quiet paths and easy tables. Winter has its own street custom: on Boxing Day and New Year's Day local groups parade through town for Mummers' Day.

Padstow is a long way from England's big cities. If you are building a wider trip, Bath makes a good stop on the way down, and London is reached by train via Bodmin Parkway and Plymouth.