Polvean Wood

Deep in the woods near Looe, Polvean Wood is one of those places that rewards you for getting properly lost. Ancient woodland with towering oaks and beeches, the kind of dense canopy that makes you forget you're in Cornwall at all - feels more like the New Forest. There's a decent network of paths cutting through, though they're not exactly sign-posted to within an inch of their life, so bring a map or download the route beforehand.

Walkers will get the most from this. It's the sort of place where you can spend a solid couple of hours without seeing another soul, which is either brilliant or slightly eerie depending on your mood. The forest floor is soft underfoot, muddy in patches, and genuinely atmospheric on an overcast afternoon. Kids might enjoy it for an hour or so, but they'll need to be the type who don't need constant activity - this isn't a playground, it's a proper ramble.

Free to enter, no facilities on site so come prepared. It works well as a half-day stop if you're staying at Tencreek Holiday Park nearby - the park itself is solid for families, so you could combine a morning hike here with the beach afterwards. Go on a weekday morning if you can. Weekends bring the dog walkers out in force, and the charm of solitude gets a bit lost.