Holiday lets in Falmouth, Cornwall, England

Amazingly, Falmouth in Cornwall is the third largest deep water harbour in the world. Any visitor to Falmouth cannot fail to spot that this is a town where sailing is the main activity. An enormous number of yachts, boats and ships are moored in the waters around the harbour and the Carrick Roads estuary. Falmouth's maritime history goes way back, Sir Walter Raleigh anchored his ship below Pendennis Castle on Pendennis Point in the 16th century and the harbour grew from then onwards.

A recently built Maritime Museum tells of Falmouth's history and ship building through the centuries. Even the art galleries feature numerous exhibits with a fishy or watery theme. The sea either inspires local artists or they produce work that they feel will appeal to yacht owners. People who own coastal holiday homes are also likely to hang a painting or photograph that is in keeping with the area. Falmouth high street has several restaurants that specialise in fish dishes. There is also a Rick Stein fish and chip shop and deli in the square opposite the Maritime Museum. Many of the eateries offer high quality food and it is always pleasant to have a good lunch or dinner on holiday. Some of the backgrounds of the restaurateurs are fascinating. One of the Italian restaurants in Market Street has a Peruvian chef who cooks salmon fishcakes with a chilli sauce; more Thai than Italian but incredibly good.

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Falmouth has a good selection of shops for holiday essentials, always useful for that sun hat or additional swimwear. Visitors can enjoy surfing, sailing and water sports locally. The beaches are a few minutes walk from the town centre and all have public WC's.

One good way of experiencing Falmouth and the surrounding towns is to buy a ticket for one of the ferries that operates from the Price of Wales Pier. It is possible to sail all the way up to Truro and to visit National Trust Trelissick gardens en-route. Something a little unusual is the Falmouth water taxi that ferries people to wherever they wish to go (www.falmouthwatertaxi.co.uk).

A rented cottage or self-catering apartment in Falmouth would provide an excellent base for exploring the south west coast of Cornwall. Visit the gardens on the Roseland Peninsula, go boating and plan your holiday in Falmouth around the water.