11 Towan Valley

Newquay Zoo is a 13-acre zoo and garden site in Trenance Leisure Park, in the middle of Newquay. It is the largest zoo in Cornwall, and its planted grounds have won a Britain in Bloom Gold award. Visitors can see hundreds of species, including lynx, penguins, otters, zebras, sloths and meerkats, in a mix of indoor and outdoor habitats.

Tip: Check the zoo's website for current opening times, ticket offers and parking details before you go, as these can change.

St Michael's Mount is a tidal island in Mount's Bay, near Penzance, linked to Marazion by a causeway of granite setts. At low tide you can walk across; when the tide is in, ferry boats run instead. On the island you'll find a historic village with cobbled streets, a harbour, shops, a café and a restaurant, all beneath the ramparts of the castle.

Tip: Check the causeway times when you book, as they decide whether you walk across or take a boat from the mainland.

Screech Owl Sanctuary & Animal Park is a home for owls and other animals on Goss Moor, near Indian Queens in mid Cornwall. Founded in 1990 by Carolyn Screech, it shows owls from around the world, with British, European, African, American, Asian, Australasian and West Indian species. It also rescues and rehabilitates wild owls in Cornwall, and there is a Siberian Eagle Owl breeding project.

Tip: If you want an owl or animal experience, call ahead to book, as busy periods may mean walk-up requests can't be fitted in.

Camel Creek is a family adventure park near Wadebridge in North Cornwall. The mix includes thrill rides and rollercoasters, outdoor play areas and animal areas, so there is plenty to fill a day. Its indoor play space covers 45,000 square feet, which means a wet day need not spoil the plan.

Tip: Check the park's website before you go for current tickets and events, as offers change. If a free return pass is offered with day tickets, read the terms first: it is non-transferable and excludes Toddler Takeover days, birthday parties, group bookings and school visits.

Godrevy Lighthouse stands on Godrevy Island in St Ives Bay, about 300 metres off Godrevy Head. The white octagonal tower is 26 metres high and was built in 1858-1859 after the wreck of the steamer Nile in a storm. It marks the Stones, a reef that was a hazard to shipping for centuries.

The Eden Project sits in a reclaimed china clay pit in Cornwall. At the bottom of the pit are two huge domed Biomes made of inflated cells on steel frames. The Rainforest Biome is one of the largest indoor rainforests in the world, with tropical plants such as banana, coffee, rubber and giant bamboo. The Mediterranean Biome has olives, grape vines and sculptures.

Tip: Check the opening times page before you set off, as last entry to the Biomes and closing times change through the year, and some dates are closed.

Tate St Ives is an art gallery in the Cornish town of St Ives, looking over Porthmeor Beach. It shows work by artists linked to St Ives and West Cornwall, including Barbara Hepworth, Marlow Moss, Naum Gabo and Patrick Heron. Displays from the Tate collection sit alongside modern and contemporary art from around the world in a changing exhibitions programme.

Tip: The gallery has no car park and St Ives has narrow streets and limited parking, so consider the St Erth Park and Ride and its short train ride into town.

This was Barbara Hepworth's home and workplace in St Ives from 1949 until her death in 1975. Her living room is furnished as she left it, and the workshop is still full of her tools, materials and part-worked pieces. Photographs show the progress of her Festival of Britain commission, Contrapuntal Forms.

Tip: There is no car park, so leave the car behind and use the St Erth Park and Ride or the Trenwith car park shuttle bus. Booking ahead is recommended as tickets are limited.