Postcard Lodge

Adrenalin Quarry is a family-owned adventure park in Menheniot, built around an old flooded quarry. It offers five rides: an inflatable aquapark for ages 6 and over, go karting on an 800m all-weather track for ages 7 and over, a zip wire that is 50m high and 490m long, a giant swing 150ft above the lake, and axe throwing for ages 12 and over.

Tip: You can book all rides online ahead, or just turn up for the zip and the giant swing.

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.

Restormel Castle stands on a high, deeply ditched mound overlooking the River Fowey near Lostwithiel. Its huge, almost perfectly circular keep is one of the best-preserved of its type, and it was once a luxurious residence linked to the Earls of Cornwall and Edward the Black Prince.

Tip: Bring a picnic to enjoy at the castle, and combine your visit with a walk in the Fowey valley.

Lanhydrock is a Victorian family home inside a Jacobean mansion, once lived in by the Agar-Robartes family. Most of the interiors were rebuilt after a fire in 1881. Inside, you can see the Long Gallery with its ornate ceiling, and families can play in the refurbished Victorian nursery.

Tip: It is busiest between 11am and 2pm, so arrive later in the day for a quieter visit and shorter queues for the house.

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.

Heligan is a set of Victorian gardens near Mevagissey that were neglected after the First World War and restored in the 1990s. The story is a big part of the visit: 16 of the gardeners died in the war, and the gardens were lost to the brambles before being brought back to life.

Tip: Pre-booking is advisable for day visitors, and if you use a sat nav, approach via St Austell and follow the brown signs to avoid narrow single-track lanes.