Burncoose House - Fun Days Out

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.

There are keeper talks and live feeds, an outdoor play area near the meerkats and the Tarzan Trail behind the Savannah. Café Lemur, seasonal food outlets and plenty of picnic benches and lawns make it easy to stay for a while. Reviewers describe it as a smaller zoo that is good for young children who can't manage long distances, and a few hours is a typical visit. Some development work is under way, so parts may be temporarily closed.

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.

The castle has been home to the St Aubyn family since around 1650, and its history stretches back to pilgrims and monks. Climb to the summit for panoramic views across Mount's Bay from the battlements. There are also terraced subtropical gardens, and the Steward's House Art Gallery, which shows Newlyn School paintings of everyday life in west Cornwall. It is a good choice for anyone who enjoys history, views and a bit of a journey.

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.

Alongside the owls you will find other animals, including wallabies, meerkats, foxes and lemurs. There is a play area and a cafe, plus a gift shop. Keepers run hands-on sessions where you can learn to hold an owl on the glove, or go into an enclosure to meet some of the animals. Education is a core part of the work, so you will learn about the birds and their conservation as you go round.

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.

Other attractions include a 5D theatre with moving seats and 3D glasses, the Creeky's Playhouse soft play area and Swamp Busters. The park also runs special seasonal events through the year, and offers a Junior Keeper experience where children spend time behind the scenes caring for reptiles and meerkats. The park also says it has inclusive rides and facilities, with details on its accessibility page.

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.

Pendennis Castle is an artillery fort built by Henry VIII near Falmouth between 1540 and 1542. It was designed to protect Carrick Roads, the waterway at the mouth of the River Fal, and works alongside St Mawes Castle on the opposite side of the water.

The original circular keep and gun platform was later surrounded by extensive stone ramparts and bastions. The site's story runs from the Tudor invasion threat through a long siege in the English Civil War to the Napoleonic Wars, when it held up to 48 guns. It was rearmed in both world wars and saw action against the Luftwaffe in the Second World War before being decommissioned in 1956. Now managed by English Heritage, it is described by Historic England as one of the finest post-medieval defensive promontory forts in the country.

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 story behind it is the main draw. The tower is still maintained by Trinity House as a daymark, while the light itself now sits on a steel platform on nearby rocks. The island is partly grassy and is home to gulls, oystercatchers and pipits. The lighthouse is also said to have inspired Virginia Woolf, who signed its visitors' book on a visit in 1892, although she set To the Lighthouse in the Hebrides.

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.

The building was built on the site of an old gasworks and was extended in 2017. There is a shop, and the Sea View Cafe and Bar looks out over the beach. A separate Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, her former home, studio and garden, is also run by Tate and needs its own ticket. It is within walking distance of the gallery.

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.

The secluded garden is the main draw. Hepworth laid it out with her friend, the composer Priaulx Rainier, and most of the bronzes stand where she placed them herself. It holds the largest collection of her works on permanent display. An audio story player helps you explore her life and work, and the museum is within walking distance of St Ives town centre and Porthmeor beach.

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.