From exploring our wild coastlines to staying in the bucolic countryside, this has been the year of the staycation – and our readers have just revealed their favourite spot to visit in the UK.
The Independent held its first-ever Travel Awards on 8 September, celebrating the destinations, airlines and tour operators that make your holidays special.
As part of the awards, we asked for your favourite place to visit in country to visit. More than 17,000 readers completed the survey, leading to a very clear winner: Cornwall.
It’s easy to understand why, as the county has family-friendly seaside resorts, powerful waves for surfers, dog-friendly beaches, upmarket hotels and plenty of traditional country pubs.
Our Assistant Travel Editor, Emilee Tombs, has been holidaying in Cornwall since childhood and says that trips to the coastal county are just as atmospheric in the mizzly winter as in the summer, with the bonus that crowds have dispersed come the end of the hotter season.
open image in gallery“In St Ives, after a wet morning spent playing Uno by the fire, we escaped to the beach while the sun shone, and as a reward, a rainbow painted itself across the sky, tumbling into the emerald sea. I realised then that I’d found my pot of holiday gold – a visit to Cornwall in the depths of winter,” she writes.
We love a Cornish seaside town on the Travel Desk, too, to peruse local artisan shops, have a cream tea, snack on a pasty or sample some fresh seafood.
open image in galleryWalkers and cyclists adore trips to this part of the country, too, for trails such as the Lizard Coastal Walk and the Land’s End Circuit.
Cornwall is also home to some of the country’s most prestigious seaside hotels, too. Our writers rank The Scarlet, The Pig at Harlyn Bay and Carbis Bay as some of the top stays around Britain.
open image in galleryWhile England’s most southern county captured the attention of our readers, eyes moved north for second place, with Northumberland, taking home the prize.
Around 500 miles from Cornwall but loved for similar attributes, one of its most spectacular experiences is walking the beach beneath dramatic Bamburgh Castle.
open image in galleryOur Commercial Editor, Helen Wilson-Beevers, chose the Northumberland Coast Path for a Mother’s Day staycation.
“The Northumberland Coast Path runs for 65 miles from Cresswell to Berwick-upon-Tweed,” she writes. “My favourite stretch is between beautiful Sugar Sands beach and the picturesque fishing village of Craster.
“Setting off at the beach car park – which can be accessed by driving through Low Steads Farm, just outside Longhoughton – the sea sparkles and a winding path awaits.”
For more information on who won big at The Independent Travel Awards, read our round-up of the winners. Stay tuned for next year.