The Celtic nation of Cornwall (Kernow in Cornish), the most southwesterly part of Great Britain, has some of the most ruggedly beautiful landscape—from the moors in the north to the lush tropical gardens dotting the southern coasts. Cornwall has a long and varied coastline—the north Kernow coast is on the Atlantic Ocean and the Celtic Sea, the south coast is on the British Sea (now called the English Channel).

Coastal walking paths wind and twist along every mile of these coasts and provide some of the most spectacular hikes available in the British Isles.

Cornwall's history is filled with the stories of privateers (legally authorised pirates) attacking foreign merchant ships from harbours all over the country, especially from places like Fowey.

The history is also replete with the stories of smugglers—called Free Traders in Cornwall—using the craggy coasts and high cliffs overlooking hidden inlets, and rugged terrain to slip goods in and out of the country away from the sight of revenue cutters. During the 16th to 18th centuries, some estimate that three-quarters of all national commerce was passing through smuggler's hands.

Fishing, tin and copper mining and farming were the main occupations of the Cornish through the centuries. While the ghostly remains of engine houses and their tall chimneys dotting many landscapes are the only reminders of the glory days of the tin and copper mines, fishermen and farmers continue to provide some of the finest seafood, cheese, milk, cream, vegetables, and meat available anywhere. Artists, craftspeople and writers have enlivened the mix in more recent times.

Cornwall prides itself on enchanting gardens, ranging from the very personal style of Pine Lodge Gardens to the intriguing Lost Gardens of Heligan. Biggest of all is the extraordinary Eden Project.

Built in a deep pit left from china clay mining, Eden consists of the world's largest greenhouses—known as biomes—hugging the sides of the pit in the midst of an enormous outdoor garden. The largest biome, a tropical paradise with a waterfall splashing down hundreds of feet, is so large you could put the entire Tower of London inside. (For Americans, you could fit the U.S. capitol building, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial inside with room left around the edges for six football fields.)

Eden, a living theatre of plants and people, is just six miles from Fowey. www.edenproject.com

Beyond, Cornwall stretches for miles and miles of beautiful coastlines, quaint and quiet little villages, bucolic countryside, haunting moors and fascinating old seaports. You can see a variety of scenes from all over Cornwall on a fantastic web page known as Cornwall Cam - www.cornwallcam.co.uk. Photographer Charles Winpenny updates the pictures almost daily.

Be sure to visit the local pubs—in the countryside and in the towns—to sample some of the best real ale produced in all the world by local Cornish breweries like Skinners, Sharps, Keltec, Dog House and St. Austell. (There are a total of 14 breweries across Cornwall). Real ale never has gas added, so must be hand-pumped in the pub, and is served at cellar-cold temperatures—not warm but not iced either—fresh in pint or half-pint glasses. It comes in a variety of strengths, so be a bit adventurous.

Most pubs serve excellent food as well and make a perfect stop for lunch or supper. Families with children are welcome in most pubs because these are truly community centers.

Any British Tourist Information Centre can give you a current calendar of events and complete details on the places to go and things to do all over Cornwall. Our local Tourist Information office is in the Daphne du Maurier Literary Centre just in front of the church in the centre of town.