My Cornwall: our expert - a resident for 20 years - reveals her favourite places

What drew me to settle in Cornwall 20 years ago was the sense of glorious isolation: to sit alone in a bluebell wood, to walk along honey-coloured granite cliffs to a deserted cove, and to bathe in a clean, deep-blue sea (in a wetsuit; I'm not a hardy local). There are a few more feet tramping the coastal path these days, but that sense of remoteness, of old-fashioned holidaymaking in the big outdoors, still remains – especially in west Cornwall.

What has changed considerably is the quality of what's on offer to visitors. Behind the stone facades of old farmhouses and fishermen's cottages are stylish guesthouses with big beds, powerful showers and home-made muesli and farm yogurt for breakfast. A new generation of chefs has brought top-class modern British cooking to beach restaurants and revived many village pubs.

A few days breathing the fresh, clean air, eating fish straight from the sea and sleeping deeply in a clifftop eyrie is the perfect antidote to the stress of city living.

The perfect day

My perfect day is all about walking, eating and drinking on the Lizard peninsula. Park in Lizard village and walk out to Kynance Cove on a low tide to visit the red-and-green serpentine marble caves and walk on to Britain's most southerly point.

After stopping for a coffee and a home-baked doughnut at Polpeor Café, perched on Lizard Point (aerial display by rare choughs most days), follow the flower-studded coastal path as it rises and falls between headlands all the way to the thatched houses of Cadgwith.

Nigel Legge, a lobster fisherman, runs short boat trips from here: book on 01326 290716 (lobsterpots.co.uk). Buy fresh crab sandwiches from the village crab shack or try a delicious home-made burger or fish and chips at the Cadgwith Cove Inn (cadgwithcoveinn.com).

Order a taxi back to Lizard village or take the field path via Grade church and a rare surviving section of a Cornish hedge path leading to Trethvas Farm (raised above the fields so Victorian ladies could walk to viewpoints in crinolines). I often drop in at Cross Common Nursery in Lizard village to see its unusual and subtropical plants (01326 290722; crosscommonnursery.co.uk).

It's hard to ignore the call of the salted caramel ice cream at Roskilly's organic farm (roskillys.co.uk) near St Keverne; children can watch the Jersey cows being milked at 4.30pm daily.

Church Cove, near the village of Gunwalloe, a few miles to the west, is a good place to flop back in the sun. Up the hill is the 500-year-old Halzephron Inn (01326 240406; halzephron-inn.co.uk), which has a grandstand view of the sunset over Land's End: the perfect place to enjoy supper and a Betty Stogs ale.

Where I tell my friends to stay

For a special treat, there's nowhere to beat The Scarlet, with 37 sumptuous bedrooms above Mawgan Porth, a big surf beach on the north coast near Newquay. Great food, intimate lounges, indoor and outdoor pools and a spa. Doubles from ￡220 a night. Read a full review and check availability. 

Padstow is the best base for foodies: the Seafood Restaurant’s Master rooms have private terraces with stunning views over the Camel River (01841 532780; rickstein.com). Doubles from ￡165; Master rooms ￡300. 

St Ives has a clutch of appealing guesthouses in the heart of the resort with spacious rooms and chic decor: Trevose Harbour House in the old fishermen's quarter (01736 793267; trevosehouse.co.uk; doubles from ￡160); West By Five above Porthmeor Beach (01736 794584; westbyfive.com; doubles from ￡115); and, for the budget-conscious, the Queens Hotel, which has bright, modern rooms that will take an extra bed or cot (01736 796468; queenshotelstives.com; doubles from ￡49).

I direct friends with young children to the Polurrian Bay Hotel, in a beautiful clifftop setting on the Lizard peninsula. It has a crèche for babies from three months, allows dogs in some rooms, and has an indoor pool and spa. Doubles from ￡120. Read a full review and check availability. 

Favourite walk

The four-mile circular Hall Walk from Fowey to Polruan. Park for the Bodinnick Ferry and cross the river. The house on the right, Ferryside, was Daphne du Maurier's first home in Cornwall. Head uphill a short way and take a footpath on the right marked Hall Walk.

The path skirts the river estuary, rising and falling through oak woods, with constantly changing views over the port of Fowey. Go around Pont Pill and on to the boatbuilding village of Polruan for the foot ferry back to Fowey and its welcoming waterside pubs and cafés.

On summer Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons, the traditional wooden Troy Class sailing boats race each other around the estuary.

10 glorious Cornish pub walks

Favourite restaurants

The Porthmeor Beach Café (01736 793366; porthmeor-beach.co.uk) in St Ives serves superb tapas, particularly the Sicilian arancini, salt and pepper squid, and spicy lamb tacos. Finish with freshly made churros dipped in chocolate. The café's owners also operate the West Beach Bakery further along the beach, serving top-class stone-baked pizza, sandwiches and cakes (gluten-free options), all baked on the premises.

The rustic Tolcarne Inn in Newlyn (01736 363074; tolcarneinn.co.uk) is the place for perfectly cooked fish. It's owned and run by Ben Tunnicliffe, one of Cornwall's top chefs, who buys straight from the boats and chalks up a daily menu.

Ben Prior's Cornish Kitchen in Marazion (01736 719200; benscornishkitchen.com) is another regular haunt. Ask for a table upstairs with a view over St Michael's Mount. Modern British dishes cooked with love include locally shot game as well as fish and seafood.

Take my advice and...

Visit the Tate St Ives, which reopened in October 2017 after a four-year building project to double the exhibition space. Now you can see works by renowned St Ives modernists as well as cutting-edge visiting shows. In summer use the park-and-ride schemes at St Erth and Lelant.

Favourite tea shop

Rosemergy Farm (rosemergy.com) for a classic cream tea: fresh Aga-baked scones, clotted cream and jam served with a pot of tea in a sheltered garden with a view near Morvah, on the coast road west of St Ives.

Favourite pub

The Tinners Arms (01736 796927; tinnersarms.com), a cosy medieval pub in the ancient village of Zennor. Real ales, a good kitchen and sea views from the large, sunny terrace.

Favourite pastime with children

Most beaches have rock pools, many rich in pipefish, crabs, prawns and anemones. Among the best are Treyarnon Bay near Padstow, Gerrans Bay near Portscatho, Duckpool Beach near Bude and Castle Beach, Falmouth.

Perfect night out

Taking a picnic and a warm rug to see a performance at the outdoor Minack Theatre (minack.com), built into the cliffs near Land's End. A programme of Shakespeare, musicals and modern classics, changing weekly from May-September, performed by some of Britain’s top amateur theatre companies. At times, the seascape steals the show as eyes stray to a rising full moon or a leaping dolphin.

What I'll be doing in 2018

Visiting the Port Eliot Festival, a celebration of literature, music, fashion and food held at the home of the Earl of St Germans in south-east Cornwall from July 27-30 (porteliotfestival.co.uk), a glorious estate dating back more than a thousand years whose landscaped grounds stretch down to the River Tamar.

What to read and watch for inspiration

The series of 20 Pocket Cornwall books, illustrated guides by local experts. Some explore corners of the county, others focus on birds, flowers and geology: full list from alisonhodgepublishers.co.uk.

The BBC’s hit drama Poldark, filmed largely in north and west Cornwall. Three-season box set available to buy on Amazon.

Further information at visitcornwall.com