Surfing, SUP, cycling & horse-riding: Cool excursions in Cornwall

Article written by: Katy Daly Published on: 26 October 2025 Categories: Cornish Beaches, Cycling, Excursions, Junior Summer School, Latest News, Sports, Surfing, Water Sports

From Surfing to Football Golf: enjoy our extraordinary excursions in Cornwall

Our Junior Summer School programmes are full of special adventures creating unforgettable holiday memories for our students.

A key feature of our Summer School is that we provide quality excursions and activities 7 days a week!

There is never a dull day at Language Tree as the options for fun things to do in Cornwall are endless.

From Monday to Friday, we will head off to do fantastic things around Cornwall every afternoon after lunch. Then on Saturdays and Sundays, we have our special full-day excursions planned for you.

When students book with us, we take great care to put together tailor-made excursion and activity programmes that meet the needs and interests of all the students who join us.

Here is a taste of some of the activities we offer…

Summer School students enjoying a surf lesson

Language Tree Junior Summer School group at The Eden Project

Teenage groups trying out coasteering at Swanpool Beach

Our Junior Summer School international football tournament

Language Tree students enjoying a fencing lesson.

Students having fun at Kernow Adventure Park.

Weekend beach cleans with Beach Guardian

Language Tree Summer School group outside Truro Cathedral

Learn to Surf with us!

One of the highlights of choosing our summer school in Cornwall is the opportunity to learn to surf as well as improving your English!

Depending on your preferences, we can include up to 3 surf lessons per week on our Junior Summer School programmes.

For our afternoon surf sessions, we work with the best surf schools in Cornwall. They provide the coaches, the surfboards and wetsuits and they love introducing people to this brilliant sport.

By the end of your first lesson, you will have caught the surfing bug and you will be counting down the hours to your next surf session with us.

We love seeing students’ confidence grow through learning to surf and the way everyone is using English to talk about their experience and sharing tips to improve.

Of course, we know surfing is great, but that is just one of so many cool activities to do in Cornwall.

Check out some of the other things you can do while you are here…

Junior Summer School student loving his surf lessons.

Horse Riding on Cornish Beaches

OK, this is not one of our standard excursions. However, it is available for anyone who would like to include this special experience.

For those who love horses, this is a must-do activity! We work with Reen Manor Stables to offer our students an unforgettable experience riding along Perranporth beach.

They offer high-quality horse riding experiences for all levels. For advanced riders, you will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to canter along a deserted beach at low tide!

For those with less experience on a horse, you will still get to trot through the dunes and along the beach with their team of experienced staff and friendly, gentle horses.

Junior students horseriding on a Cornish beach

Football Golf & Crazy Golf

Another couple of popular outdoor activities amongst our students are football golf and crazy golf. We always love how all students can get involved and enjoy these activities whether they are sporty or not!

We often pair these activities with another trip, such as visiting the Eden Project, or an afternoon surfing and going to the arcades in Newquay. There’s so many options for fun in Cornwall that we want to make the most of every single afternoon we have!

Language Tree students playing mini golf.

An introduction to Fencing

We are so chuffed to be able to include fencing as part of our summer school programme. We are very lucky to have some of the UK’s best fencing coaches based here in Cornwall at Truro School where they train the Great Britain fencing team for the Olympics!

Every summer, they invite our students to try a fencing lesson. Fencing is the ideal activity for all abilities. It focuses on strategy, precision, and technique rather than physical strength. For some, the need for physical agility is the appeal, whereas for others it’s the emphasis on coordination and strategy. Students can build their confidence in these skills, while channeling their inner-Musketeer!

A group of people practice fencing in a large indoor gym with several strips and a coach walking between them—much like those found during amazing excursions in Cornwall. Competitors wear white protective gear and masks, jackets hanging on the back wall.

And seeing as we’re in Truro, students also get to visit Truro’s impressive cathedral, museum, and do some shopping for souvenirs and gifts. This is always a student favourite!

Junior students learning to fence with the GB Fencing Team coaches

Inflable Fun at Kernow Adventure Park

Located in a flooded quarry, close to our home at Penryn Campus, Kernow Adventure Park is the ultimate combination of water and inflatables fun.

Students get to test their skills, Total Wipeout-style, in this impressive location.

Our trips to the adventure park are always a firm favourite as students get to hang out, forge firm friendships and splash around.

Students on a giant SUP at Kernow Adventure Park.

Junior Summer School students jumping off inflatables at the waterpark

Students having fun Kernow Adventure Park.

Cycling on the Camel Trail

Once a railway train track, now a popular cycling spot for locals, the Camel Trail offers a stunning cycling experience through the Cornish countryside.

This safe and scenic route is ideal for students to enjoy a leisurely ride, explore nature and spend quality time together.

There are plenty of other cool locations to cycle in Cornwall as well, such as the route along Mount’s Bay, from Penzance to St Michael’s Mount, or the coastline by Portreath!

Six teenagers with bicycles stand side by side on a seaside path, smiling at the camera. Behind them, iconic Cornwall landmarks frame a sandy beach, blue sea, and rocky cliffs under a clear sky.

Junior Summer School students ready to cycle the Camel Trail.

Coasteering at Swanpool Beach

When it comes to watersports adventures in Cornwall, the excitement doesn’t stop with surfing or paddleboarding.

Coasteering is an exhilarating outdoor adventure activity that combines climbing, jumping, swimming, and exploring.

It’s the perfect way to embrace the wild beauty of nature with the coastline acting as your very own outdoors obstacle course! This is always really popular with our Junior Summer School students.

At Swanpool Beach, we work with the excellent Elemental UK team who lead this brilliant activity with their enthusiastic and professional staff.

Their experienced instructors guide our students through the activity carefully building their confidence. They scramble across Swanpool’s rocky shores, discovering hidden coves, and leaping into the refreshing sea. This provides an adrenaline rush like no other, all while fostering teamwork and friendships among everyone involved.

An afternoon coasteering is a one-of-a-kind adventure that lets you experience the Cornish coast in a way that’s truly unforgettable.

Cultural Excursions around Cornwall

Alongside our active and sporty excursions, we also include some spectacular and important cultural excursions into our weekly Junior Summer School programmes.

No visit to Cornwall is complete without going to the Minack Theatre to watch a show. This is a real highlight of our summer programmes.

In fact, there are quite a few special cultural destinations around Cornwall that we like to introduce you to:

The Eden Project – some of the biggest biomes in the world providing a living museum of plants and their importance in every aspect of our lives.
Tintagel Castle – the legendary birthplace of King Arthur and a magical excursion giving students a chance to learn about this important part of English history.
St Michael’s Mount – a beautiful island and castle dating back over 1000 years with a shared history with Mont St Michel in France.
Geevor Mine – a UNESCO World Heritage Site providing a fascinating glimpse into Cornwall’s important part in the start of the Industrial Revolution.

Students on a tour of Geevor Tin Mines.

Summer School excursion to the Minack Theatre

Sailing on Stithians lake

Stithians Lake is just 15 minutes from our campus and it is the perfect place to learn to sail!

We work with the South West Lakes Trust who have a brilliant crew of trained instructors and top-of-the-line equipment. This is the perfect combination for students to enjoy their first sailing experience in a safe environment.

Language Tree students getting ready to sail.

Students sailing on Stithians lake during summer school.

Language Tree students enjoying a sailing lesson together.

Junior Summer School students getting ready to sail.

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With such a diverse range of activities, no two days at Language Tree are the same!

Our students have the chance to immerse themselves in local culture and adventure while developing their English language skills in a natural, engaging way. These excursions encourage collaboration, communication, and of course, plenty of fun!

So, if you’re ready to explore Cornwall in a way you never expected—whether through fencing, football golf, or coasteering — join us at Language Tree and discover learning beyond the classroom!