• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 589 0

of the U.K.’s best beaches, and perhaps some of the most popular surf in Europe. This historic seaside region is home to small ports, old inns, and sweeping bays, but most remnants of the old mining and fishing industries are gone. Today, tourism is clearly the biggest business and the town of Newquay, in particular, is a virtual paradise for beach bums. Just north of Newquay, Watergate Bay is one of the hot spots for waveskiing and other watersports. The Extreme Academy (see below) rents equipment, and offers lessons for both novices and experienced surfers. As the academy’s sports manager and former world waveski champion Carl Coombes says, “Waveskiing at Watergate Bay is amazing. Throughout the year, the sand banks at the beach move around, adding to the variety and quality of the waves.”

The glorious beaches in Newquay in Cornwall are a hot spot for waveskiing.

An introductory lesson at the Extreme Academy includes a safety briefing on all the equipment you’ll use to waveski and an overview about general surf etiquette. You’ll watch a practical demonstration on the beach, go through a dry run on the sand, warm up, stretch, and hit the water. Your instructor will then offer personal coaching tips throughout the rest of your lesson.

If you can bear to dry off for a few hours, you won’t be disappointed by Cornwall’s other offerings. Check out the Tate Gallery (www.tate.org.uk/stives) outpost in St. Ives; Tintagel Castle, the legendary birthplace of King Arthur in Tintagel; the Eden Project (www.edenproject.com) in St. Austell, which boasts the world’s largest greenhouse; and the popular cycling path known as the Camel Trail, which runs from Padstow to Poley’s Bridge. After dark, top-notch restaurants and a vibrant nightlife keep visitors fully entertained. But the real thrill comes at dawn when it’s time to ride the waves again. In Cornwall, despite the many tempting distractions, almost no one stays out of the water for very long. —JS

Newquay Tourist Information Centre, Marcus Hill, Newquay ( 44/0-1637-854-020;www.visitnewquay.org and www.cornwalltouristboard.co.uk).

When to Go: May–Sept.

Newquay Cornwall Airport, a 4-hr. drive from Heathrow Airport or Gatwick Airport in London, or a 61⁄2-hr. train ride from Paddington Station in London.

$$ Watergate Bay: The Hotel and the Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay, Cornwall ( 44/0-1637-860-543;www.watergatebay.co.uk).

120

Parasailing on the Red Sea

High Adventure in the Promised Land

Eilat, Israel

Israel is most often visited for its notable religious and historic sites, but it has plenty to offer adventure travelers. In addition to seeing archaeological wonders and sacred places, which are sure to jumpstart your adventure, add some other escapades to make your trip even more memorable. In a week, you can go from the Western Wall in Jerusalem to hiking at Masada (see ) to sleeping under the stars in the Negev Desert to floating in the Dead Sea to parasailing in Eilat, Israel’s southernmost city.

Ever since the days of King Solomon, Eilat’s location has made it a strategic port. Today, it’s Israel’s most popular resort town and a mecca for watersports. It boasts a warm climate, a tropical sea, and a backdrop of mountains.

To get an overview of the area, start out by parasailing. You’ll put on a seat-like harness with a parachute and climb aboard a small motorboat. After you’re attached to the boat by a tow rope, just sit back and try to relax as the boat speeds through the water and air fills your parachute, lifting you up into the sky. The breeze tickles your arms and legs, your heart pounds, and your stomach drops. Once you’re suspended in the air, feeling weightless, you might notice an Egyptian flag in the distance, or a Jordanian one on the other side of the gulf. After about 5 minutes, just when you’re getting used to your new vantage point and starting to breathe normally again, your guides might try to get your adrenaline pumping again. They’ll lower you down to skim the water and then speed up, raising you higher. After a few rounds, you’re slowly reeled