Christmas in Cornwall

2 - 30 Dec, Eden Project, Bodelva
Follow the tunnel of lights to the Eden Project's famous biodomes, all lit up with ethereal colours this Christmas. Inside the rainforest dome you'll find a magnificent light display, with lasers, glowing orbs and fiberoptics twinkling beneath the jungle canopy. You can also book an ice-skating session, visit Father Christmas and take a crisp wintery stroll around the 24 acres of garden, then back to the cafe for a hearty plate of butternut squash mac 'n cheese.

25 & 26 Dec, 1 Jan
Voluntarily jumping into the ocean on 25th December (and Boxing Day and New Year's Day) is something of a Cornish tradition. Come Christmas morning you'll find many of Cornwall's beaches filled with brave, shivering souls wearing little more than their swimmers and a Santa hat - wetsuits are for the weak. The biggest events - Sennen Cove, Bude, Polzeath, Coverack, Falmouth, Watergate Bay, St Agnes, Newquay - attract hundreds of hardy wild swimmers. Some are raising money for charity, some are marking the year's end and others just want to wade into the sea in fancy dress. Make sure you've got warm clothes and a flask of mulled wine waiting for you afterwards - or even better find a snug pub with a good fire to thaw out in front of.

1 - 4 December, Padstow
Make sure you only have a light lunch before you visit Padstow Christmas Festival, so you can spend the afternoon filling up on all the delicious local produce. Centred around the harbour of the pretty fishing village of Padstow, the festival is a celebration of the finest foods the West Country has to offer, such as creamy cheeses, artisan chocolate, pastries, locally brewed beer and small-batch gin. Plus you can see famous chefs such as Rick Stein, Nathan Outlaw and Angela Hartnett doing their thing in the demonstration kitchen.

12 Dec - 6 Jan, Mousehole
A green sea serpent swims across the water, a blue Celtic cross shimmers out on an island in the bay - the Christmas lights have been bringing a touch of magic to Mousehole since 1963. What began as a few strings of lights along the harbour has grown into an event which attracts thousands to this lovely little village. In fact the lights are so popular that this year, to avoid the crush, there will be no big switch-on. Instead the lights will be turned on gradually from the 12th to the 17th Dec. And every year on the evening of the 19th Dec the lights are temporarily turned off in remembrance of the Penlee Lifeboat disaster of 1981, in which eight local lifeboat crewmen lost their lives.

1 Dec - 3 Jan, The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Pentewan
The gardens of Heligan were shut up and left to quietly decay after the outbreak of the First World War. Most the gardeners and staff went off to fight and never came home. Rediscovered in 1990 and brought back to life, it's now one of the finest gardens in England. This festive season you can find dream-like light sculptures and lanterns shining between the bushes and trees of Heligan's magical Night Garden trail. You'll see creatures including a luminous fox, a barn owl and a family of Tamworth pigs, while a flight of umbrellas lit from underneath become things of strange beauty. Once you've finished the trail you can toast marshmallows in the fire bowls and enjoy some warming winter snacks.

Winter is a wonderful time to visit Cornwall. There's loads to do and see, but without the hectic summer crowds. You'll find empty beaches (Christmas swim days excepted), quiet pubs and off-peak prices. Here are some of our favourite snug Cornish winter hideaways.