Places to stay
Bell tents to boutique B&Bs. Treehouses to turrets. Hotels to holiday parks. Cornwall has a place for every kind of stay.
Whether you're looking for a family beach pad, a couple's hideaway, a few days' break or a longer stay – here's where to start…
Short break or longer stay – just a few nights or weeks to linger?
A long weekend in Cornwall calls for a well-located place to stay where you can pack in a tight edit of the best things to do nearby. It's up to you whether that's a designer retreat made for walking, wildlife and switching off, or a special bolthole with surfing, yoga and fine food on the table.
A week or two earns you a slower pace to sink into Cornish life – find the farmers' market and cook up a feast in your self-catering retreat, walk a stretch of the South West Coast Path, or re-visit a beach café until they start remembering your order. That's the real Cornwall – and it takes a little time to get to know it.
Coastal base or inland retreat – where do you want to wake up in Cornwall?
Do you want to yo-yo to and from the beach – salty hair and sandy toes from sunrise to sunset, with shoreline eateries, watersports and sea views on the doorstep? Take your pick from beach hotels with spas and stellar facilities, to self-catering holiday cottages and apartments a pebble's skim from the waves.
Or is the rolling countryside more your style – somewhere to wake up to birdsong, roam woodland trails and squirrel away from the coastal buzz? Then unzip a luxury yurt on the moors, slink away to a stone cottage in the woods, or unwind by the fire in a cosy village pub with rooms.
The good news is, nowhere in Cornwall is far from the sea.
Town or country – in the thick of it, or away from it all?
Base yourself in one of Cornwall's vibrant towns, where art, culture and history spill into cobbled streets, festivals flood quaysides with colour, and good food and music flow into the night. From Falmouth to Fowey, Truro to St Ives, a mix of manor houses, fishermen's lofts and hip hotels make it easy to be at the heart of what's happening – and to slip back to your private retreat when you need time out.
Rural escapes, on the other hand, beckon you to wind down in nature. From converted barns and country manors to glamping pods and cosy cottages, the soundtrack here is the dawn chorus, wildlife outnumbers people, and it's the stars that light up the nights. When you're ready for something more lively, Cornwall's towns and beaches are just a short drive away.
Bell tent or boutique hotel – what level of luxury do you want?
From campsites and holiday parks, to shepherd's huts, clifftop cabins, converted chapels and spa hotels, Cornwall's got places to stay for every style and budget.
Many are packed with character and simple pleasures – like log burners, games rooms or even hot tubs. Cornwall has a way of making the unpretentious feel quietly special.
At the other end of the scale, luxury can mean many different things: a designer tree house or a five-star hotel. Swimming pools and spa treatments. Chef-led dining and concierge services. Or sea views from a king-size bed.
Family holiday or retreat for two – what suits your people and pace?
Group dynamics define what you need in a place to stay in Cornwall.
Family holidays need space for sandy beach gear, all-weather play, big feasts and backup plans. Hotels and holiday parks come into their own with facilities and flexibility for tots to teens, making it easy for grown-ups to truly relax. Self-catering cottages offer room to spread out, land between outings and settle into your own rhythm.
Couples need something different: a place to themselves, somewhere good to eat nearby, and a setting that effortlessly sparks connection. That might mean a townhouse bedroom, an eco pod with a firepit under the stars, or a spacious suite where you can watch the waves.
Short break or longer stay – just a few nights or weeks to linger?
A long weekend in Cornwall calls for a well-located place to stay where you can pack in a tight edit of the best things to do nearby. It's up to you whether that's a designer retreat made for walking, wildlife and switching off, or a special bolthole with surfing, yoga and fine food on the table.
A week or two earns you a slower pace to sink into Cornish life – find the farmers' market and cook up a feast in your self-catering retreat, walk a stretch of the South West Coast Path, or re-visit a beach café until they start remembering your order. That's the real Cornwall – and it takes a little time to get to know it.
Coastal base or inland retreat – where do you want to wake up in Cornwall?
Do you want to yo-yo to and from the beach – salty hair and sandy toes from sunrise to sunset, with shoreline eateries, watersports and sea views on the doorstep? Take your pick from beach hotels with spas and stellar facilities, to self-catering holiday cottages and apartments a pebble's skim from the waves.
Or is the rolling countryside more your style – somewhere to wake up to birdsong, roam woodland trails and squirrel away from the coastal buzz? Then unzip a luxury yurt on the moors, slink away to a stone cottage in the woods, or unwind by the fire in a cosy village pub with rooms.
The good news is, nowhere in Cornwall is far from the sea.