If you follow me on Instagram you’ll know James and I have just had a whistle-stop tour of Cornwall. After a busy and fairly turbulent start to the year we jumped at the chance to take advantage of a two-night stay courtesy of the lovely folk at The Scarlet and spoil ourselves with a little bit of R&R.

Situated between Newquay and Padstow on the cliff top at Mawgan Porth, the 37 bed eco-hotel has a stunning view over the ocean. We stayed in a ‘Just Right’ double room with an extremely comfy bed perfectly positioned to take in the incredible view across the beach and sea beyond. The Scarlet is an adults-only hotel however families are invited to stay just around the Bay at Bedruthan where lovely Lolly stayed last year.

There are loads of things I love about this little part of the world but for now here are five favourite things about England’s rugged southwestern tip.

Beach Walks

There’s nothing like the feeling of sand between your toes and I was keen to kick-off my flip-flops and walk along the beach. The gorgeous west-facing bay at Mawgan Porth has acres of golden sands (when the tide is out) perfect for a relaxed amble. We also love the beach at neighbouring Watergate Bay, another hit with the surfers, and the surrounding cliffs at Mawgan Porth and Watergate Bay are perfect for relaxing walks.
RMW Editor Fern also suggested we make the trip further along the coast to Crantock which was well worth the trip. Crantock Beach lies on the River Gannel estuary and is a beautiful expanse of golden beach with some pretty impressive sand dunes.

Spa Relaxation

The Scarlet does laid-back luxury extremely well and guests can indulge in various facilitates including the indoor heated pool, outdoor barrel cedar sauna (with cute potholes overlooking the sea), cliff top outdoor pool and steam room. There’s even complimentary daily morning yoga sessions and a relaxation area with hanging canvas pods! James and I didn’t get time to pamper ourselves in the treatment rooms however we did book a dip in the heated hot tub overlooking the ocean which was utterly relaxing and definitely not the usual way I would spend a Tuesday afternoon.

Good Grub

You can’t write about Cornish food without mentioning the famous foodie-destination Padstow. The charming fishing village is home to tens of restaurants obviously including Rick Stein’s multiple eateries. We also heard really good things about Paul Ainesworth at No.6 and Basement too. We had a bit of a dubious weather forecast on Tuesday but when the sun emerged from a murky sky we decided to embrace it and instead of heading indoors found a spot to abandon the cleaner eating and indulge in a cheeky pasty (from award winning Chough Bakery) followed by a down-right delicious double scoop of Roskilly’s ginger ice-cream.
At Rick Stein’s deli we also grabbed ourselves a take-away afternoon tea complete with a glass jar of jam and a tub of clotted cream which we feasted on overlooking the beach.

A Spot of Shopping

This trip was firmly about relaxation rather than trawling the shops but we did take some time out to visit Hawskfield Cornwall on the Atlantic Highway. Here you’ll find a small speciality shopping area with a trendy restaurant, gallery, vintage store, florist, artisan food shop and my favourite; home store Jo & Co, which James declared was just like “walking into Rock My Style”. I wanted to buy one of everything.

Sunsets

One of my favourite things to do on holiday is watch the sun set. It’s something I rarely get a chance to do at home so it’s such an indulgence to sit back for an hour or so and soak up the atmosphere at the end the day. The setting of the Scarlet is absolutely epic with several lounges and various balconies to relax on while you take in the view. Even though the hotel was around three quarters full it was easy to find an uncrowded spot. We took in the sunset from the restaurant and while we ate on the first night the final rays of sun flooded the dining area making for really memorable dinner.
On Fern’s recommendation we also dined at Lewinnick Lodge on Newquay’s Pentire Headland. Sadly for us the place was shrouded in a thick mist but I imagine on a clear day the sunset is a stunner, and the food was very tasty too.

We had a smashing time though sadly it was all over far too quickly! Cornwall has always held a special place in my heart and staying at The Scarlet was such a treat. Is anyone else heading down to the Cornish coast this summer? What are you favourite things to see and do when staying in the south west?