Middle Colenso Farm

Waves crashing and foaming against the cliffs. Quintessential stone cottages housing all your favorite cafés and ceramic stores, book stores and pubs. Mediterranean gardens from which charming locals greet us with “Hello, love!”. All of this comes to mind when we think of Cornwall. Middle Colenso Farm couldn’t be better suited to match our romantic ideas. Just a few minutes from the cliffs and beaches of the south coast, the two-hundred-fifty-year-old former farmhouse consists of a main house and three vacation cottages set in former barns and outbuildings made of rough granite stone. All around, hydrangeas, bluebells and Christmas roses (depending on the time of year) bloom among exotic greenery such as Redwood leaves, banana trees, palms and tree ferns. But before you have the opportunity to admire all this, you are first welcomed with tea, home-baked scones and home-made jam. This afternoon snack, known locally as Cornish cream tea, is best enjoyed in peace and quiet. And while your gaze drifts over mid-century classics and Scandinavian-British interiors, the serious question arises as to whether you should be wishing for stormy weather to devour one good book after another by the wood-burning stove or hoping that the Gulf Stream will provide warm temperatures. Then you can glide through the water on a bodyboard, play boules in the communal garden or fire up the barbecue in the garden to the sound of birdsong and rustling leaves. In other words, there’s only perfect vacation weather here. A real win-win situation.

• As the cottages are all on the same property, they are well suited for stays with family and friends.
• Babies on board? Travel cot and high chair can be provided if required.
• Pure Nuff Stuff natural care products, handmade in Penzance, are available in the accommodation.
• Bodyboards and beach toys can be borrowed from the hosts for an action-packed day at the beach.
• If it rains: There’s an impressive selection of good books and games for cozy evenings together, plus TV, DVD player and WiFi.
• All cottages have a fully equipped kitchen; bed linen and towels are provided.
• Not only are dogs allowed by prior arrangement and for a small extra charge, but they even get regional treats, dog blankets and towels.
• After a walk on the beach with your dog or a surfing trip, your four-legged friends, wetsuits and boards can be rinsed off in the (cold) outdoor shower.
• If you feel like doing something good for yourself and your body while on vacation, you can book a session in the hotel’s own Pilates and fitness studio.
• The delightful Museum of Cornish Life in Helston is well worth a visit. It houses thousands of artifacts from prehistoric times to the 20th century.
• Nostalgic bathers will love the Jubilee Pool, around 20 minutes’ drive away. The open-air pool with its art deco architecture was opened in 1935 and is Britain’s largest saltwater beach pool—probably its most beautiful, too.
• The hostess offers regular retreats under the promising title “Fit Forever”, which help women to find a lifestyle that’s good for them during the perimenopause and beyond.
• In Penzance, ten kilometers away, there’s a special apartment for rent, which also belongs to Middle Colenso Farm. In an historic bell tower, it features large arched windows overlooking the harbor and lots of charm.