Cornwall for a Girls’ Weekend: Spa, Sea and Supper

A good girls’ weekend doesn’t take much organising. Find a house big enough that nobody gets stuck on the sofa bed, with somewhere warm to sink into at the end of the day, and the rest tends to take care of itself.

Cornwall does this better than almost anywhere. From Yorkshire it’s a fair old drive, so it’s worth booking somewhere that makes the journey feel like part of the treat. Every house below has a hot tub or a sauna (two of them have both), and most of them look straight out to sea. If the view is what matters most to your group, the sea-view cottages from Cornish Secrets are a very good place to start.

Watersend, Watergate Bay

Watersend is a big, bright house just 500 metres from the sand at Watergate Bay, and its secret weapon for a girls’ weekend is the separate studio, which works as a yoga room in the morning and a games room after dark. There’s room for ten of you across five bedrooms, all with their own bathroom, and two of them are master suites with private balconies looking out to sea. The kitchen is a real head-turner with its AGA and Belfast sink, and there’s a built-in coffee machine for the morning after. Supper happens around a big oak table that seats twelve. Bi-fold doors open onto terraces on three levels, each catching the sun at a different time of day, and the hot tub is tucked into the garden for a soak under the stars. Two dogs are welcome, and the driveway takes five cars or more.

Rockpools, Watergate Bay

Also above Watergate Bay, Rockpools is a striking contemporary house with double-height windows and far-reaching views along the coast. The sun terrace wraps all the way around it, and that’s where you’ll find the eight-person cedar hot tub and the outdoor sauna. The kitchen is made for entertaining, with a wine fridge and a big island with breakfast seating, and the dining area opens straight onto a south-facing terrace for sundowners. Upstairs, the master suite is the one to fight over. It has a super-king bed and a private balcony, and there’s a freestanding bath in the en suite. All four bedrooms have their own bathroom, and it sleeps eight, or ten with the sofa bed in the TV snug (which also has Sky, for film night). The beach is less than ten minutes’ walk away, and two dogs can come too.

The Farmhouse, near Watergate Bay

If you’d rather swap the sea view for peace and quiet, The Farmhouse is tucked away in the Porth Valley, a few minutes’ drive from Watergate Bay. It’s all thick stone walls and exposed beams, set in over an acre of gardens with a big lawn for garden games. There’s another eight-person cedar hot tub here, alongside an outdoor sauna, and it’s perfect for stargazing. The split-level master bedroom at the top of the house has a copper bathtub looking out over the countryside (bagsy that one). Downstairs, the country kitchen has a Rangemaster cooker and a large farmhouse table, and there’s a separate cinema room for curling up with a film. It sleeps ten in five bedrooms, and two dogs are welcome.

The Beach House, Porthtowan

The Beach House sits on the clifftop above Porthtowan’s award-winning beach, with floor-to-ceiling windows making the most of the view. At the front, a raised terrace has a fire pit for wrapping up in blankets as the sun goes down. Round the back, the hot tub sits beside a secluded barbecue area with sun loungers and an outdoor shower. The family bathroom has a freestanding volcanic stone bath that’s worth the trip on its own, and the master bedroom has a glass-fronted balcony with the best view in the house. The kitchen has a long breakfast bar and a big wooden dining table for a proper feast. It sleeps ten in five bedrooms, and the beach is a ten-minute stroll away. One dog is welcome.

Camel Quarry House, near Wadebridge

For a big birthday, Camel Quarry House is the showstopper. It looks like something from Grand Designs, a striking cube of slate and glass above the Camel Estuary, and its roof terrace has 360-degree views across the water towards Padstow. It sleeps up to sixteen in six bedrooms. The house comes with a live-in housekeeper who can book in anything from a yoga teacher to a beauty therapist, and you can arrange a private chef for the big night, so nobody has to do the washing up. Outside there’s a cedar hot tub and a gym, plus a fire pit among the designer gardens. There are kayaks and paddleboards waiting for anyone feeling brave enough to take to the water. Dogs are welcome here as well.

Edge O’ Cliff, Carbis Bay

For a smaller group, Edge O’ Cliff is something really special. It’s an eco house on the slopes of Hawkes Point, between Carbis Bay and Porthkidney Beach, designed by the local architects ARCO2. It’s only reached on foot down the garden path (your reserved parking space is about ten minutes’ walk away). There’s a barrel sauna and a heated outdoor shower in the garden. When the tide’s right, you can follow the steps from the house straight down to Porthkidney’s golden sand. Inside, floor-to-ceiling windows frame the sea, and a wood-burning fire keeps things cosy while you battle it out on the pull-out table tennis table. There are two king-size bedrooms and a sofa bed, which makes it ideal for four or five friends. Dogs are welcome, and St Ives is a pretty train ride away.

Whichever house you pick, plan your first supper at home. There’s nothing quite like cooking together while the sky goes pink outside the window. And if none of these quite fits the bill, Pure Cornwall’s luxury collection has plenty more houses with hot tubs and saunas all over the county.