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How has it already been three weeks since I was in Cornwall? Previously, I’ve visited my favourite corner of the country in spring and summer, so it was an absolute delight to fall in love with Cornwall all over again this autumn. It turns out that late September is the ideal time to visit — warm and sunny weather, significantly less crowds, and the sea is that perfect temperature where it has a bit of bite but you can still enjoy a long swim. We moved around a lot during this 12 day trip, with our longest stretch of staying (relatively) still being four days in Mawgan Porth, which we split with two nights at Bedruthan and two nights at Scarlet — sister hotels perched on the cliffs above the bay. I’ll dive into our time at Bedruthan Hotel & Spa first, bringing you stories from Scarlet later this week.

The first five nights of our trip were delightful, but we’d been camping and staying in off-grid accommodation so the luxuries of a very nice hotel were much welcomed. Our large room was sea-facing, with a large window that we could slide open to allow that fresh sea air to flow inside. I love nothing more than falling asleep to the soothing sounds of the waves, so I was already smitten just by the hotel’s location. The Spacious Sea View room had space for a sofa (which can be converted into a second bed), as well as a couple of armchairs beside the window, and I especially loved how dog friendly it was: Evie had her own huge bed and they provided bowls and treats.

We’d been driving around for a week at this point in our trip, so decided to spend most of our time enjoying the comforts and luxuries of the hotel, rather than visiting nearby places. The only time we drove anywhere was a quick hop up the coast for a dip in Trevorne tidal pool (which I’d highly recommend if you also love a sea swim but feel intimidated by north Cornwall’s waves and currents). We both had to catch up with work, and took advantage of the hotel’s various communal lounge areas to cosy up with our laptops and glasses of wine/cups of tea (dependent on the time of day). Bedruthan’s bar was the perfect place to end up at the end of the day to catch up with editing over an espresso martini or two.

I love a hotel with a spa, and Bedruthan’s was definitely worth visiting whether or not you’re a hotel guest. The sensory spa garden was a wonderfully relaxing experience, which I enjoyed one moody afternoon when the sauna, hot tub and various exfoliating scrubs felt much welcomed. I also relished a couple of swims in their unheated outdoor pool (there’s an indoor one if you prefer a warm swim).

The food at Bedruthan is also exceptional. The breakfast buffet was honestly one of my favourites I’ve come across so far. Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day, but as a vegetarian who doesn’t eat eggs, I can be hard to please first thing in the morning. I felt spoilt for choice at Bedruthan, gorging on avocado on sourdough toast, delicious granola with yoghurt and apple & ginger compote, freshly made smoothies and acai bowls, and various delicious pastries. The hotel has three dining spaces: Ogo is their fine dining restaurant, the Wild Cafe is more casual everyday dining, and the bakery offers humongous sandwiches and a huge variety of cakes. We dined in Ogo one evening, which was a wonderful experience. Each diner is served a selection of taster dishes for a starter, followed by your choice of three mains and then dessert. I was pleased to find that they had an extensive vegan/vegetarian menu, and everything I tried was delicious.

By far my favourite part of the hotel, however, was it’s location. I’m ever so slightly obsessed with the sea, and finding two hotels perched practically on the coastal path was an absolute delight. Bedruthan feels incredibly dog friendly (all spaces apart from the spa are accessible to dogs and the staff really doted on Evie) and it was wonderful to take her for her daily walks along the cliffs and down onto the beach, where she had the time of her life running around. When I’m beside the sea, even bad weather hits different. We enjoyed plenty of sunshine during our stay, but even wild winds and rains feel somewhat romantic when you’re cosied up inside, gazing out at the coast.

Find out more about Bedruthan Hotel & Spa and book your stay.