Join us in October and receive a complimentary South West Coast Path Association Membership pack to enjoy during your visit…

If you’re visiting in October and booked your holiday after 20th August 2019, you are eligible to receive a complimentary South West Coast Path Association Membership pack or a Love Louie doggy pack for your four-legged friend.

With over 250 miles of coastal trail to explore in Cornwall alone, The South West Coast Path is one of the most spectacular walking destinations in the UK. Whether you use it to walk the dog, have family picnics, to escape on holiday for some fresh sea air or enjoy it as a serious walker, becoming a member is one of the best ways you can help to protect and champion the South West Coast Path. As well as being the ultimate source of support and inspiration for exploring the Coast Path, your membership goes a long way to helping care for all 630 miles of England’s longest National Trail for everyone to enjoy, now and in the future.

What does the pack include?

• The latest edition of the Complete Guide to the South West Coast Path

• Two issues of ‘Trailblazing’ magazine– in spring and autumn

• Monthly e-newsletters – full of the latest news and stories about the Path

• Car sticker

• Discounts at the Coast Path online shop – great for walking essentials and gifts

• 15% off Cotswold Outdoor in store and online, 15% off Runderwear online, 15% off Sunday Afternoon Hats online and 10% off in store at Go Outdoors South West stores

• Solo walking networks for women and men – e-mail or call the office to sign up

• An invite to our Annual General Meeting

• Free completers certificate and badge when you finish the Path!

• RRP £25.80

Take in the UK’s finest coastal scenery with some tempting cafes to stop off at and refuel. It is the perfect mix of tangled hair, invigorating walks and hot chocolate stops this autumn.

This is the second year Beach Retreats are supporting the South West Coast Path and all it has to offer. Last year you may remember us visiting a record 47 beaches in Cornwall on the summer solstice (longest day of the year) to raise money for the coast path. You can read about our journey here.

Terms and Conditions

• Your contact details will be shared with the South West Coast Path Association in order to fulfil your new membership.

• The South West Coast Path will deliver your membership pack to your home within 10 working days.

• No cash alternative.

• Only available for new bookings that depart in October 2019.

• Only available for new bookings that are made after 20 August 2019.

• Offer is non transferable if your booking is cancelled or postponed.

Join us on the beach in October with your four legged friend and receive a complimentary goody bag for them on arrival.

We’ve teamed up with our friends at Love Louie to offer new guests that depart between 1-31 October a complimentary gift box for their fury friend (on new bookings only made after 20 August 2019) or a South West Coast Path Membership. This wonderful gift includes the following:

Love Louie are a small family business based in the South West, they started their boxes when their toy obsessed Dachshund Louie would get bored easily when he could quickly destroy toys bought in pet shops and became uninterested in the usual treats. They then created a monthly subscription service where new goody boxes for dogs would be delivered to subscriber homes each month.

Love Louie provide the highest quality toys and treats because our beloved pets really do deserve it. They guarantee savings on the RRP and the best part is they are the only company in the UK to donate 15% of all sales to an animal charity of your choice. As well as having rescue dogs of their own and helping their local rescue centre for many years, in the past year alone Love Louie has raised over £4000 for Animal charities all over the world and managed to prevent their local Animal Rescue from having to close its doors.

All the items in the box have been researched, chosen for their high quality and have been tested by their own pets before even being considered for inclusion in the Love Louie boxes. Louie personally loves testing the durability of the toys! Each box will contain a minimum of 6 items. This will be a variety of toys, treats and accessories, all boxes will be suitable for various dietary requirements. Treats are wheat free, grain free, dairy free and low fat.

Find out more about Love Louie.

For more inspiration on things to see and do in Cornwall check out our dog-friendly blog.

Terms & Conditions

• One Love Louie box per booking

• Box contents may vary and may not be as the picture shown.

• No cash alternative available.

• Only available for new bookings that depart between 1-31 October 2019.

• Only available for new bookings that are made after 20 August 2019.

• Pets are to be supervised at all times with all items supplied.

• Beach Retreats and Love Louie LTD will except no responsibility for damages caused and any product defect should be reported to the manufacturer directly.

• Please follow safety guidance and advice which can be found on each individual item.

• • Offer is non transferable if your booking is cancelled or postponed.

The almighty boom. The brackish smell. The exhilarating power. Spurting geysers of foam; lines of huge waves stacked up to the horizon; wind whipping your face. The humbling sense of insignificance… Nothing beats the raw elemental thrill and timeless romance of witnessing huge thundering seas crashing relentlessly onto Cornwall’s dramatic coastline.

Storm watching can be fun and exciting but it’s vital to put your safety first. The winter weather can bring high winds and huge waves, so it’s important to keep a safe distance. Storms in Cornwall can be highly dangerous, so check tide times, be cautious and don’t take any risks.

Whether it’s hurricanes tracking north from the Gulf of Mexico or intense winter storms raging off Newfoundland, October to February sees some colossal swells build and travel unhindered for thousands of miles across the Atlantic before slamming into our cliffs, beaches and sea walls. As long as you’re wrapped up warm and perched in a safe vantage point, storm watching has to be one of Cornwall’s most enthralling winter pastimes.

TOP 5 STORM WATCHING SPOTS

Porthleven

Arguably the daddy of Cornish storm watching spots, this historic fishing village sits on an exposed stretch of southwest facing coastline – and takes the full force of howling southwesterly storms straight on the chin. Porthleven is the pin-up of the Cornish storm watching scene: photographs of monstrous waves breaking over the church on the pier and mountains of backwash slapping back from its cliffs frequently adorn the national newspapers and news channels when a big sou’wester rolls in. Truly has to be seen to be believed.

The Cribbar, Newquay

Just off the end of Towan headland, the Cribbar reef is a big wave surfing spot of near-mythical proportions. It rarely breaks, but when it does the waves can be over 30ft high. It’s difficult to judge the scale of these huge walls of water until you see a surfer dwarfed by their towering faces. Recent years have seen a number of hardy surfers using jet-skis to tow in to these watery beasts – and the atmosphere amongst spectators on the headland is something else.

Bedruthan Steps, Mawgan Porth

The dramatic rock stacks at Bedruthan beach, Mawgan Porth, stand testament to the power of the waves that have carved out their impressive, jagged forms over the millennia. Standing atop Carnewas cliffs and watching foaming seas pounding these outcrops on a stormy day is sure to blast out every last cobweb.

Blowhole, Porth

Cross the narrow footbridge onto Porth Island, at the tip of Trevelgue Head, and if you’re lucky you’ll see one of Cornwall’s finest blowholes spouting explosively. It’s at its most impressive around mid tide, and can be spectacular when there’s a big swell (please be careful crossing the bridge, mind!). The remains of a prehistoric settlement and windswept, panoramic views give the place a forlorn allure.

Trevose Head

Lurching out into the Atlantic just west of Padstow, this exposed promontory commands panoramic views towards Newquay to the south and the Camel estuary to the northeast. At the far tip sits a gleaming white lighthouse, perched above gigantic cliffs of grey granite that rise sheer from the sea to a height of over 150 feet. This solitary spot is a breathtaking place to witness nature’s incredible power as winter storms smash into the cliffs below.

With beaches for bounding along, some 500 miles of coast path for waggy-tailed walks and plenty of paw-friendly pubs and attractions, why leave your four-legged friends at home when you visit Cornwall?

Hayley Spurway and Ziggy the dog reveal some of their favourite destinations on the doorstep of our dog-friendly holiday lets. View all of our dog-friendly properties.

TREBARWITH STRAND, nr Tintagel Caves

When the tide ebbs Trebarwith Strand beach is a gem for families and dogs alike. As the tide floods in to reach the foot of the rugged cliffs, you can either retire to the dog-friendly Port William Inn, or take a walk over the cliff-tops towards Tintagel and clap your eyes on eye-popping scenery, historic quarries and the sea-lashed ruins of Tintagel Castle.

MAWGAN PORTH, North Cornwall

A sandy runway flanked by dramatic cliffs and exposed to the full force of the Atlantic swells, Mawgan Porth beach is a year-round beauty for windswept beach walks, rock-pooling and dipping paws in the surf. When they’ve had enough of chasing balls and sea gulls, follow the wooded valley inland to Retorrick Mill, for a wood-fired feast in a dog-friendly, bohemian setting.

HOLYWELL BAY, nr Newquay

With giant sand dunes for tumbling down, a stream to paddle in and frothy Atlantic waves pounding the shore, Holywell Bay is an idyllic playground in every season. Backed by wildflower meadows, miles of heathland, and offering stunning coast path walks to hound-friendly coves in both directions, this is dog-walking territory at its best.

PORTHKIDNEY SANDS, nr St Ives

While bucket and spade brigades descend upon neighbouring Carbis Bay and Hayle Towans, Porthkidney Sands remains untouched by the masses, reserving its dune-backed beauty for a handful of dog walkers and their energetic companions. No wonder the locals have dubbed it ‘Happy Dog Beach’.

TRELISSICK, nr Falmouth

The National Trust’s Trelissick Gardens are home to miles of footpaths zigzagging through 300 acres of parkland and woodland nudging the River Fal. Opt for a half-hour stroll or four-mile walking route, pausing to play fetch on a sheltered beach and finishing up at the Crofters Café, where dog biscuits and water bowls will be waiting.

COAST PATH WALK: ZENNOR TO GURNARD’S HEAD

Nothing beats an invigorating stomp along the South West Coast Path with pit stops at dog-friendly pubs. Set out from the 13th-century Tinner’s Arms in Zennor and discover mermaids’ coves and the remains of an Iron Age castle on route to The Gurnard’s Head, an ends-of-the-earth type of place where you can kick off your walking boots and chill out with the dog at your feet.

TREMENHEERE SCULPTURE GARDENS, nr Penzance

If you’re looking for a dog-friendly day out with a dash of art and culture, hounds on leads are welcome to explore Tremenheere’s sub-tropical landscapes peppered with art installations inspired by nature. Bound beneath towering canopies, climb grassy knolls and gaze out over Mounts Bay, before tucking into homemade cake and Cornish produce at the Lime Tree Café.

GWYNVER, Sennen

Wild, remote and gob-smackingly beautiful, Gwynver is paradise for bona fide beach lovers and their four-legged pals. Fortunately, a thigh-burning flight of steps between the car park and beach deters anyone who isn’t serious about setting foot on the coarse white sands and scrambling over wave-hewn granite boulders to dip their toes and paws into the Caribbean-blue sea.

Do you know any other great dog-friendly beaches or walks? Let us know by joining us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Book your dog-friendly, self-catering holiday with Beach Retreats.