Glamping with hot tubs in Cornwall

Where to base yourself

The north coast faces the Atlantic. Surf, big beaches and wind. Bude, Polzeath, Padstow and Newquay are the names you’ll see.

The south coast is the sheltered side. Wooded creeks and estuaries around the Fal, the Helford and Fowey, and calmer water for anyone who wants to swim or paddle.

Bodmin Moor sits inland. Granite tors, rough grazing and hardly any street lights.

The far west is St Ives, Land’s End and the moors of West Penwith. The Lizard, further south, is the most southerly point of mainland Britain. Both are a long way down. That keeps the day trippers thinner.

Stars from the tub

Bodmin Moor has held international dark sky status since 2017 and West Penwith joined it in December 2021. If stargazing matters to you, book inland or in the far west and stay off the coast near the bigger towns.

When to go

August is the problem month. The A30 queues, the car parks fill by mid morning and prices peak. We’d pick May, June or September every time. Winter works too. The county empties out, the storms roll in off the Atlantic and you watch them from hot water.

Getting there

Almost everyone arrives on the A30, which runs the length of the county, or the A38 over the Tamar from Plymouth. The alternative is the train to Penzance. There’s a sleeper from London Paddington, so you can leave after dinner and wake up by the sea.

South east Cornwall, around Liskeard and Looe, is the first part you reach. That can save you an hour or more of driving compared with the far west.

Good to know

Cornish lanes are narrow, the hedges are high and stone lined, and sat navs love a shortcut down one. Stick to the route the site gives you. For what to put in the car, see our list of what to take glamping.

Stock counts were read on 4 October 2026. The facts on this page were last checked on 3 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.