Cornwall Yurts is as refreshing as a chilled beer on a sweltering summers day. Within a one-mile radius of this low-key glamping escape there are no fewer than six different holiday parks, each brimming with motorhomes and rows of static caravans. Carnebo Farm, meanwhile, blooms like a rose among the thorns, a sanctuary from the crowds rather than a magnet for them. It boasts the same ideal location, of course, ten minutes from some of England’s finest beaches and a stroll away from a gorgeous 19th-century pub, but it retains that refreshing, small-scale charm that makes it a firm Hipcamp favourite.
The site itself comprises a large, rectangular paddock based around a couple of converted farm barns and a more recently built ‘woodshed’. The latter houses the ablutions facilities and a communal kitchen space. A new establishment, the facilities here really are top spec, with a modern kitchen that provides each yurt with its own fridge, cupboards and utensils and boasts a brand new oven and hobs. Outside there is a heated swimming pool, surrounded by a wood panel fence that creates a magnificent suntrap, while each yurt also has its own private BBQ.
It’s the yurts themselves, though, which really stand out. Even as you pull into the short, gravel driveway you can see their coned tops, poking over a bushy entrance bank that shields them from the road. Like a row of seaside houses, they each have their own colour scheme, with cute pastel doors and matching décor inside. Despite the Mongolian origins they look wonderfully at home here. While the interiors are described as ‘rustic’ – wooden furnishings, exposed lattice walls, and bunting notwithstanding – the 32 inch flat screen TV certainly gives a very 21st century edge to it all!
While the swimming pool may be a big draw, the wilder options are within easy reach. Expansive Perran beach is around 10 minutes away in the car, a popular surf spot with a range of rental outfits in the overlooking town, while smaller coves and bays can be found further along the coast – best discovered via the coastal path. The very best are those only accessible by water, like tiny Hanover Cove, a sandy inlet beneath Cligga Head, with a dramatic yellow-rock sea cave and arch (join a kayaking tour to reach it). Further north Newquay boasts its own collection of beaches, Holywell, just to its southwest, is particularly good – walk to its far end to discover its sanctified wells where springwater cascades down a series of natural pools. When you’re all worn out you can weave your way back through the streets of town to one of the countless excellent seafood restaurants or retreat to the tranquility of your inland yurt.