Large Holiday Cottages in Cornwall

Large holiday cottages Cornwall: where to base your group

Most of our big cottages in Cornwall sit on the north coast. Sixty-five of the 165 are round the Camel Estuary alone, where the beaches are sandy, the surfing is reliable and plenty of the houses are a short walk from the sand.

Pick the stretch of coast first, then the house.

Rock, Polzeath and Padstow

This is where most Cornish group holidays happen. There are 22 big houses in Rock, 18 in Polzeath and 12 across the water in Padstow. Mornings start with a surf lesson, afternoons drift into crabbing off the slipway, and evenings end on a terrace watching the tide fill the river.

The Black Tor ferry crosses the river in about ten minutes for foot passengers and bikes.

• Big houses: Ragleighs at Daymer Bay sleeps 14 in seven bedrooms, with a wood burner and two dishwashers in the kitchen
• Best for: surfers, young families and friends bringing bikes for the Camel Trail, a flat 18-mile path inland past Wadebridge
• Watch out: the last ferry back from Padstow leaves around 7.45pm even in high season, and the drive round takes far longer

Newquay and Mawgan Porth

Newquay is the loud one!

Twelve group cottages in Newquay put you close to Fistral and the surf schools, the biggest being The Three Tees, which sleeps 16 in eight bedrooms with a games room and an enclosed garden. The town is full of bars and late night food.

• Best for: a big birthday, a hen or stag weekend, or friends who want to learn to surf
• Quieter stay: Mawgan Porth has three, a short hop from the airport and the clifftop walk to Bedruthan Steps

St Ives, Carbis Bay and Penzance

West Cornwall feels like a different county, with white sand, turquoise water and sea views from half the town, and there are 11 big houses in St Ives, five in Carbis Bay and eight in Penzance.

• Arriving by train: the branch line from St Erth runs into St Ives in about ten minutes
• Parking: streets in the old town are tight, so check how many spaces each property has
• Days out: Tate St Ives, Porthmeor Beach and the causeway to St Michael's Mount

Porthleven and the Lizard

Down on the Lizard the coastal villages get smaller and the cliffs get higher, with fewer crowds and quieter beaches than the north. Helston has six big houses and Porthleven three, handy for the harbour restaurants and the walk to Kynance Cove.

Louvain sits above Cadgwith Cove with sea views over the cove, and sleeps ten in five bedrooms.

Fowey and the south coast

The south coast is all creeks, sailing boats and steep lanes down to the harbour. Fowey, Polruan and Mevagissey have three big houses each, and a foot ferry crosses between Fowey and Polruan all day.

Here you'll also find the biggest in our list, a farmhouse that sleeps 18 in nine bedrooms, with a pool. The Lost Gardens of Heligan are close by. The Eden Project is a short drive past St Austell, a day out for every age in a three generation family.

Inland, near Bodmin Moor

Away from the sea, prices drop and a cheaper stay gets you more countryside for your money. South Boduel Farmhouse near Liskeard sleeps 10 in five bedrooms with a big kitchen, and The Old Watermill at St Mabyn has a sauna and an enclosed garden.

The biggest houses in our Cornwall list

Big group accommodation goes fast here, as only 21 of our large cottages sleep 12 or more and just two take 16 or more. Here are seven worth a look.

What do large holiday homes in Cornwall have?

Pools, games rooms and the hot tub question

A pool is the real luxury in a Cornish group house. Nine have a swimming pool, 23 have a games room, and Barn Cottage, a converted granite barn in West Cornwall, adds a sauna. Hot tubs are rare, with only one in our list right now. If a tub matters more than the county, look at our group cottages with hot tubs across the UK.

Dogs and gardens

In all, 123 of these holiday homes in Cornwall are dog friendly, and 57 have an enclosed garden. Many lifeguarded beaches ban dogs in the warmer months, so save the coast path for dog walks. Our dog-friendly group cottages page has more.

What it costs

Prices start from around £48 a night. A typical large holiday home here is nearer £145 a night before you split it, and August costs the most.

When should a big group book Cornwall?

School summer holidays book first, often a year ahead for the self catering houses that sleep 12 or more. May and September are the sweet spot, with warm enough water, quieter roads and lower prices, and you might catch Padstow's 'Obby 'Oss on May Day or Boardmasters in Newquay in August.

Winter suits a family reunion by the fire, when you'll have the coast path almost to yourselves.

Getting a group to Cornwall

• By car: the A30 runs through North Cornwall over Bodmin Moor to the far west, and the A38 crosses the Tamar Bridge for the south coast, so check the parking if you're bringing four cars
• By train: Great Western Railway stops at Bodmin Parkway, Truro, St Erth and Penzance
• Overnight: the Night Riviera sleeper leaves London Paddington every night except Saturday
• By air: Cornwall Airport Newquay is a few minutes from Mawgan Porth
• Once you're there: book a minibus taxi for nights out, as rural buses stop early

Of all the large holiday cottages Cornwall has, the north coast ones are the easiest stay for a mixed group of friends and family. If you're still deciding, compare large holiday cottages in Devon, browse every county in our UK destinations guide or start again from our large holiday cottages homepage.