Tolcarne Beach Village- a good for the soul staycation

Yoga classes, CBD oil, meditation apps, hygge: we are forever searching for relaxation. For many of us, a holiday is a worthy solution. I’ve been on my fair share, from city breaks to beach holidays and glamping in the middle of nowhere. But none of them affected me quite like Tolcarne Beach Village.

A five-hour train or car journey from London Paddington or just over an hour by plane from Heathrow, Tolcarne Beach Village is located on the coast of Newquay. Newquay may be a bustling seaside town, but Tolcarne Beach Village’s secluded location allows for peaceful privacy. Nestled in a beautiful crescent bay, set against a background of cliffs, it’s just you and the beach. And it’s a powerful pairing.

A little tricky to find (particularly if arriving at night) Tolcarne Beach sits inconspicuously at the bottom of a steep, meandering road close to the cliff’s edge. It’s the kind of road where the music gets switched off; everyone goes silent and sits on the edge of their seats with tightly clenched cheeks. But the moment you reach the car park and step out of the car, inhale the sea air and hear the roar of the waves, all is forgotten. This place starts working its magic on you immediately, and you haven’t even left the car park.

Made up of hotel rooms (from £120 per night), apartments (from £100 per night), beach houses (from £120 per night)and beach cabins (from £90 per night), Tolcarne Beach caters to both couples and families in need of blowing away the cobwebs.

The hotel sits above the onsite Colonial restaurant, with two stories made up of 5 suites (balcony and sea view) and 4 rooms (sea view). A quick internet browse beforehand indicated that each room was beautifully decorated, but no picture would have done the reality justice. From the Caribbean to India, each room is inspired by the global adventures of the Briant family, who have been running the hotel for the last five years, and is stocked with unique trinkets and antique furniture from their travels.

Entering your room feels like being transported to a faraway continent, with an eclectic mix of 19th Century colonial and rustic British flourishes. It’s a feast for the eyes, and the level of detail in every room not only adds character, but feels lovingly personal. Antique working record players are in every room accompanied by a selection of vintage records, inviting you to drop your bags, make a cup of tea and explore your room to the sound of The Carpenters. As you explore, more details come to the fore – the stain glass window in the bathroom, the vintage vanity table and the basket of wool throws sitting next to the room’s best feature: the French doors.

You’ll crave to hear that roar you heard back at the car park, and just like me you’ll rush across the room to pull apart those doors. For me, it was pitch black outside, and I couldn’t see further than the edge of the balcony, but the lack of view didn’t matter. All other senses were tuned into the sound, smell and sensation of the rolling sea that was less than 100 yards away. I couldn’t wait to experience falling asleep with those doors open, and waking to that sound.

Mornings were my favourite part of my stay at Tolcarne Beach Village, and I’m not a morning person; in fact it is probably the most miserable part of my day. I am unwilling to take part in every aspect of a typical morning routine. Yet there was something about a beautiful room, cosy bed and serene ocean sounds that made me realize I’d been viewing mornings all wrong. Rather than trying to complete a series of rushed tasks, all with the aim of either getting myself out the front door as quickly as possible, or being as productive as possible, I took my time. I lay awake, breathing along with the rhythm of the sea. I made a cup of tea, grabbed one of the cosy wool blankets, settled into the deep-seated balcony chair and just watched.

The beach is open to the public, but the steep access routes keep numbers to a minimum. A handful of dog walkers, a surfer or two, and hand-in-hand couples made for a peaceful morning of people watching.

All hotel rooms and beach houses come with breakfast included, which is hosted in the Colonial restaurant, and consists of a hearty continental buffet or your choice of the breakfast menu. As far as hotel breakfasts go, this is definitely in the top-tier, but it’s the dinner menu that really puts the Colonial on the map.

With similar decor to the hotel rooms above, the Colonial is decked with oceanic tokens (I spent an abnormal amount of time staring longingly at a fireplace encrusted with white seashells) and nods to more exotic shores, including a large Tiki-style bar that serves all the classic cocktails.

Overlooking the sea, with both indoor and outdoor seating, our dining experience was accompanied by an incredible view whatever the weather.

The menu covers everything from handmade burgers to steaks and salads, all with a Caribbean twist, but it was the freshly caught seafood that got my attention. I eased my way in on the first night with the King Prawn Linguine, where I learnt very quickly that this place does not skimp on their portions. I come from a family of Greeks, where the concept of portion control is an alien one, and even I was astounded by the size of this dish. It was rich and zesty, with a heat that I couldn’t leave alone – a great hearty dish. But for me the star of my stay at Tolcarne Beach was the Cornish Crab Claws and Tiger Prawns, which I saved for my last night. I eat seafood at any given opportunity, but eaten fresh, next to the sea is a culinary experience that for me can’t be topped. They say eating with your hands has its benefits, and this was a meal that I definitely had to work for. Armed with a toolbox of shell crackers and picks, it definitely isn’t a date-night dish, but a lot of fun was had, and it was a delicious experience I’ll never forget.

The beauty of Tolcarne Beach Village’s location is that it allows you to fully immerse yourself in both tranquility and adventure at will. For those interested in a bit of adventure, Fistral Beach Surf School is just a 10 minute drive away. My stay in this part of the country had been full of never-forget moments, so I jumped at the opportunity to experience one more before I left, and took part in a surfing lesson with my family. We were all beginners (just trying to get in the wet-suits was a lesson in itself) but our instructor was incredibly patient and was able to give each of us the guidance needed to finish the lesson having ridden a wave, albeit on our knees. Prices start from £35 per person per lesson, which are two hours long.

I’m not athletically-minded, but this was so much fun. It was mid-November, and here I was waist deep in the great British ocean, struggling to get onto a surf board twice my size whilst being hit in the face every five seconds by waves of freezing cold water, and I had the biggest smile on my face. I’ve always been a bit of a water baby, but drew the line at freezing cold temperatures, however there was something about this place that rewired my brain to stop caring – to give things a go and adopt a ‘why not’ attitude. I regained a sense of adventure, a love of nature, and a stillness that I had lost in the 9-5 living-for-the-weekend routine that had been my lifestyle for so long.

Tolcarne Beach Village is a sanctuary for everyone from the over-worked and overwhelmed to lovers of nature and adventure seekers. It’s the peace amongst the chaos. It’s quality time. It’s the break you didn’t know you needed and the connection to the parts of yourself you didn’t know you had lost, and I can’t wait to go back.

Visit tolcarnebeach.co.uk to book.