It’s hard for us all to get away as a family, especially when my family means my parents, my husband and my little two-year-old Lowen, so when the opportunity to get away for the weekend to a luxurious retreat big enough for all of us in the pretty village of Portscatho on the stunning Roseland Peninsula, I jumped at the chance.
After a busy working week, the three of us arrived on Friday afternoon and opened the doors to gratefully find a spotlessly clean and warm house, and in the kitchen we were delighted to find a sumptuous welcome basket, which including delicious artisan bread and marmalade from the local Da Bara bakery, eggs, butter and fizz which was all devoured later on in the evening!
We opened the bi-folding doors to the garden, where our little boy Lowen rushed out and started playing outside whilst we unpacked in the kitchen. It’s such a family friendly house even down to a gate being fitted on the decking to ensure children are safe whilst the doors are open to allow the sea breeze and the sunshine to stream in.
After a play in the garden, we all took a tour of the house and exclaimed at the beauty of each room and the thoughtfulness of the homely touches found everywhere. The children’s ‘dorm’ bedroom with four single beds in is perfect for little ones to share and comes complete with a TV and PlayStation for film and gaming nights while the adults relax downstairs.
Once we’d taken a tour of the house, we donned wellies and headed down to Porthcurnick beach which is just a short walk from Mermaid Cottage - the sandy beach is lovely and where the Hidden Hut - a wonderful spot to eat - is situated, plus you can follow the coastal path and easily walk into Portscatho.
When we arrived back at the house, we started dinner and Lowen played happily with his new train set which we’d brought along to keep him busy. After dinner, we put him to bed and treated ourselves to putting the wood burner on in the snug and having a fizz and film night – total bliss!
After a deep, glorious sleep in the Feather & Black bed in the master bedroom, we woke beautifully refreshed for the day ahead and sat drinking tea in bed, looking at the sea from our window, whilst Lowen played happily with his toys.
As Mermaid Cottage sleeps ten, we’d invited my parents to join us as it was my mother’s birthday and because the house is simply perfect for a celebration. They arrived mid-morning and after a coffee in the kitchen and a catch up (using the Nespresso coffee machine), we all walked to the beach for a stroll where the fresh air blew away any lingering cobwebs.
Afterwards, we headed into Portscatho for a delicious lunch of tasty sandwiches and soup at The Boathouse café, and then perused the fabulous galleries and boutique shops.
In the afternoon, we fancied exploring St Mawes so a short drive later found us wandering along the harbour, watching the boats to-ing and fro-ing and exploring the shops. We bought some delicious pastries and looked around the galleries then headed back to the cottage for afternoon tea and cake, followed by the opening of presents and lots of laughter. Lowen was kept entertained by the thoughtfully provided colouring pens, paper and toys – a real life saver if you’ve forgotten to pack them!
Later that evening I cooked up a birthday supper in the wonderfully kitted out kitchen whilst my parents and the other half chatted, and then afterwards we all relaxed in front of the wood burner before falling into bed– a perfect end to a perfect day.
The next morning the weather had turned stormy, so after a leisurely breakfast we all headed to The Rosevine Hotel which is just a five-minute walk down the road from Mermaid Cottage and had a wonderful swim in their luxurious pool – so handy to have it close by and ideal for inclement days. It was great to do something so fun all together, and to hear Lowen’s giggles as we all floated about was just lovely, and we vowed to do this more when we get home.
Dried and dressed, we enjoyed a leisurely light lunch at the hotel before heading back. We spent the rest of our time relaxing and enjoying every minute in Mermaid Cottage before we headed home in the late afternoon.
We had the loveliest stay and can honestly recommend the house and location for the perfect family holiday. You can arrive, unpack and relax in beautiful surroundings; walk to the beach and on into Portscatho and enjoy a week without the car if you wanted to, or hop in the car to explore St Mawes or further afield to Falmouth (for fabulous restaurants and the National Maritime Museum), Truro, Mevagissey and Fowey.
Feeling inspired? Take a look at Mermaid Cottage here.
