Whether you are arriving by road in a vintage Morgan or mooring up in one of the town’s two glistening marinas, Lymington offers a wonderful location for a spontaneous short break or well-deserved week or two of relaxation and exploration. On the wooded fringes of the New Forest National Park and just over a half an hour’s drive from the lively streets of Southampton, you can enjoy the best of all words from this gorgeous Georgian market town. 

Emerge from the sumptuous embrace of your cloud-soft bed at your luxury holiday cottage and stroll out of the front door to collect fresh produce and tasty titbits from the Saturday market and the town’s deluxe delis for a drawn-out breakfast at home. Fully satiated, don your walking boots and spend happy hours tracing the coast or losing yourself (metaphorically, of course) amongst the New Forest’s ancient trees, home to wild ponies and fallow deer. Later on, find a waterside pew to sip a glass of chilled white wine as the sun sets on another day in paradise.

Whether your favourite place to sit and while away the hours is in the cosy corner of a charming tearoom, chatting away with a local in your new favourite haunt or wining and dining by candlelight in a high-class restaurant, there is somewhere perfect for you in Lymington. Eye up local menus and make sure you save some space for some of the incredible fish and seafood this coastal town is famed for. Benefiting from a thriving fishing community, fresh hauls are landed each day and shared with local fishmongers and restaurants; there is even a two-day event each August, the Lymington Seafood Festival, celebrating all things fruits-de-mer. To try out some of your favourite recipes at home, look out for the New Forest Marque and round up some fresh produce to fashion a show-stopping feast at your luxury bolthole, washed down with a glass of Hampshire sparkling wine.

Whether your heart belongs to the sea, your feet long to roam spindly country paths and wooded trails or your mind is captured by the vibrant scenes of the thriving heart of the town, Lymington has a chapter for everyone to lose themselves to. Pack a picnic hamper and venture out into the surrounding countryside, indulge in a spot of shopping along the High Street, share banter with local fishermen at the Old Town Quay or unleash your sense of adventure and head into the New Forest. Sail along Beaulieu River or jump aboard the Black Puffin for a scenic cruise along the river, past the marshlands and towards Pylewell Creek or Cockleshell Island for a chance to glimpse some of the resident wildlife, including copious water birds and playful seals. Later on, eyes heavy and smile broad, return to your private haven and soothe tired legs in a bubble-topped bath, before diving beneath your bed’s silky sheets, dreaming of tomorrow’s adventures.