I think we can all agree that Cornwall has something for everyone no matter what age you are and that it's a beautiful, scenic part of the UK, making it the perfect spot for a UK staycation. We've been to Cornwall a few times before and absolutely love the beaches there! When you live so far from any beaches like we do, it's a real treat when you get to see the sea and hear the waves and for us, watching our two boys' pure excitement when they get onto a beach is just everything!
Brand new Stargazer accommodation
Last week we were excitingly invited by Away Resorts to their holiday park in Hayle Cornwall - St Ives Bay to stay in one of their brand new for 2022 Stargazer caravans. I'd seen photos online of it and it looked incredible, but it was even more incredible when we actually got there. To say it blew us away was an understatement!
Their new Stargazer caravans are right on the seafront so we could see the sea from the kitchen, living room and on the decking from the hot tub! Yes - hot tub! The hot tub was such a treat, the boys absolutely LOVED it and wanted to go in it all of the time. One evening we watched the sun set from the hot tub - it was heaven!
The caravan itself is HUGE and so spacious. Everything is brand new and modern. There is an American sized fridge freezer, dishwasher, in built coffee machine, microwave, kettle, toaster, washing machine and double oven in the kitchen, with a good sized dining table and breakfast bar.
In the master bedroom there is a freestanding huge bath as well as a kingsize bed, lots of wardrobe space, hairdryer and a wall mounted TV and a ensuite toilet and sink. The second bedroom can sleep 3 people in with a bunk bed in with the top bunk having a velux window above it so you can gaze at the stars and then two single beds underneath. The sofa in the living room can be pulled out to form another bed. There is a sound bar with bluetooth so you can listen to music throughout the caravan, as well as welcome pack with drinks and other goodies when you arrive. The pillows and bed linen are included as are the towels.
The decor throughout is coastal themed and very modern and clean looking. I have never seen a caravan like it, it was stunning and worked well for the 6 of us as we went with the boys grandparents too! The only thing I would say is that the Stargazer says it sleeps 7, but I would say the pull out sofa bed was a very small double. It may be fine for two kids to sleep on but they would be quite close together, but other than that the accommodation was perfect!
The Beach
My favourite thing about St Ives Bay asides from the Stargazer, was the fact that we were just a few minutes walk from a beautiful sandy beach!
We loved being so close to the sea and beach and the boys are so happy when they are on the beach so we spent quite a lot of time there building sandcastles and watching them run in and out of the waves. I liked the fact that when we were there, there was always a lifeguard present too (the website says it's usually life guarded by the RNLI between May and the August bank holiday). The incline down to the beach is quite steep, but there are some stairs on the side below the Sands bar which make going down and coming back up a bit easier.
Heated indoor pool
There is a heated indoor pool at St Ives Bay and on one of the mornings Adam and his Dad took the boys swimming. They had to wait to get in as the pool was at capacity, but it wasn't a long wait and then they were allowed a hour in there once they were in. The boys absolutely love the water so they had a great time. It is just a standard pool, there aren't any slides or other bits, but even so they had fun! The pool is open 9am-6pm and under 14s and non swimmers have to be accompanied by an adult.
Bars, restaurants and park shop
There is the Sands Bistro cafe/restaurant right next to the swimming pool so you can see people swimming through the glass when you're in there and then on the other side you can see the sea. The menu was great and there were good options for vegetarians. We never had dinner there, but we did have some nachos, chips, and garlic bread with a few drinks one lunchtime. To the side of the bistro there is access to a pub area where there are two pool tables which Adam and his Dad loved. There is also outdoor seating overlooking a sandy play area for the kids and the sea and takeaway options are available.
There is also the Dynamite Bar which is where the entertainment is on and from there you can get a range of drinks and tapas-style, small bites.
There is a well stocked park shop where you can get essentials and things like newspapers and gifts between 9am-8pm right next to the Guest Services.
Arcade, Crazy Golf, Activities and Entertainment
There are two arcades at St Ives Bay, one in each of the bar complexes. In the Dynamite Bar the arcade is downstairs. There are a variety of machines and we personally loved the 2p machines! There is also crazy golf at St Ives bay, though we never got around to giving it a go. Slots for the crazy golf are available on a first come first served basis.
There are a variety of activities on throughout the week which you can book on the Away Resorts app. The activities range from arts and crafts, to leisure such as mini archery, nerf challenges and experiences like baby ballet, superhero academy, cocktail master classes and fairy academy. All activities are an extra charge and costs range between £7.50-£25 per person. You are given a timetable on arrival but can book in advance before you arrive via the app.
In terms of entertainment, we enjoyed the cash bingo one night and the top prize was nearly £400! (It is cash only and there is no ATM on the site so do bring cash with you). There is PLAY tots in the Dynamite Club from 6pm which is aimed at under 5's and consists of stories, songs and a Bear in the Woods Adventure. At 7pm PLAY LIVE! was on, which is party games and dancing and then at 8pm the bingo sales started ready to start at 8:30pm. At 9:15 there was more entertainment on which was usually live music, comedy or magic. We missed it as we spent our evenings at the caravan in the hot tub and playing board games, but I think it's great that they offer a full schedule of entertainment where you can sit and get a drink from the bar.
Local area
Cornwall has so much to offer and there's lots nearby to explore. On one of the days we took a trip into St Ives. St Ives is very popular, so we drove to Trenwith car park and walked downhill into St Ives from there. On the way back we took a bus to the car park as we didn't fancy the trek back uphill. St Ives is really lovely and worth a visit, as busy as it is. We stumbled upon a really lovely spot to have a cup of tea and a slice of cake in the grounds of a church overlooking the beach and sea. (St Ia's - St Ives Parish Church). I sat and watched the dogs in the sea jumping up and down for their balls and living their best lives and it made my heart happy!).
We visited Escape Time whilst in St Ives and did a fun pirate treasure themed escape room as a family. We just about managed to find the pirate's golden treasure in time and we honestly had such a laugh and so much fun!
When we've been to Cornwall before we've also enjoyed a day trip to the lovely fishing port of Padstow, it's a lovely place for dinner of lunch. Tintagel Castle on the north coast of Cornwall is spectacular! Bodmin Jail is a historic former prison which makes for a really interesting visit! Port Isaac is full of idilyic pretty Cornwall coastal views and is where the TV series Doc Martin was filmed! There's also the Old Post Office to visit which is in Tintagel, it's super interesting and full of history! And you can take a ride on an old steam train from Bodmin and Wenford railway station for something a bit different!
We had a really lovely holiday at St Ives Bay with Away Resorts, with the accommodation, hot tub and beach being our highlights! You can find out more information about Away Resorts and their holiday parks across the UK at https://www.awayresorts.co.uk. The address for St Ives Bay is - 73 Loggans Rd, Upton Towans, Hayle, TR27 5B.
Thank you for reading.
Alex xo
*We were invited to St Ives Bay for the purpose of this blog post, but all opinion shared are entirely our own.
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