A digital nomad’s guide to Cornwall, UK
Since I made the decision to leave corporate life and set up my consultancy four years ago, Cornwall is the one place I keep coming back to to work (and rightly so!)
And unlike most people that visit this stunning corner of the UK, I’m one of the few who will encourage you to chuck on your layers, wrap up warm and visit in winter!
It has all the elements which make up a perfect creative retreat (the beaches are quiet, you don’t have to queue for the best cafes and the hotels have their best rates). So if you’re a digital nomad, freelancer or you can work away from your office within your role, this is why Cornwall - one of the most beautiful parts of the UK, is such a great base.
Where to stay
I’ve stayed in cute little cottages, luxury hotels and chilled Premier Inns during my time in Cornwall and I’ve loved all of these spots:
Watergate Bay Hotel (£££)
Watergate Bay is one of my favourite beaches of all time, so being able to stay ON the beach, in a beautiful hotel was the perfect way to combine work and having proper chill time.
There’s a lot I love about this hotel, but the swim club was *the* highlight (they have an infinity pool which overlooks the beach, so I spent my evenings watching the sun go down from the warmth of the sauna) and for a “workcation” type vibe - being away to write during the day and chill in the evening, it’s perfect.
I’ve shared my favourite working spots from the hotel just below (most of which you can use if you’re a guest, just to note!) but I loved my stay here and I’ll definitely be back.
It is more on the expensive side, but something I love about Watergate Bay Hotel is they offer a 25% discount to solo travellers, which SO few places do but really goes a long way. I stayed in March so I got a really good rate which included breakfast (and you can visit the swim club/spa as often as you like), so it’s worth looking out for offers in quieter seasons.
I would recommend staying in the week rather than over a weekend though, just as a heads up. The Sunday I was there was really busy for off-season and to be honest, the older kids were running riot which killed the chilled vibe. As soon as Sunday evening rolled around though, it was peaceful and chilled and everything I imagined, so if you’re somebody who’s planning a relaxing break or to work, I would stay Monday - Friday instead.
Benallack Barn, “The Bullpen”, near Grampound Road (££)
This was the cottage which started it all - the idea for my consultancy came during my stay at Benallack Barn, so I have a real soft spot for it. I stayed here in early 2020 and the cottage was so lovely (it was very ‘ The Holiday’) and the cottage is also based on a farm, so the owners are just in the house next door if you need anything (without it being too much, if you know what I mean!)
The cottage is based basically in the middle of nowhere, but within a 25 minute drive you can get to Newquay and in under 15 minutes there’s a big retail park (reason I say this - there’s a massive Starbucks, M&S Food and McDonalds there, so it’s where I got my caffeine fix)
This photo really doesn’t do it justice because it was beautiful, you’re better off looking at the website instead!
I’d say this has more ‘creative retreat’ vibes than a working holiday, but I’d really recommend this little spot. (LINK)
Premier Inn, Wadebridge (£)
This Premier Inn is right around the corner from where my best friend used to live, so when I say a group of us have stayed here countless times over the years, I’m not kidding haha. It’s one of the new Premier Inns so it doesn’t feel old and outdated, the staff are lovely and the location couldn’t be more perfect for the north Cornwall beaches.
The only thing I’d say is you cannot work from this hotel - the wifi/phone signal is really poor, so video calls are a no-go. When I’ve stayed here on work trips I’ve just used it as a base, but it’s a winner otherwise.
Black Rock Cottage, near St Austell/Charlestown (£-££)
Nestled away on a farm near Charlestown, Black Rock is a two bedroom cottage perfect for small groups. Four of us stayed here in February 2024 and it was great - there’s a big living area and kitchen, a wood-fired hot tub (which we used most days!) and it’s close to some really good local restaurants in Charlestown (I’ve got a work recommendation for you in Charlestown below)
The wifi was good, but it did drop out a lot so that is worth baring in mind. I didn’t take any video calls here - I spent my time creating content and writing, so this isn’t somewhere I’d recommend for anything which requires a high bandwidth.
Just as a side note, I do prefer the north coast to the south coast (which is where this cottage is based) but it was so great to see a new part of Cornwall and stay somewhere so lovely. The only other thing I’d say is that this cottage is joined on to another and you can hear some noise through the walls and around the rest of the cottage, but luckily for us we spent 5 nights out of our 7 on the farm on our own, so we didn’t have a problem with this.
The owner was lovely too, and helped us out whenever we needed it (they were based in the farmhouse next door). Totally recommend. (LINK)
The Cottages at Headland Hotel, Newquay
I’ve stayed here twice and the cottages at Headland Hotel are SO lovely. They have high pitched roofs, it’s very ‘seaside chic’ and within two minutes, you’re on Fistral Beach which is one of the most beautiful in Cornwall.
It’s perfect for small groups or families and you get all the perks of staying at the hotel (access to the spas, etc) but the extra space of staying in a cottage.
You’re a 15 minute walk from Newquay from here and you have great restaurants on your doorstep too (like The Stable - a pizza spot) so if a few of you are looking for a base, this is a good shout. (LINK)
Where to work
During my time in Cornwall, I worked from a handful of different cafes, restaurants and hotel lounge areas too:
Wild Cafe, Bedruthan hotel
This is by far one of my favourite places I’ve worked, ever.
Bedruthan Hotel sits on the top of a hill overlooking Mawgan Porth Beach - one of the best in Cornwall and ahhh, that view!
I watched storms roll in on both of the days I worked from here (they were followed by a brilliant blue sky) and it was perfect. If anything it put me off what I was doing haha, but we can’t take marks away from them for that!
One of the other huge plus points of Wild Cafe is their in-house bakery. When I say I had the best cinnamon roll and vegan cake of my life (coffee and apple - which usually I’d never go for), I don’t say that lightly!
They bake everything from scratch and the coffee was SO good too, so it gets full marks on the food and drink side too. The menu changes day-by-day and the staff were so lovely.
They have a variety of solo rooms through to bigger family size rooms too, so it ticks a lot of boxes. Couldn’t recommend this spot more, and I’ll definitely be back!
The Swim Club lounge + Living Space, Watergate Bay
Back to Watergate Bay hotel, and both the Swim Club and The Living Space were great places for remote working.
Stay with me here, but the Swim Club’s lounge was my surprise favourite (I know, rogue).
Come here before 10am in the morning or later in the afternoon, and you almost have the place to yourself. You’re right on the beach, there are lounge chairs, sofas or high tables to sit and there’s a roaring fire in the corner too, so it feels really cosy. I took the photo below (the dark evening) when I was down there with my iPad and it was SO lovely.
The Living Space I liked, but as it’s the central hub to the hotel it does get quite loud. Here was the view from my table though (cannot complain!) and the coffee was good.
Non-guests can head to The Living Space during the week at lunchtimes, so this would be a great shout if you’re looking to go for a coffee and some time with your laptop. The Swim Club is just for guests though, so if you do stay at the hotel I’d definitely recommend heading down there.
The Swim Club, early evening. Such an amazing view, and I was sat right by the fire here so it couldn’t have been anymore cosy!
Other notable spots
Short and Strong, Charlestown
One of the food spots in Charlestown which went down an absolute storm with my group of friends, Short and Strong have a coffee-brunch style menu. I went here twice during my week at Black Rock cottage and the coffee was some of the best I had on my most recent trip (always a huge plus point when you’re working remotely!) and the brunch was delicious.
It does get busy, but they have a few separate dining areas (including a smaller cosy room at the back which I really liked) so definitely recommend this place.
Strong Adolfos artwork = THE best
Strong Adolfos, just outside Wadebridge
The home of my favourite fried breakfast of all time (that’s a big claim I know, but it cannot be beaten) - Strong Adolfos is a cafe tucked away just outside of Wadebridge on the Wild Atlantic Way, five minutes up the road.
The only downside to this place is it gets really busy and when it does, the crowd control with the queuing can be a bit… off. If you can come here on a quieter day though, either very early doors or later in the afternoon before it closes, you’re guaranteed good food - it just doesn’t miss. (I’d say this is more of a ‘pop in and work’ spot though, not somewhere you can stay for more than 45 minutes - 1 hour, so that’s worth baring in mind)
The Beach Hut, Watergate Bay
And once again, back to Watergate Bay and The Beach Hut sits separately to the hotel, on the other side of the walkway down to the beach.
It’s owned by the hotel, but you don’t need to be a guest to eat here and it’s one of my favourite cafe spots on the North Coast because of the view.
I’ve had coffee, breakfast and dinner in here over the years and they’ve all been solid. The morning is my favourite time of day to visit though - watching the surfers do their thing whilst having a coffee and working away feels really special.
The logistics
How to get to Cornwall
You have two options I’d say when it comes to travelling around Cornwall.
The first, and arguably the easiest is to drive yourself around - jumping from beach to beach, spot to spot. Without a car Cornwall is pretty difficult to be honest, but you can rent a car from Newquay Airport if you’d prefer to cut out the long drive if you’re from London or Europe.
The second option is to fly in to Newquay airport and stay at a local hotel. Watergate Bay Hotel is a five minute drive from Newquay airport (a dream) and Bedruthan hotel is a 10 minute drive from the airport too, so you’ve got two solid options right on your doorstep.
I’ve flown down to Cornwall once before and the airport is very cute - it’s small, takes seconds to get through security and everything feels seamless. But, after driving down the other times, I’d always say a car is the easiest and best way to get around so if you do have that option, that’s what I’d go with.
Best time of year to visit
From late May - late September, Cornwall is BUSY. Over the last five years it’s popularity has exploded even more than before, so it does take a lot longer to get from A - B (when you’re driving through the country roads) and the beaches can feel extra busy too.
That being said, British summertime in Cornwall is so lovely and if you’re after a warmer visit, I’d recommend either before or after the summer holidays. One time I perhaps wouldn’t recommend is the August Bank Holiday (a group of us stayed over the Bank Holiday one year and it took us 7.5 hours to drive back to London - ouch).
This is probably a bit controversial - but my favourite time of year by far is March - early April, before the Easter holidays. It’s wintery, cosy but it’s not too stormy and I love the peace and quiet, being able to going down to a beach and having it to yourself is such a luxury. It can be pretty cold (expect to wear lots of layers) but baring in mind you don’t have to wait for a table at restaurants/cafes like the summer, you don’t have to battle to park your car, you can get cheaper hotel rates and the drive down from London is usually easy going, I love this option.
If you have any questions about working in Cornwall as a digital nomad or freelancer, feel free to drop me a DM on Instagram anytime!