When asked beach or forest, I've always said beach.
Not sure if it's the fresh sea air on my face or the everlasting thought that I could stumble across some treasure that's been washed up on the shore. The sea encapsulates everything about life; some days are rough, some are calm, and there's an element of never really knowing what's going on below the surface. It's always an exciting yet sometimes frightening thought.
The Cornish shorelines are Like no other in the world, and Watergate bay is no exception.
We recently spent three blissful nights at Watergate bay in their incredible beach loft apartments.
Our first actual family holiday; having been overwhelmed and almost too frightened to travel with toddler twins and a four-year-old, we haven't been away as much as I would've hoped, and then lockdown hit, which meant our prime time for holidays were on hold.
But then, an incredible opportunity to visit Watergate bay came up, and to say we were excited is an understatement.
We had seen the beach lofts on Instagram and all over the Internet, but you never really know what to expect. We turned up at the lofts, and on arrival, the only thing you can see is a gate. You buzz, and the door slowly opens, where you are faced with the most incredible sea view and steps which lead you down a glass walkway towards the entrance of the beach lofts.
We stayed in beach loft 107, and it was perfect. The kids had their own room with bunk beds and a single bed, and the bath was big enough for all five of us.
Then past the bathroom, you walk through to the primary bedroom and living area, and it made all of us stand still and stare out of the floor-to-ceiling windows at the Seaview.
There is a big telly, and of course, we took the kids tablets. I am Mum, who always strives for zero screen time, but I am also realistic, so the kids' tablets are never too far from me. Having said that the tablets never came out of our suitcase and the telly wasn't put on for the whole trip as the sea view was our screen time.
The lofts are designed by Dynargh Design, and they had meticulously thought of everything from the fabric they used for the pillows to the wool blankets at the foot of the kid's beds. Beautiful artwork and textures for days.
The swimming pool is in the main building, so it's a short walk from the beach lofts over to the hotel. But each time was an exhilarating adventure as we would walk down our private steps to the beach, walk along the beach and up the slope to the swimming pool—the pool with its famous view over the bay and crisp, clean towels at your disposal. The feeling of being in a warm, tranquil pool with the raging sea as your view is quite something.
Our morning ritual was choosing and preparing our breakfast from the vast selection at the surf pantry near our room—fresh juice, delicious hot coffee, and waffle mixture ready to be poured into the heated waffle iron. Every cereal a kid could ask for, chunky soft bread and overnight oats, all taken back to our loft to eat with that view.
We ate out in Zacry's for our evening meals, and the food was delicious, but looking back, I would probably eat out at a restaurant in 'The Living Space' and let the diners in Zacry's eat in peace. But the kids loved it, and they got to try some exquisite food, and our waiter was great with the kids and made us feel comfortable and more than welcome.
Craig and I went for a surf lesson on what has to be one of the wettest days in history, but it didn't in any way dampen our spirits. We had a brilliant time, and it was hilarious and exhausting all at the same time. The kiddos went to Kids' zone, which they loved and came back with some very artistic creations which we now have on our fridge.
Every day included a walk along the bay. Our family love to be near water, and we love kayaking, wild swimming and paddleboarding. If we are ever near water, our kiddos are stripped off and in their pants paddling before you know it. We found caves, collected shells we ran, dug holes, and breathed in the fresh, breezy air.
When we made our way back to the beach lofts with sea salt in our hair, the sand between our toes, and our pockets weighing us down fully loaded with shells and stones, I knew the Five of us were all truly happy.
Water gives us an unspoken connection, and being near it is when we feel the closest as a family. So to live on the beach for four days was a truly spiritual experience for all of us.