6 Yurt Glamping Sites to visit in Cornwall according to Cool Camping

  1. East Thorne Camping- stress free family glamping site on the northern reaches of Bude. Yurts are kitted out with handmade furniture, double beds, futons, electricity, decking and an outdoor kitchen (fridge, BBQ and gas stove). Excellent facilities with showers, loos (2M, 2F), hairdryers, plug sockets, washing up area and a games room with pool table and board games. Pizza oven for use. Internet and Wi-fi available. Sheep and chickens on-site. Campfires are allowed in the firepits provided. East Thorne can organise all sorts of activities from coasteering and kayaking to high ropes. Try surfing at Sandymouth Beach (07870 472448), about 10-minutes’ drive away, or take on one of the toughest sections of the South West Coast Path between Bude and Hartland Quay. Bude’s stunning Summerleaze, Crooklets and Widemouth beaches are popular for trying your hand at further surfing or simply building sand castles with the kids. A string of cool waterfront cafés and amusement arcades will also keep you busy once you tire of the beach.
  2. Cotna Eco Retreat- Cotna is a small-scale glamping site on an organic farm. Facilities on site include Showers, compost loos, recycling, BBQs and washing machine on request. Friendly animals – chickens, ducks, horse’s cats and dogs. Yurts include rugs, double bed (and bedding), wood-burner, solar LED lights, kitchen equipment and basic provisions. Strawbale Studio includes king-sized bed, en suite shower, a kitchen, dining furniture and a private deck. Sleeping bags are available for Ismay. Solar and wind energy provides the power and water is all sourced from a natural spring on the farm. Sara and Dave can lend you bikes or take you foraging – courses on the farm include wild food forage ‘cook & dine’, vegetarian cuisine, sourdough bread making and land-based skills. Gorran Haven, Hemmick, Caerhays and Vault beaches are all within a half hour walk – Steve keeps the parish footpaths clear that lead you out to the coast and join the renowned South West Coast Path. Vault is a wonderfully long, unspoiled beach, a slight walk away from its carpark and consequently one of the quietest spots, while Hemmick is perfect for watching sunsets.
  3. Bakesdown Farm- The camping, yurt and cabin each have their own field and every pitch has a campfire pit (logs £3 per bucket, kindling £1.50 per pot). There are showers, toilets, a fridge, freezer and charging points a few footsteps up the lane at the farm, along with free-range eggs and local goods for sale. The yurt and cabin each have their own kitchen hut, private compost toilet and gas-heated shower too. Water taps, recycling and rubbish in all fields. It’s under four miles to Widemouth Bay, with access to the coastal path and several companies offering surfboard hire and lessons. Widemouth is also home to the excellent Bay View Inn, the best pub food in the area (see food & drink). Half a mile further, Bude has two more beaches (with more lessons and boards for hire; 07779 117746) and is backed by a wealth of independent shops. For something different, try horse riding with nearby Broomhill Manor Riding Stables (07899 676746).
  4. Luxury Cornish Yurts- 3 yurts located in a two acre paddock. Each yurt has its own kitchen complete with fridge, hob, sink, and cupboards. Shared dishwasher, double oven, and microwave are available. A large barn with table football, games, books and a ipod docking station. Great open fire-pit area with gas BBQ, seating up to 15 people. Adrenalin Quarry (01579 308 204), the UK’s biggest zip-wire is a short ten minute drive away. The equally gorgeous north and south coast beaches can be reached by car within thirty minutes. Visit the ever scenic Siblyback Lake (01579 346522) and take a lesson in sailing, windsurfing or canoeing. Take up the challenge of the 12km “Bodmin Beast” cycle track at Cardinham Woods. 
  5. Maker Camping- A tipi to play in; piles of scrap wood with which they can be as inventive as they like; a couple of horses to admire; and a huge amount of space for games. Or come in June/July for the music festival organised by Maker Events. There are 4 small compost toilets in the fields (6 more by the time you read this, and solar showers are in the pipeline, too), with 4 women’s and 8 men’s conventional loos in the onsite buildings and 4 showers (£1 or 20p coins). Swimming, snorkelling and beach-based fun are a 10-minute walk away in Kingsand – a grassy path runs there from the site. Whitsand Bay’s waves are ripe for surfing. Within easy walking distance (10 – 15 mins) of the delightful sea side villages of Kingsand and Cawsand (ferry to Plymouth Barbican), and lakeview village of Millbrook. 5 mins drive from surfing beach at Whitsands and 15 mins to National Trusts Antony House (setting of Tim Burtons film Alice in Wonderland) 10 mins drive to Mt. Edgecumbe House at Cremyl and ferry to Plymouth and Royal William Yard. 50 mins drive from The Eden Project. 
  6. Enchanted Valley Yurts- Yurts are fully furnished with a double bed, day beds and futons (including bedding for the main bed and extra bedding if required) and have log burners for cooler evenings. On the wooden deck outside there is a table, chairs and chimenea. Both share the kitchen and shower facilities. The kitchen has a range cooker with gas hob and electric oven, a microwave, toaster, kettle, juicer, cutlery and crockery, tables and chairs for a rainy day, storage, fridge and a freezer. Outside there is a dining tent with a bench table and a further outdoor cooking area with a wood-burning pizza oven, BBQ and campfire area. Each yurt also has its own shower and flushing toilet facilities in a neighbouring log cabin. If it’s raining there are board games in kitchen, drawing books and crayons and painting and craft sessions can be organised. Campfires. Stargazing from bed. Home comforts under canvas. No wonder yurts are the accommodation of choice in the Mongolian desert. And with an exotic wildlife park within walking distance, Enchanted Valley Yurts could be in a foreign land too were it not for the British weather.