A surfer traverses a large wave. Find holiday cottages for active holidays in the open air.

Book Self-Catering Holiday Cottages For Active Holidays

Scroll down to find a choice of self-catering cottages suitable for those seeking an active holiday involving sporting or outdoor pursuits. Whether walking in England, climbing mountains in Scotland, riding rapids or zip wires in Wales, the holiday cottages listed here will be near an attractive choice of activities to enjoy in the great outdoors. Many activity cottages will offer on-site facilities such as fishing, swimming pools and tennis courts or will be surrounded by long, bracing walks in the country or along the miles of scenic coastal footpaths. 

Click on the preview description of any cottage to view its main page.

Stone-built terraced cottage with a flower-filled window basket.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

Coquet Cottage blends sleek modern touches with dark, rich antique décor in a traditional mid-terrace holiday cottage in Amble-by-the-Sea. The stone-walled, pet-free, seaside cottage features a regal master bedroom with heavy wooden furniture and an ultra-modern single room on the Northumberland coast.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Smoking Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
A double-fronted 2-storey house with a large lawn in a moorland location
Sleeps
14
Bedrooms
4

A large, detached and comfortably furnished holiday cottage in Denbighshire, The Farm House in Llantysilio sleeps 14. It is a pet-friendly holiday home in a rural location beneath the Maersyrchen Mountain near Llangollen. It sleeps 14 guests and is perfect for walking and family holidays.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages with Hot Tubs
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
L=shaped rural holiday bungalow surrounded by a large hedge and parking spaces.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Applewood is a pretty one-bedroom cottage situated in the village of Harome near Helmsley within walking distance of the Michelin-starred Star Inn and nestled between the North Yorkshire Moors National Park and the Howardian Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
Cloistered extrior of a single-storey barn conversion with a creeper-covered pergola.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Garden Barn is a gorgeous rural cottage situated on a farm, which spoils guests with endless rustic charm, an open fire, contemporary comfort, a sun-drenched summerhouse and expansive views to Billingsley and the Shropshire region from its generous garden, where children and pets can run free.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
16
Bedrooms
8

Deerclose is a large Yorkshire Dales Farmhouse offering self-catering accommodation for large families and groups of friends in the tiny village of Horsehouse near Leyburn in Coverdale. High up on the fells, this characterful farmhouse offers stunning rural views of the Dales countryside.

  • Accessible Cottages
  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Farm Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
20
Bedrooms
8

Rosehill is a characterful and family-friendly Shropshire holiday cottage offering group accommodation for 20 guests in 8 comfortable bedrooms, all with en suite bathrooms, in a rural hamlet a few miles from Market Drayton. This large holiday home has a swimming pool, games room and hot tub.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages With Games Rooms
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Holiday Cottages With a Pool
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Ideal for young families, this accessible ground-floor rural holiday home in Laugharne offers lovely country views and outdoor fun on the edge of the South Wales coast. Meadow View is a lovingly converted three-bedroom cottage on a charming smallholding in Carmarthenshire.

  • Accessible Cottages
  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

La’l Tethera is a cosy and welcoming modern apartment offering couples an ideal base for a holiday in Ambleside. The romantic cottage lies close to the main attractions of Ambleside and promises contemporary comforts, open-plan design and proximity to the delights of Cumbria and The Lakes District.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Small Cottages
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Milkens Cottage at Endamoor Farm is a luxury Peak District holiday cottage located in glorious rural surroundings near Bakewell. It in Derbyshire that sleeps 4 very comfortably in 2 bedroom. This pet friendly cottage is perfect for walking or cycling holidays on the Tissington and Manifold Trails.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Independent Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays

Activity holidays don't need to involve knuckle experiences. For families with young children or those preferring a 'healthy holiday' without the risk of injury, consider hiring bicycles to explore a Sustrans Cycle route or a cycle path such as the Tarka Trail in North Devon or The Bonsal Trail in Derbyshire. To ensure that a holiday cottage has precisely what you are looking for, e.g. an outdoor shower for washing the salt of wetsuits and surfboards, use the Visit Website button to go to a cottage's website for further information. Alternatively, e-mail or phone the owners direct to check that what you want to do on holiday is precisely the activity accessible at the cottage.