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.

Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Luccombe Cottage, a 4-star Exmoor holiday cottage Somerset sleeps 6 in 3 bedrooms in the beautiful Avill valley near Dunster and Minehead. Indoor pool, spa bath, games room, tennis court, trampoline, play centre etc. Families and dogs welcome.

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Sleeps
16
Bedrooms
8

Belle Isle Castle – Hamilton Wing is a large holiday home near Enniskillen that offers sumptuous accommodation for up to 16 guests on an estate spread over eight picturesque islands on the northern tip of Upper Lough Erne in County Fernaugh, a child-friendly property with modern amenities expertly complementing original features.

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Sleeps
16
Bedrooms
7

This large Welsh holiday cottage in Llanberis stands in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park, Sleeping 16, Halford Hill welcomes groups and large families (and their pets) for self-catering holidays exploring, walking or cycling in the North Wales countryside.

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Exterior and courtyard of a stone-built, Exmoor barn conversion
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

A stunning farming estate with a swimming pool in the heart of North Devon, The Old Stables is a rural holiday cottage located in a scenic valley between Bishop's Nympton and South Molton on the edge of Exmoor National Park with easy access to Devon's coastline and other attractions.

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A row of barn conversions are reflected in the surface of a lake.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Braefoot is a North Devon countryside cottage in West Down close to beaches at Woolacombe and Ilfracombe. This child-friendly rural retreat at Lower Aylescott Farm is ideally located for family holidays exploring the North Devon coast.

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A glimpse of a stone-built barn conversion partially screened by mature bushes in a garden.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Situated on the owner’s organic farm near the historic market town of Tavistock, Devon, Rose Cocoon offers a beautiful rural holiday experience, a child-friendly cottage with access to a gym, spa, and swimming pool. It boasts a traditional English vibe with wood panelling and antique furnishings.

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Sleeps
12
Bedrooms
7

Fern House is a large holiday cottage in the Yorkshire Dales village of Kettlewell. This pet-friendly property in a picturesque Wharfedale village with award-winning pubs, superb views and walks from the doorstep sleeps 12 in 7 bedrooms, perfect for family and group accommodation.

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A terrace of thatched cottages overlook a road and beachfront at low tide.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Captain’s Cottage in Minehead, Somerset, offers beachfront charm with sea views. This thatched seaside cottage sleeps four in two bedrooms. Period features include an inglenook fireplace, a modern kitchen, and a rear terrace for sea gazing. The dog-friendly cottage has no garden. It is close to the harbour and the South West Coastal Path. Limited mobility is cautioned. It is an Ideal Exmoor coast retreat.

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A lighthouse holiday cottage complex on a rugged North Devon clifftop.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

Enjoy unique self-catering holidays in North Devon with a stay at Siren, one of four refurbished former lighthouse keepers’ cottages overlooking Bull Point near the village of Mortehoe, Devon, a child-friendly cottage that sleeps up to five, featuring three bedrooms, a fully fitted kitchen, and absolutely gorgeous sea views.

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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.