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.

Facade of a rambling country house overlooking an open field.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Set in the private grounds of Combermere Abbey, Callander Cottage is a light and airy property with tasteful, contemporary furnishings and a fresh, calming colour palette. With its own small private garden, it's perfectly located next to the beautiful walled garden at the Abbey.

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Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Salty Sea Dog lies just a few steps from the beach in Trebarwith Strand and the ground-floor, pet-friendly beach apartment in North Cornwall lives up to its name combining joyful beach-themed décor with refinement and modern comfort plus views of the beautiful Cornish coastline. Sleeps 4.

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Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Curlew Cottage promises seclusion and escape. The pet-friendly rural cottage in Lower Peover, lies near Knutsford in Cheshire and is surrounded by countryside and a delightful garden. The lovingly-appointed interior features light-filled spaces and a subtle palette and ensure a restful holiday.

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A clifftop lighthouse and cottages with spectacular ocean views.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Bishop Rock is a former Cornish lighthouse keeper’s cottage located within the Lizard Lighthouse grounds, boasting panoramic ocean views from its clifftop location. The unique, much modernised, comfortable self-catering cottage near Helston provides direct access to this beautiful stretch of the Cornish coast.

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Exterior of a terraced Cotswold holiday cottage overlooking a village street.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
1

The Cotswold Cedar is a sophisticated and romantic 2-bedroom holiday cottage near Painswick set on the grounds of a 16th-century house. The Cotswold stone cottage is gorgeously presented and offers a pleasant sun-trap garden with a furnished deck, bi-fold doors and

open-plan spaces promising total relaxation.

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Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
2

Beachcombers is a lovely coastal cottage in Newquay with a pool just moments from the sands of Porth Beach in Cornwall. Pastel hues and modern facilities feature in the cottage, including generous open-plan living space. Beachcombers are ideal for a coastal family holiday.

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Exterior of Taunton Castle with a large arch converted to luxury holiday apartments
Sleeps
7
Bedrooms
4

Castle House sits on the grounds of the Museum of Somerset in the county town of Taunton, Somerset, part of a 12th-century castle and offers a distinctive holiday experience, a large child-friendly cottage with four bedrooms over two stories, a modern kitchen, & signature Tudor Room sitting area.

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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.