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.

Exterior of a stone-built barn conversion overlooking a field.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Linden Barn is a newly-converted barn bordering the Cumbrian countryside. The charming, pet-friendly cottage combines style with tradition and sits in a quiet corner of Orton. Spacious grounds surround the 3-bedroom cottage, and the interior features tiled floors, an open-plan design, comfort and a log fire.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Set amongst mature waterside gardens in a gorgeous secluded location, Bratton Mill Cottage, near the medieval village of Bratton Fleming in Devon, is a pet-friendly 17th-century cottage. It has been recently redecorated yet retains much of the character and charm of the original mill.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
2-storey1930s holiday cottage in Lymington
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Sitting just minutes from the beach in Keyhaven is Simple Truths, a stylish coastal cottage with sunny open-plan spaces, a generous lawned garden and urban chic. The pet-friendly cottage in Hampshire enjoys a quiet location in this lovely hamlet and boasts an outdoor seating area with BBQ and Tee-Pee.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
A Cornish wooden barn conversion overlooks a shrub-lined courtyard
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
5

Where better to enjoy uninterrupted views of the picturesque 14th Century Cornish fishing village of Mevagissey than from the balconies at The Pink House, a large holiday cottage perched above the village offering breath-taking harbour and sea views.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Exterior of a stone-built holiday home in Dunster surrounded by a stone wall..
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Withycombe Cottage is a charming rural holiday cottage in the Exmoor National Park near Dunster. The pet-friendly property sleeps six with an indoor pool, a swimming pool, a tennis court and children’s playground, a games room, and an interior combining tradition and style.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Holiday Cottages With a Pool
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
A classic country house with a row of five windows overlooks a shrub0filled garden lined by wrought iron railings.
Sleeps
12
Bedrooms
6

Flanders Hall is a large and impressive Grade II listed Georgian country house in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales in West Burton. This pet-friendly holiday home in secluded rural surroundings is perfect for large family holidays or a get-together with friends in the great outdoors.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Apple Tree Cottage is a picturesque chocolate box cottage in the heart of Burton Bradstock in Dorset. The pet-friendly cottage sleeps four and boasts a thatched roof and proximity to beautiful beaches, a furnished cottage garden, exposed beams, elegant furnishings, natural light and charm.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
A historic black-and-white-timbered Herefordshire barn conversion with a large lawn.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Stay in a cottage that once housed a baby elephant and enjoy self-catering holidays in the delights of the Herefordshire countryside. Elephant Cottage is a romantic and pet-friendly holiday cottage in Bromyard which boasts exposed beams, trusses, wattle and daub, an open fire and contemporary design, and a vibrant garden and rural views.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

View this tranquil romantic getaway in Snowdonia. Lily Cottages offers a snug and comfortable 1-bedroom accommodation of a high standard for 2-3 guests. With far-reaching countryside and mountain views, this charming cottage near Caernarfon is also within easy reach of the coast.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Romantic 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.