Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and everywhere you look are strings of paper hearts and dozens of roses. Following up from my mini break away in November last year (post here), I feel that another staycation is in order to celebrate this romantic day. Here are the top three places I’m looking at for a cosy, coastal retreat this February.
Torquay
This is a really popular destination with a lot of my student friends. It’s the perfect location for a summer break, but I think it would also make a lovely weekend away for loved-up couples. For the more traditional pair, there’s the medieval Torre Abbey, where I would love nothing better than to have a cream tea after a walk through the gardens.
Of course, the real highlight for a lot of these coastal retreats is the scuba diving, surfing and walks along the beach. There are ample places to do this in Torquay, including Babbacombe (which also has a cute model village), Meadfoot Beach and Oddicombe Beach.
Bournemouth
Okay, so I know this is cheating a little as I already went there last year, but this really is such a warm and welcoming place. Plus, there are a few things there I didn’t get to do last time (as long as I’m trying new things, it’s totally fine, right?).
There’s so much to do in this area too. I’ll definitely be heading for the Tower Park leisure complex, but if I’m feeling a little more adventurous, I might head down to Boscombe Surf Reef … but we’ll have to see how brave I am on the day!
The great thing about booking for Valentine’s Day is that there are tonnes of discounts available on deal websites, so you can get a great stay for less money! Great Little Breaks is one of them, and they just happen to have a coastal retreat package to Bournemouth available right now.
Cornwall
I have so many fond childhood memories of this place, and I can think of nothing better than revisiting to create some new memories! Thanks to the popularity of watersports here and growing nightlife, Cornwall has seen quite a wave (sorry for the pun) of younger holiday-makers over the past few years.
Cornwall is a big area, but just like Bournemouth, it has some stunning locations for romantic dates. I am determined to visit the Eden Project and see what all the fuss is about, but I can’t imagine a more fairytale setting than the Lost Gardens of Heligan for a romantic stroll. I guess this one will need some thinking about!
***
