As usual we give all of the accommodation a lick of paint each year but this winter we decided to revamp a few of the kitchens and bathrooms as well. New tiles, units and flooring to make sure that your stay with us is as comfortable as possible.

So far, so normal.

And he’s a bloody good painter.

To book your holiday in the newly renovated apartments give us a call on 01736 755493/756560 or check our availability and book online.

There are thousands of reasons to come to Cornwall and more are added to the list every day but it’s not often that Cornwall is the stepping stone rather than the final destination.

Unless you go to the Scilly’s that is. I hadn’t been for just under ten years so it was about time I went back with Ruth and reminded myself just how stunning it is. The beaches and landscapes are like the very best bits of Sennen and Porthcurno – beautiful white sand beaches and granite boulders skirting around untouched countryside.

Ruth and I managed to get away for a couple of days at the beginning of September when the weather was scorching and the sea was flat making the 2 hour trip on the Scillionian feel like a mini cruise rather than a ferry journey! If you like walking then the Scilly’s, much like the footpaths around Gwithian and St Ives, offer heaps of opportunity. St Agnes (and Gugh) were my favourites – an island (actually two at high tide) with a few houses, a post office and a pub. I can’t wait to return.

If you are planning a stay on the Scilly Isles then check out details of the Scillonian Ferry and don’t forget to pop in to see us on the way home.

And make sure you take a tide-table!

I know it seems a little bit early to be talking about September but bookings tend to come in thick and fast so if you want to go to the St Ives September Festival then you really need to start thinking about getting booked in now. This year the festival runs for two weeks from Saturday 13th to Saturday 27th of September.

The St Ives September Festival began in a back kitchen in Teetotal Street in September 1977 bringing together the diverging interests of several arts and music professionals. The first Festival, which ran from 14th to 24th September 1978 was already ambitious in its scope and covered folk music, dance, fine arts, chamber music, poetry, arts & crafts and theatre, and even featured a very young Nigel Kennedy.

This year the festival is going to be a beauty. The act that catches my eye straightaway is Kernow King. You may have seen some of his sketches and take on Cornish life on Facebook – they really are very funny indeed. This Cornish comedian has been around for a couple of years now and he is getting more and more popular. He’s kinda like a thin, young Jethroe. You’ll love him.

Hawkwind will be closing the festival on the 27th with a spectacular show, featuring dancers, stiltwalkers, psychadelic lighting and projections to the St Ives September Festival. Bonkers.

There will also be loads of art exhibitions running throughout St Ives in September but if culture, comedy and music aren’t your cup of tea then you can still head to the beach and get the last few rays of the British summer sunshine.

This time last year I was talking to the National Trust ranger for Godrevy Point, Nick, about the weather. Our yarn went something along the lines of ‘cold at Easter, good summer’ and by and large Nick was right. Last year was a fabulous summer, the driest in years, and the one we had been waiting for.

So what does this year have in store?

You’d have to be a madman to predict the Cornish weather but what I do know is that it has been absolutely fabulous for nearly the whole of April so far.

The prolonged dry spell has meant we have been able to give the outside a good lick of paint to add the finishing touches to this years extensive program of winter renovations. It’s been a hectic winter but it has been worth it.

Gwithian Holidays, and Cornwall in general, is looking gorgeous in the early season sun. Why not come down and see for yourselves?

It’s been a struggle to think of new things to do lately in the, ahem, odd rainy day that we have had this winter but by chance we hit open a fantastic morning out this week.

Normally when someone says ‘Go to a museum’ my heart fills with dread but off we trudged to Truro with a toddler and fairly low expectations. Well, I have to apologise because Truro Museum was absolutely excellent.

The exhibition that immediately caught my eye was the ‘Endless Summer Surfing Exhibition’ but first the toddler had to be placated and this was going to take all of mummy and daddy’s powers of coaxing and persuasion.

Or so we thought.

It turns out that Finn wasn’t the first toddler to be frogmarched to a museum by their parents and the curators at Truro had put on a great show that kept him amused for over an hour (roughly a century in toddler time). There were loads of interactive [Read more…]

During the winter season we always like to get the accommodation spic and span and ready for the season ahead. This usually involves a lick of paint as well as a few minor alterations here and there but some years it can be a bit more dramatic.

One of the main aspects of our winter refurbishment plan this winter was to make sure that all of our accommodation was toasty warm so we have been installing a new heating system that is efficient and most importantly, easily controllable by our customers.

The feedback that we have had has been amazing so now when you come down for a winter break to Cornwall you can do so in the knowledge that after a day walking on the beach, visiting friends or even surfing you can go back to your apartment and thaw out in comfort.  There are also some great nights on in the Red River Inn to keep you entertained during the longer evenings.

Summer and Spring may seem like a long way away but if you need a pick me up from the winter blues then how about a short break in Cornwall. Give us a call on 01736 755493 or book online.

Well, who am I to dissagree? I say this as a person who is just about to get in the car, pop over to Praa Sands and have a quick surf. The sun is shining, there are blue skies in all directions and, although it’s chilly, it’s a beautiful day.

After several weeks of staring at a computer screen with bloodshot eyes and feeling the last part of my soul being sucked into a pixelated vortex of despair I am pleased, no delighted to announce that the Gwithian Holidays website has been revamped and released into the world.

There are literally thousands of thing that I love about running holiday apartments in Gwithian; meeting new people being chief among them. Website admin however would come significantly further down the list but I have to say I am pleased with the outcome.

The new website has a new online availability & booking feature so if you want to book in you can do so at any time, day or night. Of course if you prefer to pick up the phone we are still more than happy to have a chat and give you all the information that you need. Eagle eyed Facebook followers will have noticed that this feature is also available from our Facebook page.

There is also a new blog section which will be containing some regularly updated news about Gwithian Holidays and what’s going on in the area.

So what next? Now that the website is up and running I’ll be hoping to get some surfing done in the autumnal swells that will be arriving any day now. That’s more like it!

I realise that I am taking a diabolical risk talking about the weather and that this post will almost certainly jinx any hope we have of an Indian summer but I can’t contain myself any longer – the weather has just been amazing. It’s like those summers you remembered as a kid when you spent every day outdoors and it’s been very gratefully received after the last few ho-hum seasons.

After a pretty dreadful run the weather men were saying that we should prepare for 10 years of rain. Right on cue the sun came out and even now it’s still hot most days. We seem to have cool autumnal starts to the day but any cloud has burnt off by lunchtime – perfect.

Just keep your fingers crossed that they don’t promise a barbeque summer next year.

Living in Cornwall it’s easy to get blase about the beautiful beaches on our doorstep. Last weekend I was reminded of how good we’ve got it down here.
I was down in Sennen helping out with a surfing competition the other day and it just so happened to coincide with the hottest weekend of the year so far. Temperatures in the mid-twenties and clear blue skies. What really struck me was the colour of the sea – a deep blue that you just don’t get in other parts of the county.
Well worth the short drive if you are down this way, I might head back there this weekend!