Hand-picked: five cottages for October half-term

October half-term in Cornwall runs from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October this year, and it’s the last busy week before the county breathes out for winter. The sea is still around 14 degrees, warmer than it was in May. Every beach is open to dogs again, now the seasonal bans have ended. The Eden Project runs Halloweden from 24 October to 1 November and opens its ice rink on the 17th. And the light, low and gold by four in the afternoon, is the light the painters came here for.

We’ve picked five cottages from our October half-term collection, one for each kind of week: a big elegant beach house, a rainy-week insurance policy, a house with epic skies, a Fowey estate for three families, and a little flat by the sand that won’t cost the earth.

Salubrious House, St Ives: the big elegant beach house

Salubrious House is a wonderful base for an October half-term break in St Ives, putting you close to the town’s beaches, harbour, galleries and tempting places to eat. Autumn brings a gentler pace, making it a lovely time to wander cobbled streets, enjoy blustery coastal walks and make the most of quieter stretches of sand. After a day exploring, head back to a comfortable home-from-home where there’s space to relax and spend time together. With so much of St Ives within easy reach, Salubrious House is perfectly placed for a memorable family escape by the sea.

Salubrious House, sleeps 9, dog-friendly.

Rockpools, Watergate Bay: the rainy-week insurance policy

Late October will give you at least one day of proper Atlantic weather, and Rockpools is made for it: a hot tub and a sauna, heated outdoor showers for the surfers, a cinema snug with Sky TV, and four ensuite bedrooms and five bathrooms so nobody has to queue. It sits high above Watergate Bay, 500 metres from two miles of sand, with sea views from the living space and an EV charger on the drive. Dog-friendly, sleeps ten, and from £1,985 a week at the time of writing.

Rockpools, sleeps 10, dog-friendly, hot tub and sauna.

Brock’s Beach House, near Bude: big skies and big features

Brock’s Beach House is made for an easy October half-term escape, with everything you need for relaxed family time under one roof. There’s a games room for keeping everyone entertained, a cocktail corner for the grown-ups, generous living spaces, sea views and plenty of room to spread out after a day on the coast. The hot tub is perfect for crisp autumn evenings, especially when the skies are clear – with minimal light pollution, October can bring some wonderfully starry nights. With the beach close by and so much to enjoy at the house itself, you can properly switch off without needing to plan every minute.

Hot tub use is available for an additional fee.

Brock’s Beach House, no dogs.

Lantic Barn, Daymarker and Little Polkerris, near Fowey: multiple families, three houses

For families who want to holiday together without all sharing one roof, combining Lantic Barn, Daymarker and Little Polkerris works brilliantly. Set around the Fowey and Polruan area, the three properties give grandparents, siblings and cousins their own space while keeping everyone close enough for days out, coastal walks and long family suppers together. This part of Cornwall is particularly well suited to family stays, with Fowey, the coast and the South West Coast Path nearby. Add in a hot tub, cosy log burners, beautiful surroundings and dog-friendly options, and it’s a superb October half-term set-up.

Lantic Barn, Daymarker and Little Polkerris, sleeps 20, dog-friendly.

Owl’s Nest, Carbis Bay: small, sunny and three minutes from the sand

Owl’s Nest, Carbis Bay: small, sunny and three minutes from the sand
Not every half-term needs a whole house. Owl’s Nest is the lower level of an apartment in Godrevy Court, tucked just above the sand at Carbis Bay, with views across the bay to St Ives harbour and out to Godrevy Lighthouse from your own terrace. The coast path is on the doorstep, and it’s three minutes’ walk down to award-winning Carbis Bay beach. Inside, two immaculate bedrooms and a contemporary bathroom with a walk-in shower and Cornish toiletries to wash the beach off. It sleeps four, from £550 a week at the time of writing.

Owl’s Nest, sleeps 4, no dogs.

Making the most of the week

Book the indoor days first. Halloweden and the ice rink at Eden are the obvious ones, and our guide to a rainy day in Cornwall has fourteen more. Then leave the rest of the week open: October beaches are for wide, empty walks, and the dog-friendly beaches are all yours again. The clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, the night before half-term starts, so the first sunset of the week is at about five. Pack head torches for the walk back from the pub! And if you’re still choosing, our family days out guide and our guide to where to stay in Cornwall will settle it.