TAKING in the crystal-blue Atlantic in the distance, I can see why this resort is called Gwel an Mor – “View of the Sea” in Cornish.
Perched on a rolling hillside on the idyllic North Cornwall coast, it boasts an enviable vantage point.
But my two children are enjoying a very different view after checking in at the Portreath resort.
They sit fully clothed in the bathtub watching telly, amazed by the flatscreen by their feet.
My family are not used to this kind of high-end holidaying. Last summer, we stayed in an Airbnb with an outdoor loo.
The facilities at the new Residence lodges at Landal Parks’ Gwel an Mor should also impress tourists used to 5-star travels.
After a very long drive, there is a hot tub at the lodge to soothe my knotted back and two loungers on which to stretch out in the sun the next day. The newly built six-bed holiday homes each have their own wood burner for winter and all the mod cons we could think of.
Thankfully, there is plenty to do here — enough to get the kids to put down the telly remote.
On our first morning, we amble down the tranquil hillside from our lodge to Gwel an Mor’s Feadon Farm petting zoo.
Here, head ranger Gary Zammit — Cornwall’s answer to Steve Irwin — puts the “wild” into wildlife conservation. In an experience that is not to be missed, I find myself nose to nose with a truly fantastic fox, so friendly that the bushy tailed animal nuzzles me.
I also get close up to a snake — not venomous, thankfully — which wraps itself around my arms, then stroke a friendly reindeer, feed goats and have an owl land on my hand.
It is hard to say who is more thrilled, me or the kids.
After lunch, we take a short walk through the fern-filled woods down to Portreath’s generous beach.
Like much of Cornwall’s coast, it is fantastic for surfing and diving into the waves — more so than actual swimming, in fact.
The sandy cove is part of a stretch designated a Unesco World Heritage Site as well as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Bustling without being crowded, it is the perfect spot to take things easy in the afternoon.
And that is what is so remarkable about our break here.
Somehow, Gwel an Mor somehow manages to be both relaxing and active at the same time. The holiday site is serene despite the presence of so many young families and the sporting pursuits on offer.
There is a gym, sea scooters for the indoor pool, a croquet green, tennis courts, indoor climbing wall, fishing lake, a nine-hole all-weather golf course and indoor archery.
We try out the golf and the archery, which are both great fun even for novices like us. The archery instructor must be very good at their job, because somehow I find myself hitting the bullseye.
I only wish there was someone to help me get out of the huge bunker on the Famous Nine golf course.
For winding down, there is a restaurant serving fancy gin cocktails, a steam room, sauna and a wellness centre where you can enjoy a massage or a facial.
Gwel an Mor will leave you wanting to come back for more.
GO: CORNWALL
STAYING THERE: Three nights at Landal Gwel an Mor in a Residence Collection 3 lodge, sleeping up to six people, costs from £599. Home comforts include luxury toiletries by Rituals and an outdoor hot tub at selected sites. Find out more at landal.co.uk or call 0345 498 6200.
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