Cornish Tipi Holidays

View prices & book 9.1 53 reviews
Morning view from the tipi (added by manager 22 Apr 2015)
Luminous lake with row boats and canoes that can be used by guests
Plenty of room in the meadow
Family camp out

  • Peaceful site on the north Cornish coast
  • Five minutes' drive from the nearest beach
  • On-site lake for swimming, boating, and trout fishing
There is, perhaps, nothing better than landing your own trout on a campsite fishing lake... and then landing it in a pan over a campfire for dinner. Unless it’s waking up to the sounds of birds twittering and then – with luck – the sizzling sound of a bacon and egg breakfast being cooked by a considerate beloved and carried lovingly into your tipi? If you have a beloved who seems allergic to frying pans, you might think your chances of having breakfast cooked for you on holiday are approximately nil. But the romantic feel of this place might be catching: there’s been at least one proposal a year at Cornish Tipi Holidays near Polzeath on the north Cornish coast since it opened in 1997... This site's always a huge hit with families and kids, but grandparents, loved-up couples, honeymooners, weekend breakers, artists, surfers and painters, and all sorts of Cornish holidaymakers have bedded down in the woodland valley at Cornish Tipi Holidays over the years, so you should toddle along to it to see why it all works so well. Cornish Tipi Holidays is owned by Elizabeth, whose family has worked the farmland and quarries around this area for 11 generations, and she’ll be happy to give advice, info and directions to wherever tickles your Cornish fancy. So come one, come all – just be sure to remember the lemon, black pepper and, possibly, the champagne...?

Site type

Touring caravan pitches 5
Motorhome pitches 10
Rent a tent 19
Tent pitches 30
Open now
Opens 22 March
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Single-sex bookings of 6 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • The outdoor swimming pool is open between 08/04 and 01/10 (subject to weather conditions).
  • Entertainment and activities are available between 08/04 and 01/10.
  • No cars/motorbikes by the pitch/unit. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
  • The site is a glorious outdoor wedding venue and in the busy summer wedding season there may well be a wedding or two during your stay. Campers are usually a long way from the festivities but it's a good thing to be aware of when booking your trip. No dogs allowed (except guide dogs).

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 22 Mar to

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

89%

would recommend this site to a friend

83%

would stay here again

  • 73%
    10
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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Amazing site, fantastic facilities. Welcoming staff and in general a special site…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Kirstie H. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Meadow non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked: Amazing site, fantastic facilities. Welcoming staff and in general a special site

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you so much for your fab 10 out of 10 review and your lovely comments - look forward to seeing you again!

We would stay again, lake was fantastic 👌

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch (XL, secluded)

Liked: The private pitch was flat and had it's own picnic table, campfire and clean water tap. We booked an XL pitch and were able to fit on 3 tents. We could drive to the pitch to unload before parking in the car park, which wasn't far from the pitch. Great knowing there weren't cars everywhere so the kids could play safely around the site. The compost toilets were cleaned daily and the facilities (flushing toilets, sinks and showers) were clean and had hot water. We were able to use the main reception to charge up power banks for phones and use the freezer. Also, the logs for sale on site were reasonably priced. The lake was amazing and having kayaks and canoes to use was perfect. Highlight of the trip. The kids also loved seeing the peacocks, chickens, cows and the cat.

Disliked: The Tipi kitchen was too busy for us to sit and eat but this was our own fault for not reserving a table on a bank holiday weekend with a family of 7! Pretty much no data connection but I didn't even try the WiFi as was happy for the kids to be offline.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you so much for bringing your lovely big family to come and stay & giving us such an excellent 10 out of 10 rating! Yes the August Bank Holiday weekend tends to be the single busiest weekend of the year so that's why the cafe would have been so full. Thank you also for your thoughtful comments about the loos/sinks/showers and the freezer/logs for campfires etc. We're so pleased you all enjoyed the lake & the boats and the free roaming campsite wildlife! Hope to see you again next year!

Lovely place to stay with children, lots to do and very friendly staff

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 6
Wifi 2
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Meadow non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked: Lovely camp site. The lake with boats available was just beautiful and great fun for the children. We swam, fished and enjoyed boating. The cafe was also a highlight, as was just really beautiful and the food was great. The staff in the cafe and on site were very friendly and helpful.

Disliked: There was a lack of toilets and showers and having the compost toilets right next to where you brushed your teeth and washed was a bit smelly and felt very exposed. Me and the children wouldn’t use and walked to the other toilet block. There was also a lack of basic signage anywhere as to where drinking water/ how to use the compost loos and bins in the loos for any other disposables. The cafe was gorgeous but did feel was a bit overpriced and no child size portions available. Very small things really that could be fixed very easily and would be just perfect.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for posting such fantastic pictures of your trip complete with boating, fishing, inside the cafe etc - it really gives the feeling of being there! Thanks also for your kind remarks about the staff, food at the cafe etc. All our standpipes offer drinking water as do the taps at the basins etc, we're sorry if this wasn't obvious so perhaps we'll take your tip and add it to the site map campers get given at check in. That same map should also show where all the facilities are located on site, and the nearest flushing loos/more showers etc if people don't like the composting ones...we are aware that they don't suit everyone! Child portions are a little more tricky but we try to have simpler options on the menu that are fairly priced.Look forward to seeing you again & many thanks for your feedback!

Our favourite place

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
REBECCA S. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Meadow non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked: We love absolutely everything about this place, we visit every year and it’s by far our favourite place in the world. We fish, kayak, paddle board and swim. Surrounded by some of the best little coastal villages to visit as well.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: "Our favourite place"...! We're not sure how anyone can cap that as a testimonial! Thank you so very much and we'll really look forward to seeing you again next year when hopefully the weather will be kinder for all the outdoor pursuits your family loves!

Lovely place. Great for families

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 6
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Meadow non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked: The lake and the free use of kayaks etc. The eco credentials. Being shown to my pitch by quad bike

Disliked: Not being given money back for cancelling one of the days

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks so much for your overall 10 rating and we're so pleased you enjoyed your motorhome/campervan stay with us. We're sorry about the refund policy but we have to be firm about this especially in peak periods as you can probably imagine. We'd love to see you with friends once again!

What a wonderful time we had.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Dana A. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Village tipi

Liked: What a wonderful time we had. Such a special place so absolutely ideal for families. We loved our Tipi and found the site to be super special and the facilities top notch , friendly, so well organised and the wonderful Tipi Cafe. We were made to feel very welcome and will be back again soon and recommending to friends.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks so much for your fantastic 10 out of 10 review & we're so pleased you had such a special family trip. Top notch site, friendly staff & wonderful cafe is all music to our ears! Thank you so much and see you again soon - maybe with friends too...:)

Reasonable price, friendly and knowledgable staff, lovely food and coffee in cafe…

Overall 6/10
Location 10
Value for money 6
Accommodation 6
Facilities / Activities 4
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Meadow non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: Reasonable price, friendly and knowledgable staff, lovely food and coffee in cafe on site, great parking, lovely lake in sunny weather. Campsite spot, close to polzeath.

Disliked: Smell of compost loo and Flushable loos not close to public camping, in tipi area only.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks so much for all your lovely comments but sorry you didn't like the composting loos - we know they're not for everyone! The nearest flushing block is about a 60 second walk from the main meadow camping area and there's another very nice lower loo block which is at the other end of the campsite so you should always be able to find the loo of your choice.

Out of this world

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anna C. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch (large, secluded)

Liked: The most beautiful campsite I've ever stayed on - the lake was just out of this world, with access to kayaks and boats free to use. Staff were lovely and super friendly.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you so much your really lovely review and fantastic 10 out of 10. We think the lake is beautiful too and the staff work really hard to make sure everyone feel welcome and have a great time - so it's really nice to let them know everything they do is appreciated. Thank you and really look forward to seeing you again!

Excellent level pitch clean

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Adrianne S. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Meadow non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: Everything! Staff amazing clean showers even the compost toilets where clean! The quarry was a hit very relaxing! A real beauty spot! Food on site was delicious also the bogof cocktails on Saturday were so tasty! Definitely coming back next year! No wifi and lack of phone usage was what we wanted !

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: We love all your pics! The triumphant fisherboy is fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing with us all we really appreciate you letting us see your family fun and thank you so much too for the lovely comments & 10 out of 10 rating. It is camping unplugged (though some signal up at the cafe in the main meadow) and great that you were happy with that. Come back next year for more adventures & Happy Hour cocktails!

Promised so much but delivered so little.

Overall 4/10
Location 8
Value for money 4
Accommodation 4
Facilities / Activities 2
Customer service 2
Child friendliness 4
Cleanliness 2
Wifi 2
Daren L. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch (XL, secluded)

Liked: Secluded pitches for tents. Lovely Lake to wild swim in or use the boats by the lake.

Disliked: Arrived at 6pm - nobody in reception but it said to call or text the mobile number provided. We called 8 times and texts 4/5 times but no answer to either. No welcome and nobody even bothered to see us or call back. We ended up just finding a pitch ( not sure if it was our one) We had driven 6hrs and both of us were really tired. So pitched up on a free space. Spent two days there, and still nobody even asked who we were or even if we had a booking!!? Could of been anyone and stayed for free. Compost toilets, and didn't realise there was better normal toilets on site until the second day. All of them are a bit grubby and dirty, but ok I guess. Showers again, just a wooden shack which smelt of urine and rotten. Not very nice, but we had to use them. Cafe was empty on both days, and not managed. Rather disappointing, as it was expensive, and could of been a lovely stay, but it's the little things that make the difference, and for us it was a major let down and not a place we wish to revisit. Shame really as its in a good location.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: We're so glad you like the private tent pitches and the lake for swimming, boating etc. We're very sorry you did not like the compositing loos - but as you mention there are normal flushing blocks available if you don't mind the extra walk. Similarly there are several different shower blocks in different locations across the campsite (with such a large area the facilities are dotted about to make them more convenient) and if campers prefer a more conventional block (ie flushing loos or block built shower cubicles rather than the safari style ones in wood) then of course you can use whichever you prefer. If anything smelt unpleasant in the shower we're very sorry and will of course investigate based on your comments. We'd also really like to know which shower block you thought was rotten - again not a comment we've had before! Do please email the office and let us know so we can look into this asap. The cafe was indeed closed from after breakfast on the day you arrived until the following Friday when it re-opened for the weekend. We do explain the seasonal opening hours etc in our booking confirmation which you would have received when you made your booking. Unfortunately during our quieter periods the cafe is only open at weekends but we're happy to report that it is now open every day for breakfast/brunch & every evening for supper/drinks and is very much managed by our lovely cafe manager! Last but not least we are extremely sorry that nobody was at Reception when you arrived - unfortunately as you gave us an eta of 1pm that day the last member of the check in team went off duty at 6pm (so we think you must have just missed him) and reported your booking as a no show. Sunday afternoons tend to be our quietest time of the week so once everybody has arrived (or are more than 4 hours late with no additional updates) then staff do go off duty. Our overall manager was unusually off duty all weekend and after discussion with him it seems that the person on duty did not realize they should have tried to call you to find our where you were or if you were still planning to arrive that day. Our seasonal staff are fantastic, but sometimes the odd thing slips through the net so big apologies that he didn't try to contact you throughout the afternoon when you didn't appear as detailed on his check in list. Thanks for your feedback.


Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports Wild swimming

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by pitch/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Tents for hire Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed No dogs allowed

Themes

Forest Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Shop nearby

Type

Large (51-200 pitches)

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Surf school nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Cornish Tipi Holidays

Tregildrans Quarry

Trelill

Polzeath

Cornwall

England

PL30 3HZ

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

50.58148°N
-4.77085°W

Nearest transport

Coach
8.5 km Lidl Superstore
8.6 km Lidl Superstore
12.7 km Car Park
Rail
16.9 km Bodmin Parkway Rail Station
18.6 km Roche Rail Station
20.2 km Bugle Rail Station
Ferry
11.7 km Rock Padstow Ferry Landing
12.5 km Padstow Ferry Landing
28.5 km Fowey Custom House Quay Ferry Landing
Airport
22.3 km Newquay St Mawgan Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Cornish Tipi Holidays is five minutes’ drive from the nearest swimming beach, Port Gaverne, and from the fishing village of Port Isaac which Doc Martin fans will doubtless recognise from the gogglebox. From Port Gaverne, wander the half mile west to Port Isaac to wander among its narrow streets and have a happy morning sourcing the freshest mackerel, crabs and scallops to buy. Or stay above the town to keep on hiking along the clifftop, south to Polzeath and Rock or north to Boscastle and Tintagel ten and 12 miles along the coast from your pitch. Going watersporting? Course you are, you’re in Cornwall. If you’re on holiday with the kids, both the beach at Port Gaverne and the one at Daymer Bay about 15 minutes’ drive away are particularly suitable for smaller swimmers; the lack of surf at Daymer means it’s one of the best and safest places in Cornwall to learn windsurfing too. If you do want to surf or learn how to – course you do, you’re in Cornwall – bring your board or the means to hire one to Polzeath about six miles from base, or a bit further down the coast to Newquay.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Trebarwith Strand 7.1 km Sea N/A Excellent Good Good
Polzeath 10.3 km Estuary N/A Excellent Good Excellent
Daymer Bay 11.2 km Estuary N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Trevone Bay 15.1 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Harlyn Bay 16.6 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Tintagel Castle 9.8 km

Rock Beach 11.6 km

Cornwall's Crealy Great Adventure Park 15.2 km

Eden Project 23.5 km

Newquay Zoo 28.4 km

National Trust

Tintagel Old Post Office 9.1 km

Carnewas and Bedruthan Steps 21.4 km

Trerice 28.9 km

Lawrence House 29.4 km

Cotehele Mill 39.7 km

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

LAMELLEN 2.6 km

Trebarwith Strand 7.1 km

Camelford Town and River 8 km

Camelford and Countryside 8 km

Camelford Country 8.1 km

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in Cornwall?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Cornish Tipi Holidays have a swimming pool? Yes View all features
  • Is Cornish Tipi Holidays dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Cornish Tipi Holidays? Cornish Tipi Holidays is five minutes’ drive from the nearest swimming beach, Port Gaverne, and from the fishing village of Port Isaac which Doc Martin fans will doubtless recognise from the gogglebox. … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Cornish Tipi Holidays?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  4 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  10:30 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  4 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  10:30 a.m.

    Arrivals are up to 9pm. Late arrivals are subject to a £20 cash charge payable on arrival to the warden. Unfortunately, no access is allowed after 11pm.

    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Cornish Tipi Holidays? From €47.51 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.