Una St Ives — Graham Custance Photography

In February 2023 we took an early season long weekend break at the stunning resort of
Una St Ives in Cornwall. Situated above Carbis Bay, we stayed in one of the beautiful eco-friendly lodges with our Labrador Riley. Una St Ives is a super dog-friendly resort and Riley was welcomed throughout our stay, even when we went for an evening meal in the award winning Una Kitchen.

On entering the lodge for the first time, we were so impressed with the design and standard of equipment throughout, a cosy log burner in the lounge, which we used whilst staying here, a flat screen tv in the lounge as well as one in our bedroom and beautiful artwork on the walls showcasing nearby locations.

The lodge that we stayed in had three double bedrooms, en-suite shower room, family bathroom with bath and walk-in shower, and ground floor WC. The kitchen was open-plan with an electric oven, hob, grill, microwave, fridge freezer, dishwasher and washer/dryer. The dining area seated up to six people and there was a further space for two at the breakfast bar.

The tasteful design continues upstairs and throughout the three double bedrooms. There is a balcony accessed from the master bedroom, which would be lovely to sit out on and watch the sunset in the summer. There was also a hot tub on the patio, which we sat and gazed up at the stars with a glass of wine during one of the evenings.

It’s always important to us, that when we come home after a busy day that we can unwind and relax in comfortable surroundings and Una St Ives gets a 10 out of 10 on this count. There was only the two of us with Riley on this trip but if you were to visit here with the extended family, there would be ample space for all of you to chill out without getting in each other’s way.

The leisure facilities are superb with a heated outdoor pool, a gym and a spa to refresh and revitalise you.

Making the most of seasonal, locally sourced produce, the Una Kitchen team prepares and serves a wide variety of fare, from the freshest fish and pizzas from the wood-fired Gozney oven and classic Sunday roasts. Both myself and Sue opted for the spring vegetable soup followed by the West Country 10oz rump steak, with wild mushroom and blue cheese. I had the hot chocolate mousse with vanilla ice cream for dessert and Sue sampled the caramel pannacotta with crushed maltesers.

The location of Una St Ives is ideal to explore the pretty town of St Ives, the dazzling jewel in Cornwall’s crown. A picturesque fishing harbour and seaside town, voted best family holiday destination by Coast magazine and one of TripAdvisor’s top 10 European beaches. As a photographer, it’s a dream place to capture images, with its maze of narrow cobbled streets, harbour, beach and the fisherman’s cottages.

But don’t just stop there, take a short drive, like we did and you will be walking along the clifftops at Wheal Coates to Chapel Porth passing the iconic tin mine overlooking the sea, stroll on the beaches at Porthcurno and Perranporth, explore the fishing village of Mousehole, marvel at the site of St Michael’s Mount perched on Mounts Island in the sea or watch the surfers at Gwithian.