Say hello to Ted the lovable Labrador, who loves nothing more than being out in the open air in his outdoor gear with his human companions…well, maybe a close second behind doggie treats!
Ted was the winner of our Superstar category at the 2021 Canine Critics’ Awards for being such a thrill-seeking adventurer with an amazing Instagram fanbase. If he’s not paddleboarding or wild swimming, he’ll be found hiking to find the most perfect sunset around.
He needed someone to hold the camera and drive the car, so he graciously allowed his humans to come along on holiday when he chose the fabulous Otters Retreat in Cornwall. Read on to learn more about his adventures.
Canine Critics' review of Otters Retreat
Hi! Ted here from @annalieandted. I’ve just come back from the most pawsome stay in Cornwall - it’s one of my favourite places in the whole world!
Mum booked us into a place called Otters Retreat which is located on the North Cornish coast and just a few minutes from Padstow by car.
The cottage
When we first arrived, I couldn’t wait to sniff out the property. It was plenty big enough for me, Mum and Dad, and even two more people and another dog if we had wanted. It had dog bowls for me and a lovely hamper for the humans which had some marmalade, biscuits, fresh bread, eggs, tea and milk in. I wasn’t so sure, but the humans said that it did all taste rather nice.
What I particularly enjoyed about the cottage was that there was no one around - just us! So I got the humans all to myself. They let me play in the big, enclosed field which was just next door - this was handy in the evenings and mornings to get all the essentials sorted before a big day of exploring.
I asked the humans what they liked the most and they said that the shower was good, along with the fact that it was nice and quiet, a rural abode, hidden away yet close to all of our favourite hot spots.
The area
Now, we stayed at Otters Retreat for a whole week (what an absolute treat!), so we packed in all our favourite dog-friendly places and tried to explore some places that we had never been to before. Our first stop was to grab a Chough’s pasty in Padstow and take a stroll along the beach for a good leg stretch after our long car journey. We then headed to Watergate Bay where one of the humans did some surfing and I went rock pooling - when the tide is out there are some super good ones to have some fun in!
For our first evening, as the weather was nice, we tried somewhere a little new…just down the road from the cottage is a place called Craftworks which makes awesome tacos, burgers and wraps. The humans enjoyed it whilst I indulged in a cheeky chip or two!
On our next few days, we hit up a few more dog-friendly beaches. These included:
- Sennen: a little further down the coast and a bit of a drive but it’s nice to explore somewhere new, right?
- Chapel Porth: there's a great coastal walk to an old tin mine here and if you park at the beach, they sell the most delicious ‘hedgehog’ ice cream
- Trevaunance Cove: we parked at Wheal Kitty, had some food at Canteen, a mooch around the shops and then walked down into the village for a cocktail at the Taphouse and then to the beach
- Holywell Bay: some super big sand dunes to ex-paw(!) and a nice long winding beach with some more awesome rock pools
- Treyarnon Bay: this beach is just around the corner from Constantine and we had some ice cream from the hut on the hill
- Mawgan Porth: we spent the whole day here and it was fabulous! We went on a dog-friendly walk along the coast, spent some time surfing and had a late lunch at Catch where I was spoiled rotten by the waitress
- Fistral: there were lots of eateries to choose from for my humans - they had some nachos on the seafront followed by a snooze on the beach
- Constantine Beach: this beach was super quiet and there was a tiny cafe for all the essentials (great dog biscuits too)
As you can see, we had a blast and kept ourselves VERY busy! I believe, as a fellow dog, that ALL dogs would love this holiday cottage as much as I did. My humans had the best time too, all before our new arrival comes in June - I’m going to be a big brother, did I tell you?
The verdict
Overall, I rate Otters Retreat a 5/5. It’s in the pawfect location for all the best dog-friendly spots, yet secluded and peaceful. We got to meet the owners of the cottage too who also had a fox red Labrador and were super friendly - this is always a bonus!
A phrase to summarise my overall experience? Heckin’ faboolous!
Think your dog has got what it takes?
We couldn’t do what we do without you, so register now for the chance to give us your verdict on one of our incredible dog-friendly cottages and the dog-friendly days out in the surrounding area. From all of us here at Canine HQ: we need you!
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of writing,
please ensure you check carefully before making any decisions based on the contents within this article.