The Sandy Duck

Rooms

Each of the 8 rooms is different, but all mix soothing colours (blush pink, dove grey, petrol blue) with contemporary Danish furniture, striking brass light fittings and the odd vintage find. You’ll also get a kingsize or super-kingsize bed with a Hypnos mattress, along with Bluetooth speakers, tea- and coffee-making kit, and delicious home-baked cakes that are replenished daily. In the ensuites, expect sleek white tiles, drenching rain showers, fluffy robes and towels, and toiletries by Danish brand Meraki.

We stayed in Room 8 – a vast space at the top of the house that’s worth splashing out for. It has a long sofa for sprawling out in comfort, plus a dormer window seat where you can curl up and watch boats at sea. The bathroom has a decadent freestanding tub, and you can open the blinds and gaze across the bay as you soak. Other stand-outs include Room 5, also with a freestanding tub, and Rooms 1 (dog-friendly, on the ground floor) and 3, both of which have beautiful bay windows. Note that Room 6 has no sea view, and Room 7 has a sloping ceiling that isn’t ideal for tall guests.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Bluetooth sound system
• Hairdryer
• WiFi

Eating

Breakfast is served in the airy dining room, on wooden tables hewn from fallen elm trees. If you can, bag the one in the bay window and look out to sea as you eat. Hot dishes can only be ordered until 9.30am, but they’re well worth getting out of bed for. Everything is cooked to order by Freyja and her team, using as much local produce as possible – honey from a Falmouth beekeeper, fresh bread from ‘The Bakery on the Beach’, sausages from a nearby farm. We tucked into smoked salmon and smashed avocado on sourdough toast and a perfectly crispy bacon sandwich, washed down with steaming cafetières of organic coffee. Afterwards, you can linger as long as you like over goodies from the buffet, which includes fruit, yoghurt, homemade granola, pastries and Cornish cheeses.

For other meals you’ll need to venture out, but Falmouth is brimming with restaurants – everything from candlelit French bistros to a Rick Stein fish and chip shop. We headed to Hooked on the Rocks, perched above Swanpool Beach with sweeping views, and enjoyed a delicious seafood feast as the setting sun slowly turned the sky rose-pink.

Features include:

• Breakfast
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• Stroll into the town centre for a browse around its delis, boutiques and art galleries, then enjoy an ice cream on the seafront as yachts glide past
  
• Or head to one of Falmouth’s 4 lovely beaches: Swanpool, Gyllyngvase, Castle and Meanporth
  
• The town is also home to the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, where you’ll find a huge collection of boats, and the imposing Pendennis Castle, built by Henry VIII to defend against invasion
  
• Explore the local coast and the Fal Estuary on a boat trip. Tour operators are dotted along the harbour, and you might spot dolphins, porpoises, seals, basking sharks and more
  
• Venture across the estuary to the Roseland Peninsula (take the ferry to avoid a long detour by land), where you’ll find woodland creeks, pretty St Mawes and the beautiful 13th-century church of St Just in Roseland. It’s also home to excellent beaches, including the sweeping sands of Portscatho, Porthcurnick, Towan and Porthbeor
  
• Also within easy reach are the Eden Project, the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the historic harbour of Charlestown (often used as a filming location for period dramas)

  Activities on site or nearby include:

  • Birdwatching
  • Boat trips
  • Fishing
  • Hiking
  • Historical sites
  • Museums / galleries
  • Nightlife
  • Sailing
  • Shopping / markets
  • Surfing
  • Swimming
  • Wine tasting

Kids

The Sandy Duck is best suited to grown-ups, but children of all ages are welcome, and Freyja and her team will do all they can to make families feel at home.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

Room 8 has a sofa which can be made up as an additional single bed, and Rooms 4 and 5 can accommodate a baby cot. Room 4 can be set up as a twin if you’re travelling with teenagers who want their own space.

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

The Sandy Duck is located in a quiet residential area of Falmouth, in southern Cornwall, England. It’s a 10-minute walk from the town centre in one direction and Swanpool and Gyllyngvase beaches in the other.

By Air:
The nearest airport is Newquay (48km), which has domestic flights from other parts of the UK, as well as some seasonal services from further afield. You can also fly into Exeter (169km) or Bristol (267km). Click on the links below for a list of airlines.

By Car:
Falmouth is a 2-hour drive from Exeter, a 3-hour drive from Bristol, and a 5-hour drive from London or Birmingham – see our car rental recommendations if you want to hire a vehicle. There’s free off-street parking at the B&B.

By Train:
If you don’t want to drive, you can reach The Sandy Duck by rail. Take a mainline train to Truro, which has services from London Paddington, Exeter, Bristol, Birmingham and beyond, then change onto the ‘Maritime Line’ for the 20-minute hop down to Falmouth. The B&B is a 10-minute walk or 5-minute cab ride from the station.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

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