Retallack Resort and Spa
Retallack Resort and Spa is an inland self-catering holiday resort in the north Cornwall countryside near St Columb Major, run by Away Resorts and built around two fishing lakes between Padstow, Wadebridge and Newquay. Families come for barn-style lodges with room to spread out, a heated indoor pool and spa, plus Cornwall's only FlowRider surf simulator, with the north-coast beaches and Padstow a short drive away.
On this page
Is it worth it?
The quick read before the detail: who Retallack suits, what's on site and what to weigh first.
Retallack is a step up from the usual Cornwall caravan park, a countryside resort of barn-style lodges and apartments run by Away Resorts around two fishing lakes near Padstow. The draw is the accommodation and the on-site leisure: spacious self-catered lodges with room for parents to have an evening once the children are asleep, a heated indoor pool, an ESYA spa and Cornwall's only FlowRider surf simulator, with a seasonal inflatable Aqua Park on the lake in summer. The trade-offs are real. There's no beach on site, and the nearest sand is a 17 to 20 minute drive; the site runs across a hillside, which is hard work with a pushchair; the activities and watersports cost extra; the structured programme is firmly seasonal, thin outside the summer holidays and the festive weeks; and no crèche or kids' club is confirmed under the current operator, so plan on childcare being down to you. You'll get the most from it if you want lodge-quality self-catering with a pool, a spa and the FlowRider, and you're happy to drive to the beach.
Best for
You want a step up from a caravan park, self-catering barns and lodges with room to spread out, an indoor pool and Cornwall's only FlowRider, and you're happy to drive to the beach.
Maybe not for
You want a beach on the doorstep, flat ground for a pushchair or a full-season kids' club and childcare so you can have evenings to yourselves.
Best ages
The FlowRider from age 8 and the summer Aqua Park from age 6 are the standout draws; under-6s rely on the indoor pool, the playground, seasonal crafts and the space in the lodge.
What stands out
Cornwall's only FlowRider surf simulator, barn-style lodges a tier above the usual Cornish caravan and an ESYA spa for the grown-ups.
What to check
That a hot-tub lodge is an adults-only feature for you, since under-14s aren't allowed in, and which units sit closest to the facilities if you're pushing a pram.
Where is it?
Inland in north Cornwall countryside near St Columb Major, between Padstow, Wadebridge and Newquay, about 8 to 10 miles from Newquay airport.
Quick facts for families
What the resort is like
Where it sits, how it's laid out across the slope, how you get around and the practical bits.
Retallack is a purpose-built holiday resort in rolling countryside in the parish of St Columb Major, roughly between Padstow, Wadebridge and Newquay and about equidistant from the north-coast beaches and the Camel Estuary. It's inland, not coastal, and it's built around two stocked fishing lakes. The accommodation is arranged across a hillside, so the site has a real gradient: the Barnhouses and Lakehouses sit around the lake, and the Barns and Luxury Lodges climb the slope above. That hillside is the main practical thing for families with a pram, because a unit further from the central facilities means an uphill walk, and there are no golf buggies or site transport. Where your unit sits is worth thinking about at the booking stage. For more on the wider county, see our Cornwall guide.
Away Resorts has run Retallack since 2022, taking it over from the previous operator, Aria Resorts. The resort is open year-round, with the indoor pool, spa, FlowRider, health club, Lookout Bar and shop all running through the winter, and only the lake watersports, the Beach Cafe and the seasonal activities programme dropping out of season. There's an Away Resorts app for booking activities and finding your way around the site by its park map.
On the practical side, most holiday homes have allocated parking, with extra parking by Guest Services, and there's disabled access to the facilities, though the paths across the hillside aren't described as level throughout. There are two electric-vehicle charging points in the top car park and defibrillators at Guest Services and the FlowRider reception. There's no launderette, but a washer-dryer comes in every unit except the Lakeside Apartments, and the nearest cash point is in St Columb Major.
The lodges and barns
Every accommodation grade, which suits a family, and the hot-tub rule to know before you book.
Everything at Retallack is self-catering, and every unit has a full open-plan kitchen with crockery, cutlery and glasses, a flat-screen TV, towels and bedding with the beds made up before you arrive, and free resort-wide WiFi. A washer-dryer comes with every grade except the Lakeside Apartments. Check-in is from 4pm and check-out is 10am, with early check-in and late check-out offered if you ask, and the minimum stay is two nights. Any-day arrival runs all year on some of the grades, including peak dates, though not on all of them. Travel cots fit in every unit, and both cots and highchairs can be hired for a small charge. The table below is the full line-up; the guidance after it is which suit a family with young children.
| Accommodation | Bedrooms | Sleeps | Hot tub | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luxury Barns Flagship | 2–6 | 4–12 | Selected units | A family or an extended group |
| The Lakehouse Groups | 4–6 | 8–12 | Yes, all units | Two families or a larger group |
| Roof Terrace Barn Top tier | 4 | 8 | Yes, rooftop | A premium family break |
| Barnhouse | 2–3 | 2–6 | Not listed | A family of four, lakeside |
| Superior Wooden Lodges | Not published | Not published | Some units | A family of four |
| Lakeside Apartments Couples | 1 | 2 | Not listed | A couple, not families |
The Luxury Barns are the flagship grade, barn-style lodges with an open-plan kitchen, living and dining space, contemporary interiors and an outdoor terrace for eating outside. They run from two to six bedrooms and sleep four to twelve, so they cover a single family through to an extended group, and an entertainment pass is included; a hot tub comes with selected units rather than all of them. The Lakehouse grade sits around the lake with direct water views, four to six bedrooms sleeping eight to twelve and a hot tub with every unit, and is aimed at larger groups or two families travelling together. The Roof Terrace Barn is the top of the range: four bedrooms sleeping eight, an open-plan ground floor, and a rooftop terrace with its own hot tub, al fresco dining and 360-degree views over the countryside.
The Barnhouses are lakeside too, laid out over two or three storeys, with two or three bedrooms sleeping two to six and views of the countryside or, from some, the lake; there's no hot tub listed with this grade. The Superior Wooden Lodges are open-plan lodges, some with a hot tub, and one family-holiday guide that checked them in 2026 found them noticeably wider and more spacious than the static caravan you'd get for a similar price at other parks. They're the grade most families of four are pointed towards, alongside a Barnhouse. The Lakeside Apartments are the exception to the family picture: one bedroom sleeping two, with a balcony or decking over the lake, and the only grade without a washer-dryer, set up for a couple rather than a family with young children.
For a family of four, then, the Superior Wooden Lodges or a Barnhouse give enough room without a group-sized lodge; for an extended family or two families together, the Lakehouses and the larger Luxury Barns stretch to eight or twelve; and the Roof Terrace Barn is the premium choice. The multi-room layouts are one of the things guests praise most, because they let parents stay up once young children are asleep. It isn't the cheapest way to do Cornwall, though: as a rough steer, one 2026 check for a Superior Wooden Lodge for a family of four for a week in August came out around £1,376, rising to about £1,602 at the peak, and prices move, so check the current figure when you book.
Dogs are welcome too, up to two per unit, from £45 a stay for five nights or under and from £60 for six nights or more (last checked June 2026); they're allowed in Guest Services, the Sales office, the Lookout Bar and Eatery and the Beach Cafe.
Hot tubs are for over-14s
Where a grade has a hot tub, it's an adults-only feature in practice. The resort's rules don't allow children under 14 in or near the tub, there's a 10pm curfew and a 15-minute limit per dip, only plastic glasses are allowed near the water and it's not for use under the influence of alcohol, medication or other substances. So if you book a hot-tub lodge with young children, treat it as something for the grown-ups after bedtime, not a feature the little ones can share.
The indoor pool
The heated pool and its slot system, the FlowRider and seasonal watersports, and the food on site.
The heated indoor pool is open all year, and it's booked in 45-minute slots rather than left open to wander into. The last entry is at 5pm with everyone out by 5.45pm, and you book by calling the leisure team or asking at Guest Services, including a swim on your arrival or departure day if you plan ahead. A sauna and steam room sit alongside it. The rules are the usual ones for a family pool: non-swimmers supervised in the water, a swim nappy for any child who isn't toilet-trained, armbands and floats only with a responsible adult of 16 or over, a shower before you get in, and no diving or large inflatables. There's no outdoor pool and no splash pad or dedicated toddler water feature, and you can't swim in the lakes, so for the youngest the indoor pool is the water on site outside the summer Aqua Park.
FlowRider and watersports
The standout is the FlowRider, a surf simulator that pushes a sheet of water up a curved ramp so riders can surf or ride a bodyboard, and it's the only one in Cornwall. It runs year-round, weather permitting, with instructors on hand. There's a minimum height of 107cm and a minimum age of 8, and riders aged 8 to 12 need an adult with them, so for babies and toddlers it's a parents' turn or something to watch rather than join.
On the lake, the Aqua Park is a large inflatable assault course, open seasonally from June to September and weather-dependent, with a safety brief at the start of each session. The minimum age is 6, and the adult-to-child ratios are set: two children to one adult for ages 6 and 7, three to one for ages 8 to 11. Families with a younger child who can't take part can watch from the Beach Cafe overlooking the lake, which makes it workable when one parent minds a baby while another does a session. The Wake Park has two kickers and a slider with instructors for beginners, a minimum age of 8 and an adult supervising, and it opens from June through the summer, though not for October half term. Stand-up paddleboarding is offered as well, on the resort's own boards rather than yours, and kayaking turns up on the seasonal activity list. Every watersport is an extra cost on top of the stay, with wetsuits and buoyancy aids provided, and you book through the Away Resorts app or online up to three weeks ahead, or on arrival.
Food and drink
It's self-catering, with a couple of places to eat on site for the nights you don't want to cook. The Lookout Bar and Eatery is the main year-round venue, a British and Cornish menu built around local produce, and it overlooks the FlowRider. Evening dining needs a table booked ahead, and dishes can be collected as a takeaway too. It's also where the seasonal live entertainment happens. The Beach Cafe sits down at the watersports lake, overlooking the Aqua Park and Wake Park, serving light bites, snacks and drinks with casual outdoor seating and a welcome for dogs; it's seasonal, open from June through to October. The on-site shop runs all year and stocks holiday essentials, ingredients for meals, local Cornish produce and the morning newspaper.
For a bigger shop, you can arrange a food-shop delivery to land after you arrive: tell Guest Services so they can direct the driver, and you take the order in yourself. The nearest supermarkets are the Co-op and an Aldi over in St Columb Major, and takeaways will deliver to the resort, with recommendations in the welcome booklet.
How booking works
A table at the Lookout is booked through the resort website or by phoning the bar; the ESYA Spa is booked through Guest Services; and activities and watersports go through the Away Resorts app or online, up to three weeks before you arrive or on the day. If you haven't pre-booked, the resort suggests sorting your activities as soon as you get there.
Babies and toddlers
What's confirmed for the youngest, the seasonal crafts programme, and the one thing to check by phone.
Retallack sells itself to families, and for babies and toddlers the picture has two parts: a well-equipped self-catered lodge and a seasonal activities programme. On the kit side, a travel cot fits every unit and can be hired for £15, as can a highchair for £12 (both last checked June 2026), and every unit has a hairdryer in the master bedroom on top of the towels and bedding. All under-13s have to be with an adult everywhere on the resort, and under-5s need one-to-one supervision in the activity sessions.
On childcare, no crèche or kids' club is confirmed under the current operator, so plan on looking after the children yourselves. What the resort lays on for them instead is seasonal, and it's the crafts programme rather than a staffed club.
The crafts programme runs during the school summer holidays, roughly 21 July to 3 September, and over the November-December festive period, all pre-booked for a small per-session charge: ToddlerPop Painters, a messy-play session of bubble-wrap stomping and hand and foot painting, for ages 0 to 5; Pottery Painting from age 1; Glitter Globes, making a snow globe, from age 3; Tie-Dye Crafts and Shaving Foam Marble Art, both from age 3; and a Slime Workshop from age 5. In the same weeks there's evening entertainment in the Lookout with guest acts, and an outdoor cinema on summer evenings when the weather allows. Outside those periods the on-site programme is minimal. The adventure playground, with a slide, swings and a seesaw, is outdoors and open all year, and the indoor pool takes the youngest under its swim-nappy and supervision rules.
Beyond the poolThings to do
The ESYA Spa, named after the Cornish for "at ease", uses Elemis products and runs year-round, with facials, massages, Indian Head Massage and Reiki. It's an adults' spa, with no children's treatments, and you book it through Guest Services. The Health Club has a cardio room and a separate weights room, with classes (call 01637 882403 for the schedule), sports massage and the pool reachable from the gym, open all year. Locals can take a monthly membership too: £35 for gym and swim, £25 for swim only or £63 for the joint membership (last checked June 2026).
Bike hire is on site, set up for the Camel Trail, the traffic-free walking and cycling path that follows an old railway line along the Camel Estuary. The full trail runs about 18 miles from Bodmin to Padstow; the stretch nearest the resort, the six or so miles from Wadebridge (about five miles away) to Padstow, is the busiest and flattest part, and it's manageable with a buggy or a young cyclist. Fishing is on the two stocked lakes, year-round, with permits sold for a small charge and your own tackle needed, and no swimming in the lakes. Beyond that, the seasonal live entertainment and outdoor cinema run in the summer holidays and the festive weeks, with the occasional bigger annual event, and the Away Resorts app handles activity bookings and carries the site map.
The beach
There's no beach on site, so this is what the short drive to the coast opens up, and the wider days out.
Retallack has no beach of its own, and that's the single biggest thing to weigh. The nearest sand is a 17 to 20 minute drive, and none of it is walkable or reachable with a pushchair from the resort, so a beach day means the car or a taxi. What that drive opens up, though, is a good spread of the north Cornwall coast. Watergate Bay, about 17 minutes away, is a surfing beach with two miles of golden sand at low tide, flat and toddler-friendly when the tide's out. Porthcothan Bay, around 18 minutes, is a quieter northwest-facing cove backed by dunes, and Porth Beach, about 19 minutes, is flat golden sand that families favour. Polzeath, roughly 20 to 25 minutes, is a sheltered surf beach on the Camel Estuary side with shallow water for paddling, rock pools and summer lifeguards, though parking is limited in peak season. Across the estuary, Rock has a long estuary beach with a seasonal passenger ferry over to Padstow.
Days out
The resort works as a base for exploring north Cornwall. Padstow, about 15 minutes away, is a fishing harbour with colourful boats, independent shops, cafes and harbourside fish and chips; Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant is the well-known name, and Paul Ainsworth at No.6 holds a Michelin star, retained in the 2026 Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland. Padstow's National Lobster Hatchery is a family-friendly marine conservation centre with a small admission charge. Newquay, 15 to 20 minutes away, is Cornwall's busiest resort town, with several beaches including the famous Fistral and, inland, Newquay Zoo, 13 acres open daily from 10am year-round with hundreds of species and a children's play area.
For bigger days out, Camel Creek Adventure Park near Wadebridge, about 11 minutes away and formerly Crealy, bills itself as Cornwall's biggest theme park with family rides, and the Eden Project near St Austell, around 25 minutes, has its garden biomes, a children's play area and the longest zip wire in England. Closer in, Wadebridge is a five-minute market town at the start of the Camel Trail, with the licensed family café Stir on the trail. For grown-up interests there's Camel Valley vineyard for tours and tasting and Tarquin's gin distillery near Padstow, both adult-focused but possible with older children, and further afield the Barbara Hepworth Museum in St Ives, about 45 minutes, suits older, art-interested children more than toddlers.
Loves and gripes
What families rate and what they flag, then how it stacks up against the other Cornwall parks.
Across the review sites Retallack lands around 3.8 out of 5 on TripAdvisor and 4.3 on Google, with an 81% composite from the aggregator Holiday Park Guru. On the breakdown reported by Holiday Park Guru, cleanliness, service and value each score 4 out of 5 and location 4.5. An earlier review in Family Friendly Magazine, from 2018 and before the current ownership took over in 2022, rated it 92 out of 100, ahead of where it sits now.
What families love
- The barn-style lodges, spacious and well-equipped, and a tier above a typical caravan.
- The multi-room layouts, which give parents an evening once the children are asleep.
- The FlowRider, the resort's standout attraction.
- The Aqua Park for children aged six and up.
- Friendly, attentive staff.
- The Lookout's food and its local Cornish produce.
- The location as a base for Padstow, Newquay and the beaches.
- The ESYA spa and the in-lodge hot tubs for the grown-ups.
Common gripes
- No beach on site, so the nearest sand means a drive.
- The hillside terrain, awkward with a pushchair.
- The activities and watersports costing extra on top of the stay.
- A heavily seasonal programme, thin outside the summer holidays and festive weeks.
- No crèche or kids' club confirmed under the current operator.
- Hot tubs limited to over-14s, so young children can't use them.
How it compares
Retallack sits a tier above most Cornwall holiday parks, so the comparisons come down to what you're after. Hendra Holiday Park near Newquay has a dedicated children's pool complex with flumes and a toddler pool, indoor soft play and full-season nightly kids' entertainment, so for guaranteed children's programming it does more; Retallack answers with better accommodation, the spa and the FlowRider. Pentewan Sands near St Austell has its own private beach, which Retallack can't match, and a higher Google score, but Retallack's barn-style lodges are a clear step up on accommodation. Landal Gwel an Mor near Portreath is the closest in kind, another inland luxury lodge resort, with soft play, a wildlife centre and sea views; Retallack counters with the FlowRider and a more central position for reaching several beaches, and neither has a beach on site. Bosinver Farm Cottages near St Austell has stronger tailored provision for under-5s, with farm animals, a play barn and fenced gardens, while Retallack leads on watersports and wellness. If a beach on the doorstep or a full kids' club is the priority, another park may suit you better; if you want lodge-quality self-catering with a spa and the surf machine, Retallack is the one.
Getting there and when to go
The drive, the train and airport, whether you need a car, and the best time to go with little ones.
Most families drive. Retallack is signposted off the A39 at the Winnards Perch junction, reached on the A39 and A30 down from the M5. By rough road times it's about an hour and a quarter from Exeter, two and a half hours from Bristol, and four hours or more from Heathrow. Cornwall Airport Newquay is the nearest airport, about 8 to 10 miles away, with domestic routes year-round and some summer international ones; there's no resort transfer service, so from the airport you drive or arrange your own taxi or hire car. By train, Great Western Railway runs from London Paddington to Bodmin Parkway in around three and a half hours, with the Newquay branch line also served, though there's no confirmed onward shuttle to the resort. In practice you'll want a car, both for the drive to the beach and for days out around the county.
On timing, the resort is open all year, and the minimum stay is two nights, with any-day arrival on some grades including at peak. July and August are the warmest months and the fullest for the activities and entertainment programme; May, June and September are quieter and cheaper with reasonable weather; and October half term and the November-December festive period each carry their own structured off-peak offers, so a winter or half-term break leans on the indoor pool, the spa, the FlowRider and the crafts sessions rather than the beach.
When to goWeather in north Cornwall
North Cornwall's weather is mild and changeable rather than Mediterranean, and rain is possible in any month, which is part of why the indoor pool and the spa matter here whatever the forecast. The figures below are for Newquay, about 8 miles away at similar elevation, and cover the whole year, since the resort stays open right through it.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Rain | Wet days | Sea temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9° | 4.5° | 106 mm | 16 | 10° |
| February | 9.5° | 4.5° | 89 mm | 14 | 9° |
| March | 10.5° | 5.5° | 68 mm | 13 | 9° |
| April | 12° | 6.5° | 68 mm | 12 | 10° |
| May | 15° | 9° | 70 mm | 11 | 12° |
| June | 17.5° | 11.5° | 60 mm | 10 | 15° |
| July | 19° | 13.5° | 65 mm | 11 | 17° |
| August | 19.5° | 14° | 68 mm | 11 | 17° |
| September | 17.5° | 12° | 70 mm | 11 | 16° |
| October | 14.5° | 10° | 111 mm | 16 | 15° |
| November | 11.5° | 7.5° | 125 mm | 18 | 13° |
| December | 9.5° | 5° | 113 mm | 16 | 11° |
Typical monthly averages from weather-station records. Sea temperature is the open-water figure, so a sheltered bay can feel a degree or two warmer.
The sea stays cool even at its August best, so wetsuits are standard for children spending a while in it, and November is the wettest month of the year. It's one more reason the heated indoor pool matters on a Cornish holiday whatever the sky is doing.
Questions
The things families ask most, useful links and when this guide was last updated.
Is there a kids’ club or crèche?
No crèche or kids' club is confirmed under the current operator, so don't count on a drop-off or evenings to yourselves through the resort. What it does run for children is the seasonal crafts programme in the summer holidays and over the festive weeks, and beyond that you have the space of a self-catered lodge once they're asleep.
Can the children use the hot tub?
No. The resort's rules keep under-14s out of, and away from, the hot tub, with a 10pm curfew and a 15-minute limit per dip. So a hot-tub lodge is worth booking for the adults once the children are asleep, not as something the little ones can share. If you want water the children can actually use, that's the indoor pool and, in summer, the Aqua Park from age six.
How much does having no beach on site matter?
It depends how you picture the week. You can't stroll to the sand from Retallack or reach it with a pushchair, so the beach is a planned outing with the car rather than a spontaneous hour. That's very doable for a day trip, but if stepping straight onto a beach is the point of the holiday, a coastal park will suit you better.
Is it hard work with a pushchair?
The site runs up a hillside, and there's no site transport, so a unit out on the slopes means an uphill push. If you're using a pram all week, ask when you book to be put near the pool, the Lookout and Guest Services.
Can we arrive on any day of the week?
On some grades, yes, all year and including peak dates, but not on every grade, and the minimum stay is two nights. If you can't travel on the usual changeover day, check that the accommodation grade you want offers any-day arrival before you set your dates.
Can we bring the dog?
Yes, up to two dogs per unit, with a fee that runs from £45 for a short break of five nights or under to £60 for six nights or more (last checked June 2026). They're welcome in Guest Services, the Sales office, the Lookout Bar and Eatery and the Beach Cafe, though not across the rest of the indoor facilities, so plan around where they can and can't come.
Can we get a supermarket delivery to the lodge?
Yes. You can arrange a food-shop delivery for after you arrive; let Guest Services know so they can point the driver to your unit, and you take the order in yourself. The nearest supermarkets are the Co-op and an Aldi over in St Columb Major, and takeaways will deliver to the resort too.
Is there entertainment and activities all year?
No, the programme is firmly seasonal. Structured activities and evening entertainment run during the school summer holidays and the November-December festive period, and outside those weeks the on-site programme is minimal, even though the indoor pool, spa, FlowRider and Lookout stay open. For the fullest programme, come in the summer holidays or over the festive break.
See more Retallack Resort photos
Open the Retallack Resort photo gallery →Useful links
- Retallack Resort and Spa: the resort's own site for accommodation, the pool, the spa and booking.
- Away Resorts: Retallack: the operator's page, with the app and activity details.
- Cornwall with little ones: our guide to the wider county, its beaches and when to go.
Last updated July 2026.
