St Ives Holiday Village

St Ives Holiday Village sits in woodland at Lelant, on the quiet southern edge of St Ives Bay, a few minutes' drive from St Ives itself and handily placed for the main roads out of west Cornwall. Accommodation is spread out among mature trees rather than packed together, which makes it calmer than the words holiday park suggest, and there is a woodland walk on site leading down to a meadow by the river, so a proper dog walk does not mean leaving the grounds.

Dogs are well provided for in principle. There are designated dog areas on the park, pet-friendly bungalows and cottages in every grade from value to platinum, and enough space between units that a barky dog is not immediately everyone's problem. Off-season the place is genuinely peaceful, and dog owners visiting in winter and early spring speak warmly about having the woodland and the meadow largely to themselves.

The booking process needs care. Not every unit is dog-approved, and dogs have to be declared and paid for before you arrive. Guests who booked without flagging their dog have ended up making phone calls and paying an extra charge on arrival. Budget 50 pounds per dog per week, or 30 pounds per dog for a short break, and read the lead and furniture rules before you go.

Cleanliness is the recurring complaint, and it lands hardest on exactly the units dog owners are given. Reviews describe arriving at a pet-friendly caravan to find chewed dog bones behind the curtain and sofa and stains through the carpet, a lingering dog smell in carpeted pet units, and no mid-stay cleaning service or basics such as floor mats. Not every stay goes that way and plenty are spotless, but it comes up often enough to be worth checking the unit over on arrival and asking to be moved if it is not right.

At 4.2/5 for pet-friendliness, the park suits dog owners who want on-site walking, space between neighbours and the option of a pool and bar, and who will book the dog in properly at the time of booking and inspect the unit when they arrive.