There's so much, and so little, to do in St Mawes, and no better place than the St Mawes Hotel & Moules Bar to blend activity and idleness, to satisfy your craving to explore and your instinct for hunkering down. Even if you know Cornwall, if you've never experienced St Mawes and the Roseland Peninsula then be prepared to have your eyes opened to something quite different. It begins before you even arrive …

Arrival

Get ready for the Roseland

Look at all that water on the map: there's the Percuil River (it's 'Perk-will'), Carrick Roads (not roads at all, but sheltered, tree-lined creeks), and the open sea (due south to Brittany's western fringes).

Despite those watery blue fingers everywhere, though, nothing prepares you for the spectacle as you drop into St Mawes, where your world becomes creeks, slivers of land and, most of all, great plains of always-changing water, with The St Mawes Hotel & Moules Bar poised at the edge of it all.

Arrival

Make yourself at home

You're here, time to take it easy. Check in upstairs, amidst the warmth and cosiness of the deep leather sofas or - depending on the season - where doors open to the balcony over the sea. Order what you like, tell us what you need; whenever you arrive, we can help you with as much or as little as you'd like, from the lowdown on ferry times and bike-hire to a perfect pot of tea for two, or a bottle of red and your room-key … 
 

The lounge

Morning, noon or night, or all of them: you might find it hard to tear yourself away from the windows out to the balcony or from the woodburner's warmth and the lovely leather sofas.

Small boats and ferries moving on the water, a rich hoard of books and games, a late breakfast brought to you, free home-made cakes for a while from 3pm if you're staying here: looks like Idle's the new Active, and the lounge is the best place to practice …

Your room

It's not complicated, it all comes down to comfort, quality and distinctiveness. So your bed-linen is soft, your shower powerful, the art on your wall is original, and the design - throws, lighting, touches - all well-judged one-offs.

Your room is your refuge, so we hope you feel spoilt, cocooned and comfortable for the duration. (Please note, our current extensive refurbishments will be complete by June 2011; prior to that, it's possible that not every room described here will be available.)

Eating and drinking

We are friendly, comfortable and happy - within the bounds of reality - to serve what you want, where and whenever you want it. That might mean a light breakfast brought to your room (the best local ingredients, obviously); it might be you're recovering from some early kayaking and, because it's a while since lunch but well before dinner, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon is just what you fancy.

Our Moules Bar serves the best from local waters and we stock such a range of beers, wines and malts that an evening in the bar quickly becomes guests' first choice rather than last resort …

Out and about

You'd expect St Mawes to offer a lot of ways to enjoy the water, and you wouldn't be wrong.

You'll find anything and everything, from sit-on kayaks for the whole family, all the way through windsurfing,  canoeing, fishing, wildlife-watching, small-boat-hire or - for a group of you - why not go all the way and hire something bigger for a whole day's sailing? If you'd rather stay dry, ask us about bike rides, walks and, in particular, the great golf courses within easy reach. (And make sure you ask us about our great 2-Fore-1 deal which, subject to availability, allows two of you to play a great Cornish course for the price of one.)

Gear

Because we're well aware of all the kit, neoprene, boots, waterproofs and sand that trails in the wake of a great day out, you don't have to worry about storage or mess. In fact, the sea and the outdoors are so much a part of everyday life that we've created a special, large room solely so you can clean off, hang out, de-sand and dry all the stuff that makes your set-tos with land and sea so enjoyable.