A stay at stylish Cornwall B&B The Sandy Duck – plus top tips for Falmouth, the Roseland Peninsula & around

There are some places that I know I’m going to end up returning to again and again. The Sandy Duck, a boutique B&B in the buzzing Cornish harbour town of Falmouth, is one of them. Chris and I first visited for my birthday in August 2017 and we both loved its pared-back, gently quirky interiors, its laid-back atmosphere and its stunning position on a headland between two sandy beaches. We couldn’t resist heading back there for a cosy winter break earlier this year, and it was just as special as we remembered. So, I thought it was high time I updated my review with some new photographs and a few more tips on what to see and do nearby.

The Sandy Duck is run by Freyja Ducker, who spent years sailing the world as a stewardess on luxury yachts before returning to the UK to be nearer her family. She quickly realised that a desk job wasn’t for her and scoured the country for the perfect B&B, eventually stumbling across a faded Victorian guesthouse set high above Falmouth Bay.

It took a year of hard work to drag the building into the 21^st century, but the results are stunning. Behind the smart grey façade and hot-pink front door, Freyja has created a wonderful mix of clean-lined Nordic minimalism and English eccentricity. Walls are painted in soothing shades of dove grey, blush pink and petrol blue, and dotted here and there are snuggly sheepskins and woolly throws. Much of the furniture and accessories are by Danish brand House Doctor, but they’re paired with carefully chosen vintage pieces such as 1930s wardrobes and gnarled milking stools. There are also sleek brass lamps, geometric-print cushions and bespoke artworks by Freyja’s mother and sister, including an eye-catching piece crafted from the roof’s old joists.

Each of the eight rooms is different, but all are done beautifully – and all are great value. During our first visit, we stayed in number eight, a peaceful open-plan suite set under the eaves on the top floor. It’s decorated in soft greys and pinks, with a long sofa for sprawling out in comfort, a cushioned window seat where you can curl up and watch ships heading out to sea, and a stunning ensuite bathroom with a monsoon shower and a freestanding tub gazing out across the town’s rooftops to the water.

The second time around, we booked into room seven. It, too, is located on the top floor with a sea-view window seat and a freestanding tub, but in this case the latter is a roll-top copper affair positioned in the bedroom itself. There’s also a small but very smart ensuite shower room clad in black chevron tiles, plus a snuggly armchair and a beautiful rattan headboard. It’s just as serene and stylish as number eight and I really couldn’t pick a favourite between them.

I also got to have a peek at the other rooms over the course of our visits and they’re equally pretty, if a little smaller. One has a pair of bamboo easy chairs and a striking woven pendant light; others bay windows and botanical artwork. All are bright and calm, with super-comfy Hypnos mattresses, cotton bathrobes, tea- and coffee-making kit, Bluetooth radios and little treats such as aromatherapy toiletries and jars of home-baked biscuits.

The best thing about The Sandy Duck, though, is how relaxing it is. The feel is much more home than hotel and on both occasions we felt ourselves start to unwind from the moment we arrived, to be greeted by a lot of happy tail-wagging from resident dog Rhubarb. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to kick off you shoes and sit back, and in fact that’s exactly what we did, spending many a lazy hour lounging by the fire in the cosy ink-blue living room. There are stacks of magazines, books and board games to borrow, and complimentary tea and cake are served every afternoon. In the evening, there’s also a bar menu of local gins, beer, wine and snacks to choose from.

Breakfast is a treat, too. There are hot and cold options – smoked salmon and fresh peas on sourdough toast, just-baked croissants, fluffy pancakes with yoghurt and poached pears – and most are made with seasonal ingredients sourced from small-scale Cornish suppliers. What’s more, you can head downstairs to the airy, light-filled dining space or have everything delivered to your room for an indulgent breakfast in bed – always my favourite way to start the morning!

As for Falmouth itself, it’s a wonderful place to spend a few days. It’s brimming with restaurants, galleries and independent shops, and it makes a great base for exploring southern Cornwall’s tidal creeks and scenic coastline. Here are my recommendations…

Top tips for Falmouth & arouND

Gyllyngvase Beach

A short walk downhill from The Sandy Duck is Gyllyngvase Beach, a long sweep of golden sand with views of Pendennis Castle. It’s also home to the fantastic Gylly Beach Cafe (open year-round), where you can sit back at a windowside table or on the heated terrace and watch swimmers and splashing dogs over drinks, cake and tapas-style small plates.

Hooked on the Rocks

Walk 15 minutes in the opposite direction and you’ll reach Hooked on the Rocks, a wonderful bar and restaurant perched above Swanpool Beach. It’s possibly my favourite spot in Falmouth – perfect for sundowners, seafood feasts and Cornish wines, with tables outside in summer.

Falmouth harbour

Falmouth has the third largest natural harbour in the world, and the deepest in Europe. It’s a major working port and a fascinating place to explore, with fishing boats, yachts and large ships constantly coming and going. The quayside is lined with ice-cream stalls, fish & chip shops and 18th-century pubs and is also home to the National Maritime Museum, which has poor exhibits but is worth visiting for its observation tower and underwater viewing windows.

St Mawes

Across the estuary from Falmouth lies the castle-topped fishing village of St Mawes. Pedestrian ferries operate between the two year-round and take 20 minutes, so you can easily head across for a stroll and lunch at one of St Mawes’ many waterfront restaurants (The Idle Rocks, Tresanton and The Watch House are all good). You’ll get spectacular views on the journey, too.

Flushing

Also reachable via a short hop on a year-round ferry is Flushing – a small village settled by a 17th-century Dutch community, who named it after a town in the Netherlands. It’s a lovely place for a meal and a gentle wander, with pretty cottages, a rockpool-dotted beach and delicious gastropub food at Harbour House on the water’s edge. If you fancy a longer walk, follow the path from Flushing around the headland to Mylor, where there’s a wine bar overlooking the yachting marina.

The South West Coast Path & The Hidden Hut

The nearby Roseland Peninsula has stunning coves and cliffs, which you can explore by walking part of the South West Coast Path. My favourite section is around Portscatho and Porthcurnick Beach, where you’ll also find The Hidden Hut – a remote open-air eatery with freshly cooked gourmet lunches, occasional evening feasts and breathtaking views.

To get to the area from Falmouth, either take the bus to Portscatho or drive (via the King Harry car ferry at Feock) to Porthcurnick Beach car park; you can pick up the coastal path there, and The Hidden Hut is a 15-minute walk east along it.

Portloe

While you’re on the Roseland Peninsula, I’d recommend spending some time in postcard-pretty Portloe – a tiny fishing village huddled around a steep-sided natural harbour. There are whitewashed cottages with brightly painted window frames, secret caves once frequented by smugglers and a centuries-old pub (The Lugger Hotel) set right on the water’s edge.

St Just in Roseland

Also worth visiting is St Just in Roseland, set in sprawling tropical gardens on the shore of a creek and described by poet Sir John Betjeman as the most beautiful church in England. You can reach it by car (again, take the ferry at Feock) or via a 4.5-mile walk along the Fal estuary from St Mawes.

Shopping

Back in Falmouth, there’s an array of independent boutiques to browse. My favourites are Cloudberry Living (Scandinavian homeware), The Falmouth Bookseller and Willow & Stone (home accessories, stationery, gifts and vintage finds). Sadly, amazing plant shop Toro, which I discovered on my first visit to The Sandy Duck, seems to have closed down.

Other restaurants that come highly recommended by Freyja and her team include Bodega 18 (tapas), The Mulberry (contemporary Cornish cuisine), MINE (simple, seasonal plates), Culture (nature-inspired fine dining) and The Pandora Inn (classic gastropub fare overlooking the water, a few miles outside town). And when it comes to things to do, I’ve heard great stuff about Caerhays Castle, Trelissick Gardens and the thatched village of Veryan, but haven’t visited myself.

Getting to Falmouth & getting around

Falmouth is on Cornwall’s south coast. If you don’t want to bring a car you can take the train, changing in Truro (which has direct services from London, Bristol, Birmingham and elsewhere).

The nearest airport is Newquay (an hour away), which has domestic flights from London. You can also fly to Bristol (a three-hour drive) or Exeter (a two-hour drive) and travel to Cornwall from there.

Once you’ve arrived, everything in Falmouth itself is within walking distance of The Sandy Duck, and you can use local ferries and buses to get around the wider area.

Book a stay at The Sandy Duck here. Rooms start at £90 per night, and at the moment you can get 20% off autumn and winter stays of three or more nights.

Images 16-21 courtesy of the Sandy Duck; all other photography by Abi Dare