Windermere cottages

Windermere Holiday Cottages

Windermere is one of the most popular locations for a Lake District holiday. It is blessed with beautiful scenery and plenty of great things to see and do. Windermere is the perfect location for a Lake District short break in a holiday cottage as you can pack a lot in over a weekend. The town is right on the lake with Bowness-on-Windermere close by, ideal for getting out and about from our Windermere cottages and exploring all that the area has to offer. 

Explore Lake Windermere

One of the Lake District’s most unmissable lakes is Lake Windermere, which is also the largest lake in the UK, measuring ten and a half miles long, and our Lake Windermere cottages are perfect for exploring its shores.

Its size means that it even commands its own tide, and makes it an extremely popular spot for watersports of all kinds. At the Low Wood Bay Watersports Centre, water activities for all abilities are available, including boat rentals, stand up paddleboarding, waterskiing, kayaking and sailing. If you’d rather sit back and enjoy the views, there’s plenty of boat rides on offer. Traditional steamers depart from Bowness and Ambleside, while the Windermere ferry takes you between the western and eastern sides of the lake in just 15 minutes.

Make the most of your time at Lake Windermere by paying a visit to Brockhole, the National Park’s official centre which is located close to Newby Bridge at the foot of the iconic stretch of water. Not only can you grab some information, a bite to eat and some souvenirs to take home here, but there’s also several hands-on family-friendly activities which range from a treetop trek assault course to mini golf and archery. It’s the perfect place to pay a visit to on your first day staying at our Lake Windermere cottages.

Lake Windermere is perfect for a walking holiday, with the 45-mile-long Windermere Way surrounding the entire perimeter of the lake. Along the way, you can see the beauty of the lake from all angles, as the route also takes you up onto some of the surrounding hills. Serious walkers can attempt the entire route, though it has also been split into smaller and more manageable sections for more casual strolls.

Windermere towns and villages

Many people visit the Lake not only to behold its spectacular beauty, but also to visit the charming and quintessentially English towns and villages found around its shores. On the eastern edge, you will find the twin towns of Windermere and Bowness-on-Windermere, with a wide choice of shops and restaurants as well as attractions including the Beatrix Potter Experience and the headquarters of popular kitchenware brand Lakeland. Meanwhile, on the western side, you will find some quieter villages as well as many National Trust-owned properties. In Hawkshead and Near and Far Sawrey, you can learn more about the life and works of Beatrix Potter, who lived in both places, while Wray Castle is a stunning country house with striking architecture and gorgeous grounds to explore. A holiday cottage in Windermere is an ideal base for exploring popular locations like Ambleside, Troutbeck and Skelwith Bridge with its location in the heart of the Lake District National Park. 

One of our favourite things to do in Windermere is to take a trip on the Windermere Lake Cruises. It's the perfect way to enjoy the scenery and explore Lake Windermere. The steamers and launches sail from Bowness to Waterhead and Lakeside or you can hop on the island cruise to see some of the 18 islands on the lake. Four-legged friends can join you on many of these boat trips and you'll find lots of dog-friendly Windermere holiday cottages where you can rest your heads after days of exploring.

Book your Windermere self-catering accommodation

Windermere town itself is very scenic and many walks leave directly from the town centre. One of the best fell walks for beginners in the Lake District, Orrest Head, starts and ends in the town, which makes it perfect for a light refreshment after a walk. The lake of Windermere is twenty minutes walk away to the nearest shore point.

Our Windermere cottages have the best of both worlds, with walking and sailing nearby, you’ll be sure to experience all that a Lake District holiday can offer, whether you are planning a romantic Cumbrian getaway or a multi-generational holiday that the whole family can enjoy.