The Idle Rocks

The Idle Rocks is a hotel on the harbourside in St Mawes, directly on the waterfront on the Roseland peninsula. It sits 0.3km from St Mawes beach and has a 9.9 rating from 154 guest reviews on Booking.com - one of the stronger scores among Cornwall’s smaller hotels. Accessible rooms are available.

Rooms are individually decorated rather than chain-standard, each with a flat-screen TV, vintage radio, Cornish tea and a Nespresso machine. Several rooms have direct views across the harbour toward St Anthony’s Head. Bathrooms have either a bath or shower; some include a rain-effect overhead shower. Wi-Fi and parking are included.

The restaurant runs on locally sourced and foraged produce - the head chef forages seasonally, which shows in dishes at breakfast and brunch. The bar terrace faces the water. St Mawes Castle, a Henry VIII coastal fort, is a short walk along the harbour. Falmouth is a mile across the estuary by the year-round passenger ferry - a faster route than the 30-minute road circuit via Truro. Trelissick Gardens is under half an hour by car.

Best for couples or pairs wanting a hotel base on the Roseland with easy Falmouth access. Less suited to families with dogs or guests who need self-catering facilities.