Main image: Canada Geese at The Moorings, Cotswold Water Park

If your perfect holiday involves getting up close and personal with Mother Nature, you’re in the right place. At Staycation Holidays, we’re blessed with a plethora of nature holiday cottages offering wildlife-focused fun for intrepid romantics, families or groups of nature-loving friends.

Although there are many, take a look at these five great Staycation nature holiday cottages for wildlife lovers.

The Oaks, Shropshire

The Oaks provides a stunning base from which to explore the beauty and wildlife of the Shropshire Hills AONB, with wonderful walks onto the beautiful Long Mynd Estate from its garden gate. This 5,000 acres of wildlife-rich heathland owned by the National Trust is one of the unsung wonders of the UK. A haven for wildlife and special flora, The Long Mynd (SSSI) is especially important for the upland and river birds including red grouse, curlew, snipe, dipper, lapwing, and even ring ouzel. But it is the birds of prey that are perhaps most to be celebrated. At the top of the list is the red kite, the hobby, the goshawk, and peregrine falcon, all of which have healthy numbers of breeding pairs in the area. Keep an eye out for the commoners’ wild ponies and sheep, plus foxes, hares and grey squirrels. What’s more, polecats, once on the brink of extinction, have been spotted at night.
Find out more: The Oaks (sleeps 4) is located near Church Stretton, Shropshire.

Cotswold Water Park

Our stunning holiday lodges within the Cotswold Water Park provide the perfect boltholes for nature lovers and the adventurous alike. This unusual watery habitat comprises over 180 crystal clear lakes evolved out of carefully restored gravel pits and has received national recognition for its importance for wetland wildlife. You can explore the excellent network of walking and wildlife trails and visit the designated nature reserves which provide wonderful havens for fish, dragonflies, birds, bats and mammals such as otters and watervoles. Birdwatchers are well catered for, with over 20,000 wintering waterbirds and gulls and vast numbers of breeding warblers along with nightingales, little ringed plover and common tern. If further adventure beckons, outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy a wide range of water sports, superb fishing and great cycling too.
Find out more: We offer a growing portfolio of stunning holiday homes in idyllic lakeside locations across The Landings and Spring Lake. 

Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall

Our four exquisite holiday cottages on Cornwall’s Lizard Peninsula are set in the tranquillity and seclusion of the magnificent 20-acre Bonython Estate. Rated as one of the 'Great Gardens of Cornwall', guests can enjoy glorious walks around the renowned gardens whenever they choose, including the walled garden, valley garden, lakes and woodland, packed with plants and wildlife. Nearby, the Lizard’s magnificent beaches, coves and wonderful coastal paths are teeming with wildlife. There are three nature reserves and three Sites of Special Scientific Interest as well as the Cornish Seal Sanctuary at Gweek. This AONB is one of the best places to see marine wildlife in Cornwall ; from seals bobbing in the water to pods of dolphins, porpoises and basking shark. A bird watchers’ paradise too, the presence of Cornish chough on the cliffs is a fantastic bonus. This red-beaked, red-legged crow, one of Britain’s rarest breeding birds, is not just Cornwall’s ‘national’ bird, but a living symbol of this very special part of England.
Find out more: Close to the golden sands and hidden coves of the Lizard Peninsula, a stay at our Bonython Estate 5 star retreats is more than a holiday, sleeping 2-10.

Wakes Colne, Essex

Our five luxury 5 AA star eco-lodges are the perfect spot to enjoy the Essex wilds. Our stunning lakeside lodges are tucked away in the tranquil beauty of the Colne Valley, an area rich in history and wildlife. Pull on your wellies and lose yourself in the 500 acres of secluded rolling private land straight from your front door. With undisturbed woodland and a stunning two-acre fishing lake stocked with carp and rudd, it’s a haven for birdwatchers and nature lovers as well as a fisherman’s dream. Your furry friends will love it too – the woods with its little stream are pooch perfect for sniffing and moseying about in. Afterwards, unwind on your decked veranda with bubbling hot tub, designed to make the best of the unbroken lake and countryside views. Wildlife watchers are in for a further treat at nearby Chalkney Wood SSSI too. The ancient woodland has a rich diversity variety of wildlife including deer, badgers and over 30 species of breeding birds.
Find out more: Escape awhile at our Wakes Hall Lodges, sleeping 2-4.

Plas Farm Holiday Cottages, Wales

Our eight farm cottages near Pontardawe are situated on the banks of the picturesque River Clydach and guests are free to roam the farm’s 120 acres of beautiful private countryside, a playground for native Welsh wildlife. The Farm Trail meanders through wide variety of different habitats, including award-winning woodland, grassland, hedgerows and upland streams. Over 60 bird species have been spotted, including herons, dippers, grey wagtails and red kites, as well as 20 species of butterfly, wild trout and otters. Nearby, the rugged, windswept Brecon Beacons National Park is a remarkably unspoilt environment for some of Wales’ rarest wildlife, including otters, great crested newts, marsh fritillary butterflies and bats. For a day out, head to the local Red Kite Feeding Station, a spectacular 20 mile drive away. Also nearby is the Gower Peninsula AONB, where seal sightings are common and lucky visitors spot dolphins and whales. The local RSPB Nature Reserve, Cwm Clydach, is just five miles away, famous for its pied flycatchers, redstarts and dippers.
Find out more: Our eight cottages sleep 2 to 6 guests and can be taken individually or in any combination to accommodate up to 32 guests.

Our nature holiday cottages

Top: Goose Run Cottage; below: Hause Hall Farm; Haddon Grove Farm Cottages

Click here for our full portfolio of fantastic retreats for nature lovers looking to get away from it all. Providing stunning bases from which to explore beautiful surroundings and spot indigenous wildlife, some are located in private grounds with woodlands, a river or lake while others are situated near wetlands or secluded coastal coves. Details of wildlife to spot, local walks and nature reserves are provided in our ‘things to do’ section for each holiday cottage listing. All provide a wonderful, cosy home-from-home with spectacular scenery to relax in beautiful nature.