Whilst lying on a sun bed with a good book in one hand and a long, cool drink in the other may be your idea of a relaxing holiday, your children may have other ideas!
When choosing our own family holiday, we found that while we ideally wanted to relax and unwind, the twins had boundless energy and needed something to keep them active.
As a parent of 15-year-old twins, you get used to accommodating their active lives with a parent taxi service “on-tap”, dropping off and collecting from the various school matches, cricket club, netball training, squash matches, shopping trips, cinema etc etc. Not to mention that you might also work long hours and have a daily commute (no wonder “working from home” has become so popular!)
So when we hung up our business suits and moved to Broomhill Manor, one of the many benefits was the range of family friendly activities for lively kids/ teenagers to do in Bude!
Bude has been voted in the top 3 of the Best UK Coastal Resorts for the past 4 years (winning it twice) and despite its relatively small population (about 10,00), has produced a surprising number of sporting champions, including Jonah Barrington, the most successful British squash player ever, and England Rugby Union player Phil Vickery. Bude also has probably the best surfing waters in the UK with an extremely active surf community and has produced many European Surfing champions. Bude’s Surf Life Saving Club was the first in the UK, set up some 64 years ago and trains most of the RNLI Lifeguards that patrol the local beaches and Bude Sea Pool.
With this active heritage, Bude is blessed with so many outdoor activities to keep kids (and active parents) “on the go” during your holiday.
Here’s our top 10 of things to do in Bude on holiday with an active family!
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- Learn to surf, or improve your technique with one of the many experienced licensed surf schools at Summerleaze (Scott’s Bude Surfing Experience) or Widemouth (Mike Raven’s Surf School or Robin’s Freewave Surf). They offer private or group sessions and equipment hire.
- Bude is on the South West Coast Path – it’s hardly a stroll in the park, undulating up and down about 300ft at a time in some parts, but well worth the effort with spectacular views and some good watering holes along the way for respite!
- Cycle or Segway – Bude is on the National Cycle Path and there are many interesting routes on dedicated cycle paths, the canal path and minor roads, ranging from “family-friendly” to challenging. Hire a bike for as little as £5 a day from Bude Bike hire and off you go!
- If you have a head for heights and love the adrenaline rush, then try coasteering with Shoreline Extreme Sports at Crooklets. Swim, dive and scramble among sea caves and rocky out-crops and enjoy jumping into plenty of deep water to burn off any excess energy!
- Enjoy a family hack with horse riding for all ages and abilities around Broomhill Manor. From pony rides on the private lanes, to hacks or lessons in the sand school for more experienced. And if you are staying in a cottage at Broomhill Manor, it’s right on your door step!
- Try the extremely popular SUP – Stand Up Paddle – a kind of cross between surfing and kayaking and ideal for when there aren’t any waves! Scott at Bude Surfing Experience offers the instruction and equipment at Summerleaze – enjoyment for the whole family!
- Shoreline Extreme Sports can teach you to rock climb, starting on the cliffs at Bude with an introductory basic climbing and abseiling session, or for those with climbing experience, try a few miles north on the Culm Coast or venture further to Exmoor and Dartmoor.
- Coarse and Sea Fishing are both available – one of a handful of places in the UK where you can catch bass, carp and wild trout all in the space of a few miles. Enjoy quality sea, coarse and fly angling all nearby, or cast off from the beach around the harbour for mackerel.
- Bude Golf Club is an interesting 18-hole course – great views and extremely challenging due to its coastal location! Perhaps more suitable for a family activity, go in land about 3 miles to the Ivy Leaf 9-hole course and driving range with panoramic views and tuition available.
- Take a guided canoe tour with The Bude Canoe Experience. They offer fun expeditions on bigger waters such as Roadford Lake and the River Torridge. Many of our guests have tried this and it gets an unequivocal “thumbs up” from them!
After an exhilarating and active day, you can return to your cottage to soak in the Jacuzzi, chill by the pool or enjoy one of Hazel’s relaxing massages.
On the other hand, for anyone with energy to spare, there’s the tennis court, table tennis, pool table, table football, swings, slides, tunnel, climbing frames, trampoline, soft play room and a HUGE lawn for ball games.
After all, if they’re happy, you’re happy!
