Sleep on the sands at Cornwall's latest pop-up glamping site

From restored railway carriages to huge bell tents that should have been used on this summer’s music festival circuit, the unique spaces to camp across Great Britain have seen a surge of interest in the last few months, and now another dreamy spot should be added to that list.

A new batch of luxury bell tents has popped up right on the sands of a secluded beach in Cornwall, on England’s southwestern coast. The 12 tents on privately owned Lusty Glaze beach, on the outskirts of Newquay, sleep a maximum of 24 in double beds and have private wetrooms.

To kick it up a notch, an executive chef dishes up fresh seafood and a bartender promises perfectly poured sundowners in the spot that was crowned the 2017 Beach of the Year by The Sunday Times. The tents are accessible only by a 133-step staircase, and activities including sunrise yoga, surfing and abseiling are offered, as well as beach blankets, hammocks and barbecues.

The site will be in place until September. Tents start at £270 a night and can be booked through Cool Camping.

Camping has been the go-to option for summer holiday-makers looking to stay closer to home, and within 24 hours of the UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson announcing that campsites in England could reopen on July 4, the camping website Pitchup recorded its highest number of UK bookings in a single day. Reservations on Cool Camping were 750% higher than the same day last year.

Like other once-communal venues, some campsites have introduced social distancing measures, including contactless and remote check-ins, fully online payments and increased pitch sizes to limit interaction with staff and other guests.

Find out how COVID-19 is changing travel.

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