Cornwall named among UK's best luxury staycations and beats Devon and Somerset

Shania King-Soyza

10 May 2024 at 8:49 am·3-min read

No caption — Tourists in St Ives, Cornwall, which is among the top counties in the UK for luxury amenities -Credit:No credit

Cornwall has been named among the very best luxury upmarket staycation destinations across the UK and has beaten South West competitors Devon and Somerset. The ranking is judged on amenities including the number of five-star hotels, five-star golf clubs, Michelin-rated restaurants, spa and wellness facilities, hiking trails, and local National Trust locations.

Cornwall ranked eighth in the overall index with its 17 five-star hotels, 37 Michelin Guide restaurants, five five-star golf clubs, 45 luxury spa and wellness centres, 58 excellent hiking trails and 47 National Trust locations in the county which has a population of 572,010.

Defender, a Land Rover brand, set out to find the best luxury rural destinations. Utilising data from TripAdvisor and the National Trust, the number of specific types of high-end amenities were calculated in each area across the UK.

Cornwall has the most National Trust locations across the UK. It also ranks in the UK top ten for the highest gourmet eateries with 37 Michelin Guide restaurants such as the esteemed Crocadon in St Mellion and Outlaw's New Road in Port Isaac.

Devon appeared further down the list of the UK's best staycation spots, ranking 18th out of 20. The county did however out-rank Cornwall by having more five-star golf clubs and luxury spa and wellness facilities. However, Somerset came in at 16th and Bath in 10th.

Britain's best rural staycation spots according to Defender - Full list:

Rank	Location	Population	5-Star Hotels	Michelin Guide Restaurants	5-Star Golf Clubs	Luxury Spa and Wellness Centres	Excellent Hiking Trails	National Trusts Locations	Overall Index Score
1	Lake District National Park	40,478	10	18	5	25	32	23	11
2	New Forest National Park	34,000	2	3	1	13	1	6	61
3	The Cotswolds	91,125	12	25	2	38	6	3	65
4	Peak District National Park	38,000	2	5	1	2	10	3	92
5	Argyll and Bute	86,220	2	4	4	6	5	7	102
6	Pembrokeshire	123,360	7	5	2	14	3	13	110
6	Perth and Kinross	153,810	5	3	5	15	12	7	110
8	Cornwall	572,010	17	37	5	45	58	47	125
9	Ceredigion	71,475	2	3	2	3	3	4	165
10	Bath	94,092	10	9	0	19	2	6	177
11	Dorset	381,292	4	11	3	56	12	22	183
12	Aberdeenshire	262,690	3	5	10	24	5	9	189
13	Anglesey	68,878	5	1	1	4	4	2	196
14	Gwynedd	117,393	3	3	2	3	14	11	223
15	South Ayrshire	112,450	3	0	2	10	7	4	227
16	Somerset	573,119	12	23	2	49	12	23	239
17	Edinburgh	526,470	16	32	6	78	2	5	248
18	Devon	1,186,000	13	25	9	68	40	35	249
19	North Yorkshire	618,847	17	33	1	62	24	9	250
20	Shropshire	324,716	2	7	3	23	10	8	253

Discover the full research here.