ALFRESCO

Green gardens, entertainment areas, hot tubs, barbecues and fire pits. Our cottages have them all. But what is it you look for in an alfresco space?

One of the main advantages of booking a holiday cottage over a hotel room is the extra room awarded to you. Instead of being limited to one room, or perhaps even a suite, your privacy is now extended to the entire house. Full-scale kitchen, a whole living room and even a dining room to yourself! But it doesn’t stop there.

You also get to take advantage of the outside spaces too and in some cases, these areas are so fantastic, they rival the rest of the house. Naturally, they come in all different shapes and sizes - as do the houses and cottages that they accompany. No two are the same and neither would we want them to be.

So what kind of outside spaces are we talking about? Well, you can’t beat somewhere with a bit of greenery; a nice large lawned garden for the dogs to roll around in every morning. Sometimes you’ll be spoilt with a petite but prettily planted plot or a vast meadow-style garden with plenty of room for picnics under the sunshine in spring.

In Pembrokeshire, many of our cottages go beyond what you might expect with fully decked-out entertainment areas. With an entertainment area, you can expect to see added extras such as luxury garden furniture, barbecues for your use and firepits. Designed to entice you to spend time outdoors, these areas are simply perfect for get-togethers under the blue skies - and the dark skies for that matter. Fire up the charcoal for a feast of local meat before settling down with a blanket around the firepit to gaze to the awe-inspiring stars until the early morn. Perhaps you’ll even find a pizza oven - ideal for getting the children to prepare their own meals.

One of the most popular features in outdoor spaces is the hot tub and for good reason! Changing into your swimmers and stepping into a warm bath of simmering bubbles does good things for the soul, particularly when it’s set in the middle of the countryside with nothing but green farmland and blue skies for miles. You might even find a swimming pool or two amongst our collection.

Keeping with the water theme, a few of our cottages even have access to expansive grounds where you might find a pond or lake. Stroll by the waterside taking in sights of waterbirds, insects and fish; perhaps you’ll even spot a toad. At some of the private lakes, you can even try your hand at fishing.

Many of our rural properties boast access to nearby woodlands or farmland where you can walk alongside the daffodils. Those along the coast sometimes boast seaside patios with views across the shore and sandy pathways to the beaches below.

Even at their most “basic”, a good garden can encourage positive thoughts and a calmer mindset - an effect of being enveloped by green spaces, by all accounts. At the end of the day, isn’t that exactly what you’re looking for from a holiday?