How many times have you been on holiday and come home only to realise you could do with another holiday to recover from the holiday? There seems to be a lot of pressure when we go away to make the most of the free time. We schedule lots of day trips and make lists of all the things we want to see, all the places we need to visit and all the activities we should book. We fill our days, seemingly forgetting that part of the reason we needed a holiday was to relax and do less.
That’s why sometimes a short break can actually be a lot more restorative than a full blown holiday. Short breaks can be more spontaneous, less expensive and therefore more frequent. We may be biased, but short breaks in North Devon present the perfect opportunity for rest and relaxation and a chance to focus a little more on our wellbeing.
A short break in North Devon allows you to come to the coast, breathe in the sea air, take a nice brisk coastal walk, eat good food, catch up on sleep and even book yourself in for a relaxing treatment. Depending on the time of year and your current courage levels, you may even want to brave a dip in the sea if that’s your idea of wellness.
There is certainly no obligation to pack your itinerary full of obligations if that is not what you need from your short break in North Devon.
Make time for yourself
Making time for ourselves and carving time out of our every day schedules can be tricky as life tend to move so fast these days. That’s why a short break in North Devon allows you to block that time out and really focus on what you need right now. Often that is time away from our responsibilities, space to breathe deeply and think clearly, disconnection from technology, nourishing our bodies with good food, and allowing ourselves to fall asleep and wake up in alignment with our natural rhythm.
These things all seem so simple and it really shouldn’t be hard to fit them into our normal days, and yet we rarely find the time or space to focus on ourselves and what our bodies need to feel well resourced, energised and replenished. Despite the fact that we know that rest leads to restoration and will better position us to face our every day challenges and responsibilities with more ease and less stress.
Step out onto the South West Coast Path
Of course, one of the best things about taking a short break in North Devon is that some of the finest ways to spend your time don’t require booking at all. We are in a very privileged position here as the South West Coast Path runs directly behind the hotel. So our guests can be a beautiful walking route in a matter of minutes where they can experience some of the most spectacular stretches of coastline. There is absolutely no obligation to embark on an endurance challenge either. You can walk as short or long a distance as you feel your body needs, lingering to admire the view, sit on a bench and watch the sea before heading straight back to the hotel.
We’re proud to be a South West Coast Path Way Maker, helping to support and protect the trail so that everyone can continue to enjoy this rather special part of the world.
Take a dip in the Atlantic
Depending on the time of year, and your constitution, it maybe that your own personal mental and physical wellbeing revolves around cold water or wild swimming so packing your swimming costume and trunks may be a great idea for your short break in North Devon. We have a thriving sea swimming community here and plenty of gorgeous spots to dip your toe in. Those who partake in such activities tell us that it is the perfect activity for switching off the brain. They describe it as the antidote to modern life as it gives them a break from screens, stress, and busyness whilst helping them reconnect to nature.
This exhilarating and restorative activity might just be something that does make it onto your agenda if you are planning a short break in North Devon for rest and relaxation. However, if you’re new to sea swimming, please don’t simply wander into the Atlantic because we made it sound appealing. Check the tides, weather and local conditions, never swim alone and seek local advice about safe places to swim. If you’d rather admire the sea while remaining warm and dry on land, we fully support that decision too. Whether you are in the water, on the water or simply watching the water you can still benefit from “blue mind state” which is the the mildly meditative state people fall into when near the water. The term “Blue Mind Theory” was coined and popularized by marine biologist and author Wallace J. Nichols.
Eat Nourishing, Seasonal, Local Food
Unless cooking is one of your favourite pastimes you may find it easier to rest and relax if someone else takes care of the cooking, and the associated clean-up operation, for you. Food is a passion for us at The Carlton and we are particularly devoted to using seasonal, local produce and ingredients in our menu. Eliot, our co-owner and head chef here at The Carlton, is a true advocate for British ingredients. He is always talking about how grateful he feels to have direct access to what he calls “North Devon’s larder.” From fresh fish landed in the nearby harbour to high-quality meats and regional groceries, he enjoys working closely with local suppliers who have his best interests at heart when it comes to helping him pull together his menus.
When you book a short break in North Devon and stay with us at The Carlton, you can start your day with a proper breakfast before heading out for the day. Come back for a light lunch after your adventures, then settle in for dinner all made from delicious seasonal and locally sourced ingredients from our local suppliers. We definitely think that good nourishing food, enjoyed slowly, with nowhere else to be deserves a spot on the itinerary.
Catching up on Sleep
Apparently, it’s not actually possible to catch up on sleep. According to the experts, once you are in a sleep deficit you can’t claw it back. But the good news is that you can absolutely bank sleep and save it up if you know you are going to have a deficit. So that means a short break in North Devon could allow you store up some additional Zzzs that your future self will thank you for. And you probably won’t be the only person with this idea. Since 2023, there has been a growing trend for sleep tourism where people book a getaway with the main motivation of sleeping.
According to figures from The Sleep Charity, 40% of UK adults are having trouble sleeping at a given point in time. The frenetic pace of life, abundance of things to worry about and fears over the future place a massive amount of stress upon us. It therefore makes sense that we are looking for solutions that will help us to sleep better. Taking yourself off and staying in a hotel where you can focus purely on rest and relaxation is a luxury that travellers are increasingly seeking as a way to escape the hustle and grind of everyday life.
If you like the sound of a sleep retreat, a short break in North Devon could be exactly what you are looking for.
A Little Extra Rest and Relaxation
If you want to take your short break in North Devon to a whole new luxurious level, you’ll be pleased to know that we’ve recently teamed up with our neighbours at Kin Wellness il Ilfracombe to make it easier to add a little extra rest and relaxation to your stay at The Carlton. Kin is a wellbeing centre and home to a collective of experienced practitioners offering a wide range of treatments and therapies. Perhaps you fancy a Swedish, aromatherapy or hot stone massage purely because it feels lovely. If you’ve spent the previous day clocking up the miles along the North Devon coast, a deep tissue massage might sound rather more appealing. Kin also offers Indian head massage, Thai massage, reflexology, facials, acupuncture and a range of other treatments and therapies to help you feel fully restored during your short break with us.
If you’d like to book a treatment as part of your stay, talk to us and we can help you arrange an appointment with Kin.
Some Wellness for your Room
If you are really planning to hole yourself away during your short break with us and don’t plan on leaving the hotel, we’ve got you covered there as well. We’ve worked with Kin to create something especially for Carlton guests. Book one of our wellbeing breaks and you’ll receive your own Kin Wellness x The Carlton wellbeing gift bag, filled with treats to help you carry on relaxing back at the hotel or to take home with you so you can prolong the relaxation long after your stay with us. Because if you do manage to switch off while you’re here, it seems only fair that you should be able to take a little bit of that feeling home too.
Please call 01271 862446 to book your wellness stay at The Carlton or email eliot@ilfracombecarlton.co.uk for further information.