Westmorland and Furness

A first trip here usually starts with a walk. Pull on boots, pick a fell, and go up it, whether that means a gentle climb with a lake view or something steeper for the ones who want their legs to ache by teatime. This is the western and southern stretch of the Lake District and its edges, so the ground does most of the talking: bracken-covered slopes, glacial valleys, and water everywhere you look. You come here to be outside, and the landscape more or less arranges the itinerary for you.

Most visitors base themselves in a cottage rather than a hotel, and there's a strong case for it. Staying in something like Bannerdale or Wetherlam, both named after the fells around them, puts you close to the routes up rather than in a town centre queuing for a table. Others prefer a base nearer water, in a cottage such as Gone Sailing, handy if the plan involves getting out on a lake rather than just looking at one. Smaller places like Beck Cottage, Barker Knott Cottage, April Cottage, Aira Cottage and Quarry Cottage suit couples or small groups wanting a quiet corner to return to after a day of walking.

Once the boots come off, the lakes themselves are the other big draw. Sailing, rowing, and simply sitting by the water are all part of the appeal, and a cottage with a name like Gone Sailing is a fair hint at how people spend their afternoons here. Beyond the water and the fells, the area rewards slower exploring too: stone villages, quiet lanes, and market towns worth a wander if the weather turns.

Evenings tend to be unfussy. After a day on the fells or the water, most people are after a proper meal and a pub with a fire rather than anything showy, and the villages scattered through the area cater well to that. It suits self-catering nicely too, with plenty of visitors happy to cook something simple in the cottage kitchen after a long walk rather than head back out.

With 805 self-catering cottages across the area, there's a wide spread of options depending on what the trip is for, a fellside base for walkers, something near the water for sailors, or a village cottage for those who want pubs and shops within reach. Wherever you land, the fells and lakes are rarely far from the door.