Viv W
September 2020
We arrived early September for 2 weeks and our initial thoughts were that we liked the look of the inside of the property and the advertised amenities. We had read from a guy who had previously stayed at Sandy Cove that the property next door was in a poor state so we emailed Sykes and asked for photographs of the property both front and rear and got no response - so be aware the downstairs property next door is derelict and the rear garden overgrown and an eyesore.
That said we found the inside of Sandy Cove was well equipped clean and comfy. However - the following day we found the microwave didnt work and rang and reported it to Sykes - we are now 5 days into a 14 day stay and still not had a response. Since then we have discovered there is no DVD player and the washer/dryer is in fact only a washer. Not an honest description as currently advertised.
There is no signal so you have to drive some distance before you can make or receive a call on your mobile so enable wi-fi calling before you arrive otherwise you could be stranded in an emergency - wi-fi connection is BT and quite good.
There is little to do in Porthowan - beach is rocky/ pebbles and not a nice sandy beach - popular with surfers only. No where to eat after 7pm as the Unicorn pub stops serving meals after 7pm as it is now classed out of season - it is a nice pub though and very friendly and literally just across the lane - 2 minutes away - there is a little shop -post office open 9-6 - and a fish and chip shop open 5-8 Wed - Sat - so if you are drinking either eat in or taxi to Perenporth or St Agnes villages nearby as they have a selection of places to eat,
Pack for all seasons and if weather poor on north coast - drive down to the south coast - and try a day out to the Scilly Isles by ferry from Penzance but book before travel as its a lot cheaper
That said - if you can live with these negatives Sandy Cove is a good base to drive to resorts on north, south and west coast - try Carbis Bay on north coast near St Ives - we also found Gylly beach in Falmouth on south coast a lovely beach with clean toilets, parking and food and drink available - lot of beaches we have tried so far on the north coast have closed whether thats due to Covid or out of season we dont know.
Enjoy and make the most of it .