With Easter in sight and planning well underway for spring breaks, BIRD has curated a collection of UK, short and long-haul destinations that still have availability for a fun-filled Easter getaway. From home comforts with all the family in a Cornish beach house to glass egg sculpture blowing in the Maldives and farm-to-table Easter Sunday lunches in the Portuguese countryside – we’ve handpicked the top destinations to escape to and welcome in the new season.
Hassle-free family holidays at Three Mile Beach, Cornwall
A stone’s throw from Gwithian Beach, Three Mile Beach is a collection of three and four-bedroom luxury beach houses on the West Cornwall coast, just four miles east of St Ives. Each of the beach houses boasts open-plan living and kitchen areas, whilst wrap-around terraces offer sunken cedarwood hot tubs, barrel saunas and barbecues for group al fresco dining. This Easter, family fun begins on arrival as little ones hunt for Easter eggs, carefully hidden around the beach house and on the egg-adorned Easter tree. Well-equipped kitchens make creating Easter feasts at home a breeze, and if you don’t feel like cooking, outdoor restaurant Chomp serves up a Cornish take on street food favourites. Pizza ovens are available to hire complete with hampers full of fresh dough and toppings to get creative, whilst talented private chefs are available for feasting nights, cooking classes and wild foraging walks.
Private surf lessons and daring coasteering sessions await you with the new Wim Hof Method workshops, designed to celebrate the reinvigorating and restorative properties of water through a synergy of breathwork, hot & cold therapy, restorative yoga, sound healing, and meditation. With little ones in tow, you can travel lighter with baby packs available for hire complete with travel cots, highchairs, bottle sterilisers and warmers, baby bath, toilet seat, and that all important Tupperware.
Discover the Wild Woods this Easter at Beaverbrook, Surrey
Set amongst a vast 470 acre estate in the leafy Surrey Hills, much-loved country-house hotel Beaverbrook is an ideal setting for family stays this Easter. Children aged 6-12 years old with an adventurous spirit are kept occupied by the UK’s most entertaining kids club run by party supremos Sharky & George, who transform the surrounding woodland into the ultimate playground.
Throughout the Easter holiday, youngsters are entertained with high octane woodland activities organised from a gigantic treehouse headquarters hidden away in estate‘s forest. From geocaching, den building and night safaris, hilariously creative activities will unleash imaginations. Back for Easter weekend, the Great Egg Hunt will return to the estate, filled with chocolatey treats. The Beaverbrook estate truly is a playground for all ages to enjoy together, you can ramble, cycle or cart around the far-reaching estate or splash together in the indoor pool. No one need be left behind as the pet-friendly family suites attached to The Coach House accommodate up to four and can be interconnected to house larger groups.
Time-old traditions at Hotel Castello di Reschio
Surrounded by verdant valleys, towering pines and acre upon acre of nature at its wildest, Reschio is a 3,700-acre family-owned estate in the lush rolling hills of the Umbrian countryside. This Easter, you are invited to celebrate with a myriad of activities and embrace time-old traditions at Hotel Castello di Reschio, the recently restored and meticulously reimagined tenth-century castle turned 36-room elegant boutique hotel.
Easter Sunday will see Reschio’s chefs prepare a traditional lunch using local organic produce from the kitchen garden and foraged findings from the 3,700 acre estate. Later that day, you are invited to join a magical mass hosted in the pocket-sized chapel that neighbours Hotel Castello di Reschio, with an aperitivi in the castle courtyard to finish. The Italian tradition for Easter Monday, known as Pasquetta, is a day spent in the countryside, and guests at Reschio will indulge in just that, with a freshly made picnic to be enjoyed in the estate’s breathtaking grounds. If you’re looking to venture further, you can explore the rolling valleys and lush forests by foot, bicycle or horseback; join the estate’s game keeper or forager to learn more about local wildlife; indulge in a tasting of Reschio’s very own wines, honey and olive oil; or relax with a sumptuous treatment in the otherworldly Bathhouse, a tranquil sanctuary home to a hammam, sauna and large ethereal Roman bath that fills the castle’s ancient wine cellar.
Experience Alentejo tradition at São Lourenço do Barrocal
Sitting amongst 780-hectares of wildflower-strewn meadows, olive groves and vineyards in Portugal’s wild Alentejo region, São Lourenço do Barrocal is a restored 19th century farmstead hotel, winery and spa, with new family activities debuting for the Easter weekend.
Little ones can explore the estate in a gentle cart ride led by São Lourenço do Barrocal’s friendly donkey, Jerónimo, while keeping eyes peeled for hidden treasure and Easter eggs. Also new for this Easter, join local biologist Nuno Guégués for a crafting with nature workshop as they collect nature’s treasures, exploring the estate’s flora and fauna as they go, crafting toys, keychains and trinkets. In addition, the new water rocket, telescope and Martian rover building workshops in partnership with the Dark Sky Alqueva Observatory, celebrating São Lourenço do Barrocal’s prime position in the Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve, the world’s first dedicated Starlight Tourism Destination are also on offer.
Throughout the weekend, gastronomy is at the forefront; with an outdoor feasting table bursting with Alentejo favourites, and Barrocal’s enticing farm-to-table restaurant hosts a homegrown Easter Sunday lunch. Elsewhere on the estate, enjoy birdwatching, ethnobotanical hiking and horse riding, sportfishing on Lake Alqueva or join a local master potter for a pottery workshop, learning how to work with clay and decorate in the traditional Alentejo style. The Susanne Kaufmann Spa Barrocal offers indulgent results-driven treatments perfectly tailored to the needs of the individual.
Springtime surprises at Soneva
This April, celebrate an Easter for the memory books at Soneva’s award-winning resorts with a roster of programmes to delight and enthral guests of all ages. This April, Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani in the Maldives and Soneva Kiri in Thailand will host celebratory dinners with acclaimed chefs, and inspiring events with visiting experts whilst the ever-changing Soneva Stars line-up will entertain all.
Youngsters can get competitive with the highly anticipated annual Easter hunt across the islands – exchanging colourful wooden eggs for tempting chocolate treats. Seasonal celebrations continue with hands-on chocolate-making classes, or the chance to get creative with blowing glass egg sculptures at Soneva Art & Glass, the resort’s hot glass studio. Young Sonevian’s imaginations will run wild at The Den, where more arts and crafts workshops, evening discos, and inspiring sessions with Oppidan Education are just part of the fun-packed programme.
Both Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani will host culinary residencies from two exceptional British-born chefs this April – Michael Wignall who has helmed several Michelin-starred restaurants and is famed for his technically-accomplished dishes, and head chef of Copenhagen’s Kødbyens Fiskebar Jamie Lee, renowned for presenting a relaxed take on fine dining. Sports enthusiasts can try their hand with tennis sessions led by Austrian legend Barbara Schett and workshops with football sensation Marcel Gurk.
