If you think of your perfect babymoon, what comes to mind? Far-flung beaches? Bright sunshine? Relaxing with a massage and a spa? I’ve seen more than my fair share of babymoon photos on Instagram to know that the done thing (at least for soon-to-be yummy mummies on social media) is to travel to some remote island in the Indian Ocean for one last bite of the exotic travel pie before life changes forever. 

I’ve just come back from my ideal pre-baby break, and while it felt like travelling to the other side of the world, we only went as far as Cornwall.

St Michaels Resort is located a stone’s throw from Gyllyngvase beach, a 10-minute walk from Falmouth station. We arrived after five or six hours of train travel one Friday afternoon and immediately forgot about the hustle and bustle of the Great Western trainline once we’d walked into the calming foyer. It’s first and foremost a luxury hotel, but its focus on wellbeing is evident everywhere you go. We were led out of the main building, through the spa and garden (complete with shepherd’s hut sauna, plunge pool and hot tub) and out to a series of lodges where we were to spend the next couple of nights. Within minutes, it became clear that it was going to be difficult to ever leave such a beautifully comfortable room and its outdoor copper roll-top bath.  

Falmouth is a veritable haven of wellness, and it’s the perfect place to go when you’re feeling frazzled. I arrived stressed after a hectic week at work and umpteen disrupted nights (blame hip ache) and left feeling like I’d been on holiday for weeks. I slept better than I’ve done in months, didn’t touch my phone for three days and read a novel from start to finish. Here’s why Cornwall – and more specifically, St Michaels – should be your wellness babymoon destination of choice.  

Start the day with a spot of wild swimming

A few years ago, my husband and I went on a Wim Hof retreat, and ever since, we’ve been real converts to the power of a daily cold shower. Since becoming pregnant, however, I’ve been horribly sensitive to cold; even the smallest gust of wind feels like my nipples are being stabbed by needles. As a result, I’ve been exclusively dressed in thermals for the past seven months and spend a lot of my time strapped to hot water bottles. But, you can’t go to the seaside without a dip – especially when the beach is a 60-second hop from your bedroom door, the sea is aflame beneath a yolky sun and everywhere you look, swimmers of all ages are either limbering up for a dip or enjoying a post-swim coffee.

So, down to our cozzies, we psyched ourselves up and plunged into the icy waters. The sea in Falmouth is Caribbean turquoise, and while we were there, really clean. There are signs on the sand urging swimmers to check the South West Water bathing quality map before going for a dip to see if there’ve been any incidents, and getting the all-clear is great for putting your mind at ease. 

After a minute or two of bobbing around and screaming, we got out, quickly changed and headed back up through the hotel garden to our steaming shower. Weirdly, for the first time since September, I didn’t experience any of the painful side effects of being cold. It was exhilarating – like having all the mental cobwebs brushed away. And actually, I didn’t feel cold for the rest of the trip. We enjoyed highs of 12ºC and I spent the whole of the Saturday in shorts and a vest – unimaginable given my usual Uniqlo HeatTech-and-tracksuit uniform. My partner had sprained his foot a few days before and he claimed that after that dip, his foot felt significantly less sore and inflamed.  

Walk in any direction for secret coves and amazing views

You can’t go to Falmouth without putting on your trainers and heading for the beach-side trails. We ended up doing a three-hour walk along the coast, exploring Famous Five-like coves, stopping for coffees and beers at little cliff-side cafes and waterfront cabins, and enjoying the best chips ever at Maenporth beach.

Everyone’s incredibly friendly, and on a sunny day, the trail is positively humming with walkers and dogs. It’s pretty hilly, and after days of rain, the terrain can be incredibly muddy, but if you’ve got decent cardio fitness, it’s a doddle. And if you do get tired, there are plenty of benches dotted around offering incredible views – to say nothing of the excellent refreshment stands.

Relax with incredible spa treatments

While pregnancy has treated me relatively kindly, there’s just one thing I’ve been craving – especially coming into the third trimester: a proper massage. For months, I’ve wanted to lie in a darkened room while someone tenderises and releases my tight shoulders, overworked hips and tired feet. On that first day, I finally got my wish. The spa at St Michaels is really superb, and the pregnancy massage I had was probably my highlight of 2025 so far. Lying on the world’s most comfortable bed, you’re gently massaged on the left hand side before being asked to roll onto the other side – after which, you can enjoy a delicious foot rub and head massage.

The following day, after an epic walk, we enjoyed an afternoon of hydrotherapy in the main spa area. That involves being pummeled by water jets in the main pool, hopping between different showers (themes include ‘ice bucket’ and ‘rainforest’) and the various steam and sauna rooms. Being pregnant, I avoided the latter, but I had a good go in the pool before bunkering down on a heated stone bed to read my mountain of magazines – getting up occasionally to do a minute in the ice-cold outdoor plunge pool or refresh with a cold shower. My husband, on the other hand, was like a dog with two tails running between the indoor sauna, cold water pool, salt steam, outdoor sauna and back again.  

Enjoy excellent plant-based food

Travelling as a vegan always comes with challenges – but when you’re heavily pregnant, you worry even more about the lack of options. I needn’t have fretted; St Michaels boasts two brilliant restaurants that both do fabulous plant-based options. The first night, we dined at Brasserie on the Bay, where my partner enjoyed a super-fresh catch of the day and I tucked into a creamy celeriac soup, followed by a caramelised shallot tart. If that wasn’t delicious enough, we finished up with the best sticky toffee pudding I’ve ever had in my life.

The following day, having breakfasted on cereal and melon and lunched on chips, we tried Nourish, the hotel’s health-focused offering. I started with cauliflower tacos before moving onto a huge vegan Caesar salad that, while simple, was exactly what I needed. I went to bed (after a couple of delicious mocktails at the hotel bar) feeling full but light and drifted into a soundless sleep. 

Unwind in your own outdoor tub

To me, nothing says ‘wellness’ like a good bath – and the bathing experience at St Michaels really takes some beating. Our copper bath sat outside our room in a spot that offered total privacy while exposing you to all the sounds of the sea. About eight times over the two days, we poured coconut bubble bath into the copper tub and relaxed to the sounds of birds chirping in the trees overhead and waves crashing beneath us. The bath is so generous that two can easily fit, even when one of us is 6ft 4in and the other is more voluminous than ever. I’d honestly visit again just for the bath.

Bring a slice of Cornish wellness home

It’s probably not surprising given how outdoorsy everyone seems to be in Falmouth that Cornwall is something of a wellness hotspot – and the hotel is great at showcasing local products. From the heavenly diffuser in our bathroom from St Eval, a company born in North Cornwall, all the locally sourced grub in the restaurants and the Mum To Be collection of heavenly skincare goodies from local B Corp Made For Life Organics, there’s a real pride in the area’s attention to healthy bodies and minds. I took a bunch of Cornish treasures home, and now my bathroom is full of relaxing smells and ointments ready to see out the final weeks of this pregnancy.  

We stayed in one of the Spa Garden Lodges at St Michaels Resort. Spa Garden Lodges are £329 per night based on 2 people sharing, with a two-night minimum stay.

Images: author’s own