Lovely Cottage in Snowdonia with Hot Tub, Fairbourne

This self-catering cottage sits a short walk back from the beach at Fairbourne, on the southern shore of the Mawddach estuary with Cadair Idris rising behind it, and the setting does most of the work for anyone travelling with a dog. The whole house is yours, the garden is a genuine sun trap with plenty of outdoor furniture, and the sand is close enough that a dog can be out on it within minutes of unpacking.

The pet terms are refreshingly plain. Two dogs are welcome at no extra charge, the owners will talk through larger or less usual breeds rather than applying a blanket rule, and cats are the one thing they cannot take. No fee, two dogs and a private garden is a useful combination to book around in this part of Snowdonia.

Inside, guests with dogs describe it as comfortable and properly equipped rather than minimal: a well-stocked kitchen, a record player and board games, and a bottle of prosecco waiting in the fridge. The hot tub in the garden is the feature most people lead with. Guests travelling with dogs rate the cottage highly for cleanliness and comfort, and the owners come across as helpful and easy to deal with.

A few things are worth knowing. Guests who were not travelling with a dog have found dog hair in a few spots around the cottage and thought the cooker needed a deeper clean, so if anyone in your party reacts to that it is worth raising at booking. The heating runs on a controller and the fireplace is not available for use, which caught out one party who feel the cold, so pack accordingly in shoulder season. The drive is also set back from the road and easy to overshoot on a first arrival.

It suits couples and small groups who want a quiet, dog-led week on the Welsh coast, with the beach, the estuary path and the Cadair Idris walks all within easy reach. It earns a 4.5/5 paw rating.