• Alston
• Allonby And Aspatria
• Ambleside And Troutbeck
• Appleby In Westmoreland
• Askam In Furness
• Barrow In Furness
• Bassenthwaite
• Borrowdale
• Bowness On Windermere
• Brough
• Buttermere
• Brampton
• Broughton In Furness
• Carlisle
• Cartmel
• Cleator Moor
• Cockermouth
• Coniston
• Dalston
• Dalton In Furness
• Dent
• Grange Over Sands
• Grasmere
• Greenodd
• Grizedale
• Hawkshead
• Kendal
• Keswick
• Kirkby Lonsdale
• Wasdale And Gosforth
• Kirkby Stephen
• Longtown
• Loweswater
• Maryport
• Melmerby
• Milnthorpe
• Nenthead
• Newby Bridge
• Orton
• Penrith
• Pooley Bridge
• Ravenglass And Eskdale
• Sedbergh
• Seascale
• Shap
• Silloth And Solway
• St Bees
• Skiddaw
• Staveley
• Tebay
• The Duddon Valley
• Threlkeld
• Ulverston
• Vale Of Lorton
• Wasdale
• Wetheral
• Whitehaven
• Wigton
• Windermere
• Workington
• Spa Hotels In Windermere The Lake District
• Hotels With Hot Tubs In Windermere
• Hot Tub Hotels In Windermere And The Lake District
• Romantic Breaks In Windermere And The Lake District
• Themed Hotels In Windermere And The Lake District
• Weekend Breaks In Windermere
• Windermere Attractions And Boat Trips
• Boutique Hotels And Accommodation In Windermere And The Lake District
• Windermere In The Rain
• One Way Ticket To Windermere Por Favor
• Horse Riding In The Lake District
• Walks In The Lake District
• Windermere Boutique Hotel Bedrooms
• Holiday Accommodation Wanted In The Lake District

Wonderful Windermere

If you are planning a trip to the Lake District and you´re looking for somewhere special to stay, consider two of the most beautiful boutique hotels in the area.

Aphrodites Hotel Bowness on Windermere Telephone: 015394 45052

If you want luxury, superb organic food and stylish and contemporary themed rooms, the Aphrodites at Bowness-on-Windermere is the place for you. Many suites include hot tubs, patios and saunas. All the rooms have their own large aqua spa massage baths and some have large separate lounges with either log burning stoves or open fires. Themed suites include the Tarzan and Jane, the Parisian, the Victoria Suite and the Cleopatra Suite with hot tub. There is an outdoor heated swimming pool (open seasonally) and food is sourced locally from organic farms, bakeries and farmer´s markets.  The hotel also boasts a unique outdoor light and music fountain. Excellent value for money and close to most Windermere attractions, including The Beatrix Potter Attraction and boat trips on Windermere. Telephone: 015394 45052

21 The Lakes Boutique Hotel Bowness on Windermere tel: 015394 44165

Whether you fancy a weekend break in Windermere, a romantic holiday or some family fun in the Lake District, 21, The Lakes Boutique Hotel is an elegant and stylish hotel which offers every facility. Offering great value for money, excellent food and a range of attractions and things to do nearby, this is a great base for touring the Lake District. This Lake District Hotel was originally a wealthy Edwardian gentleman's second home and still retains many attractive period features. 21 The Lakes is one of the leading contemporary boutique hotels in the Lake District, and welcomes many celebrity guests. The luxury hotel has designer and traditional suites, some with outdoor tubs and mini-suites, relaxing lounge areas and large widescreen TVs, plus luxury bathrooms, power showers and saunas. For more information call: 015394 44165 Close to all Lake District Attractions including The Beatrix Potter Attraction and boat trips on Windermere.

Both hotels are close to where the action is but far enough away to ensure guests can enjoy the views, peace and tranquility of the Lake District. Whether you want to make the most of the stunning surroundings with a stroll around Windermere, or enjoy a boating trip across England´s longest lake, you won´t be disappointed with the range of nearby attractions.

The best pubs and restaurants in Windermere and the Lake District

The pubs and restaurants in Bowness-on-Windermere are legendary and this truly is a foodie´s paradise. Whether you choose to eat at 21, The Lakes or Aphrodites, or venture a bit further away, you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to the vast range of quality food on offer. Cumbria produces, undoubtedly some of the best food in England, and you can choose from award-winning local bakeries, Michelin Starred restaurants and some of the most unique country pubs in the UK.

If you are looking for fine dining in the Lake District, try Cartmel´s Michelin Starred L´enclume, which highlights the innovative style of Simon Rogan who boasts an international reputation for cooking food that combines textures, flavour combinations and fragrances that have never previously been considered. The restaurant also has 12 rooms, and L´enclume has been voted one of the five best destination restaurants with rooms in Europe. Telephone: 015395 36362 or www.lenclume.co.uk

If you are looking for something less formal but equally as inviting, try the Michelin Pub Guide Pub of the Year, 2009, The Punch Bowl Inn. Situated at Crosthwaite, the Punch Bowl Inn is a pub and hotel which offers visitors excellent locally-sourced food and real ales. Enjoying a stunning rural location, the Punch Bowl is everything you would expect of an old world country pub in the Lake District, and much more. You can enjoy a pint by the open fire, choose from a range of fabulous dishes from the pub menu or eat in the contemporary and stylish restaurant. Open year round, the Punch Bowl Inn is situated in the heart of the unspoilt Lyth Valley, alongside the Parish Church of St Mary´s at Crosthwaite. To get to the Punch Bowl, at the mini roundabout at Windermere, take the A592 to Bowness. In Bowness at the mini roundabout bear right, then first left onto the A5074. Follow Lyth Valley and Lancaster signs through Winster village. After approx 2 miles, at the sharp right hand bend, turn left for Crosthwaite. Go through the village. The Punch Bowl is situated on the right hand side next to the church. Telephone: 015395 68237 or www.the-punchbowl.co.uk.

Windermere Islands

Windermere has 18 islands, and by far the largest is the privately owned Belle Island, which covers 40 acres, and sits opposite Bowness. The island is around 1km in length. The other islands are much smaller and are named: Lady Holme, after the church that once stood there, Bee Holme, Blake Holme, Crow Holme, Fir Holme, Grass Holme, Lillies of the Valley (east and west), Ling Holme, Hawes Holme, Hen Holme, Maiden Holme (a tiny island with just one tree), Ramp Holme, Snake Holme, Thompson Holme and Silver Holme. You can hire a boat from Bowness and row or sail yourself around the central islands, or take advantage of the cruise boats on Windermere offer ‘Round the Lakes’ cruises. The car-passenger ferry passes many of the central islands.
Attractions at Windermere and messing about on the water
At 10.5 miles long and one mile wide, Windermere is the largest natural lake in England and it is fed by many rivers. In places 220 feet deep, the lake has always been an important waterway for movement of heavy materials, and the Romans built the fort of Galava at the Waterhead end.

Bowness-on-Windermere is the Lake District´s most popular holiday resort and is the perfect place for boating activities. Over 10,000 boats are registered at Windermere, and up to 2005 it was the only lake without a speed limit. A 10mph limit has now been imposed to ensure all users of the lake are safe. Steamers and launches operate from Bowness Bay to Waterhead and Ambleside and to Lakeside at the southern end. You can also take a boat trip to the Aquarium of the Lakes.

Swimming in Windermere

There are three sites - Fellfoot, Millerground and Lakeside - that are designated bathing waters under the Bathing Water Directive. These sites are regularly monitored for amenity and public health reasons, but children must be supervised at all times as the deeper waters of Windermere are very cold. Visitors who prefer warmer waters can go to the indoor pool at Troutbeck Bridge Swimming Pool, which is non-chlorinated and also boasts a gym.

Windermere Information

During the late 19th Century, wealthy businessmen, particularly from Lancashire, built grand mansions overlooking Windermere that have now been converted into hotels, including: Langdale Chase Hotel and Belsfield Hotel, plus the National Park Visitor centre at Brockhole, which is situated between Bowness and Ambleside. Wray Castle is also worth a visit, which is opposite Brockhole, and was the first Lake District holiday home of Beatrix Potter. The West shoreline of Windermere is owned by the National Trust, which also owns Fellfoot Park at the southern end of the lake.

Visitors can buy an unlimited pass to cruise Windermere Lake, stop off, enjoy some great walks and attractions including the Aquarium of the Lakes, pubs, restaurants and cafés, and get the boat back to where you started. A Lake Windermere cruise from Bowness is the best way to explore the area and to get a real feel of the size of the lake. During summer, Windermere comes alive, and visitors can book a jazz cruise in the evenings and watch the lights of Windermere from the water.
Miles without stiles

For visitors who want to explore Windermere on foot, try one of the Miles without Stiles walks around the lake. Routes include: Bowness to Cockshott Point, Windermere´s western shore, Red Nab to High Wray Bay and Brockhole.

Discovering Windermere, even as late back as the 1800s, when the wealthy Victorians started to flock to the region, was something of a revelation. A vast range of attractions, great restaurants, superb hotels and guest houses, plus some of the most stunning scenery in Britain combine to make Windermere the most popular destination in the Lake District.

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