Lazy Otter Marina

The Otter, as locals call it, sits on one of those quiet Cambridgeshire waterways that make you wonder why you haven't explored this corner before. It's a working marina - boats moored, the occasional engine firing up, people actually doing boat things rather than just Instagram-posing. You'll see narrowboats, day cruisers, the usual East Anglian mix of vessels that look like they've been there since 1987 and somehow still float.

There's a cafe on site which is the real draw for families. Nothing fancy - just decent coffee and the chance to sit by the water while the kids throw bread at waterfowl (they will, you won't be able to stop them). The walk along the towpath either direction is properly pleasant, especially in late spring when the banks are overgrown and you can almost forget Cambridge is only a few miles away.

If you're basing yourself at Chittering Park just up the road, this makes an easy afternoon trip - twenty minutes from your tent or caravan. It's not a destination on its own, but it's exactly the sort of place that makes a park holiday in Cambridgeshire work. No admission charge that we could find, and you can spend as long as you like just watching the water. Go on a weekday morning if you want relative peace; weekends bring the usual casual chaos of people discovering somewhere slightly off the beaten track.