11 Burrow Road

Refurbished fisherman's cottage in the Downalong quarter - the older part of St Ives, 100m from Porthgwidden Beach and 300m from Porthmeor and the Tate St Ives. Two bedrooms (1 double with fold-away single, 1 twin) sleep five. Wood burner in the open-plan ground floor. Front courtyard with bistro seating. Dogs welcome.

No parking on-site - typical for the Downalong lanes, which are barely wide enough for one car. The Trenwith car park is the closest option (10-minute walk back uphill); the Park & Ride at Lelant Saltings is the easier summer choice with a train into town.

Three of St Ives' four beaches are within 5 minutes' walk: Porthgwidden (small, sheltered, lifeguarded summer), Porthmeor (mile-long arc of sand below the Tate, surf school year-round), and the Harbour Beach (in town, only really a beach at low tide). Porthminster Beach is a 10-minute walk on the other side of the harbour - the calmest swim and the best beach café.

Tate St Ives sits above Porthmeor, with the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden a 5-minute walk inland. Leach Pottery is a slightly longer walk. The Minack Theatre is 18 miles south near Porthcurno.

Restaurants within 5 minutes: Porthminster Café (the famous one on the beach), Porthmeor Beach Café, Hub Box at the harbour for burgers, the Pilchard Press alehouse, and a clutch of fish-and-chip shops on the harbour.

Best for: couples or a small family of five who want walkable beaches and Tate culture without driving once they arrive. Less good for: anyone who needs car access to the cottage door (the lanes are unloadable in summer), or guests with mobility issues (Downalong is steep and stepped).