8 Millpool

Two-bedroom 19th-century semi-detached cottage in Mousehole (pronounced "Mowzle"), 200m from the harbour. Sleeps four. Wood burner, sea views, terraced back garden. One small dog welcome.

Original features alongside modern furnishings. Second sitting room on the upper floor catches the afternoon light. Open fire as well as the wood burner. Dishwasher, washing machine, WiFi.

Mousehole is one of Cornwall's most photographed harbour villages - tightly packed cottages around a stone-walled harbour, with one road in and one out. Best known for its Christmas harbour lights (a display through December that draws visitors from across the county) and Tom Bawcock's Eve on 23 December, when the village marks the legend with stargazy pie at the Ship Inn. Dolly Pentreath, often cited as the last native Cornish speaker, is buried in nearby Paul.

The harbour itself dries at low tide, exposing a small sandy beach inside the walls. The Old Coastguard hotel sits on the south side; the Ship Inn is on the harbour. The coast path heads south to Lamorna Cove (3km, sheltered south-coast cove with a beach café), or north along the cliffs to Penlee and Newlyn (1 mile, the working fishing port).

Penzance is 3 miles north - the gateway to the Penwith peninsula. From there, ferries run to the Isles of Scilly, the train to London leaves four times a day, and the South West Coast Path heads on west to Land's End and the Minack Theatre at Porthcurno.

Best for: couples or a small family wanting a quiet harbour-village base with easy access to Penzance and the Penwith coast. Stargazy-pie pilgrims. Less good for: anyone wanting a beach holiday (Mousehole's "beach" is harbour sand at low tide), or guests who need to drive to the door (the village is choked with one-way lanes).