Ocean View At Harlyn

Second-floor one-bedroom apartment in a small block above Harlyn Bay, 3 miles north of Padstow. Sleeps two in a double with en-suite. Dogs are not accepted.

The balcony looks west across Harlyn Bay - one of the safer, more sheltered surf beaches on this coast. A private lane drops directly down to the sand in 200 metres. Lounge and bedroom both have low and sloping ceiling sections - worth knowing if anyone in your group is over 6 feet tall. Smart TV, dishwasher, fully kitted kitchen.

Garden is shared with the other apartments - tables, loungers, small play area. One parking space in the shared car park.

Harlyn is part of the Seven Bays headland between Padstow and Treyarnon. Facing north, it's sheltered from the south-westerlies that batter Constantine and Booby's Bay around the corner - the most family-friendly of the seven, and home to Harlyn Surf School. RNLI lifeguards in summer. The Harlyn taproom sits at the top of the beach for lunch, dinner, and a pint with a sand-floor view. Mother Ivey's Bay (0.9 miles) and Trevone (1.1 miles, with a blowhole and rockpools) are the natural next walks on the coast path.

Padstow (3 miles) delivers the Stein restaurants (Seafood Restaurant, St Petroc's, Stein's Fish & Chips), Paul Ainsworth at No 6, and the start of the Camel Trail - 18 miles of flat former-railway cycle path to Bodmin. Eden Project a 30-minute drive inland.

Best for: couples wanting beach-first simplicity - park once, walk to the beach, pub, and surf school. Surf learners (Harlyn is the gentlest break in the area). Less good for: tall guests or families (sleeps two only).