Pentewan

Modern 4-bedroom cottage on the hillside above Polzeath, 400m from the sand and sleeping 8. Front-facing rooms have panoramic windows and a raised sun-deck that looks straight out over the bay - the surf schools, the lifeguard hut, and the line of waves rolling into the wide north-coast beach.

The ground floor is open-plan: kitchen, dining and sitting area flow out to the deck through wide glass doors. A ground-floor double bedroom and a utility room with WC sit off the same level - useful for older guests or anyone who'd rather not climb stairs. Upstairs are three more bedrooms (one en-suite) and a family bathroom with a separate shower.

Polzeath village is a 5-minute walk downhill: the Tubestation cafe, the Co-op, surf-board hire, and the Polzeath Beach car park. Daymer Bay and St Enodoc Church (where John Betjeman is buried) are a mile south through the dunes. The Rock-to-Padstow passenger ferry leaves from 2 miles down the coast road, and Wadebridge with the Camel Trail is 8 miles inland.

Best for surf-keen families and groups of 8 who want the beach within walking distance and a deck for evening drinks. Less good for guests who need a fully step-free property - the cottage sits up a hill.