Polpero Beach

The walk down into Polpero itself is half the appeal. You'll snake through narrow lanes lined with whitewashed cottages, past a working harbour still busy with fishing boats, and suddenly the beach opens up below you - a proper crescent of sand squeezed between rocky outcrops. It's small, intimate, and absolutely rammed on summer weekends, so go off-season if you can.

What you get here is less about space and more about character. The beach works for families who don't mind keeping an eye on their kids in the water - it's sheltered enough - but older children and teenagers will be restless after an hour or so. Walkers and photographers come for the views across the bay and the village backdrop, which genuinely is the kind of place you see on postcards. The rocks at either end have pools worth exploring if you're into that sort of thing.

There's a small car park at the top of the village (you'll pay, though rates weren't posted online), and facilities are basic - a few cafes and a shop, nothing fancy. Allow two to three hours if you're taking it slow with a picnic. Summer gets heaving; spring and autumn are far more pleasant.

From the nearby holiday parks - Killigarth Manor is practically on the doorstep at 0.6 miles - Polpero makes a straightforward morning or afternoon addition to a beach-focused holiday. Looe itself is just 4 miles away and offers more sand if you need it, but Polpero's got the charm factor Looe lacks.