You might find Cornish lamb on the menu at Rick and Jill Stein’s flagship venture in a harbour town on the Camel estuary, but it is for fish and shellfish that fans have come here since Stein transformed a dodgy nightclub into a basic hotel in 1975.

‘The style is one of the unique assets’ at Teresa and Kevin O’Sullivan’s cliff-top hotel overlooking sub-tropical gardens filled with whimsical sculpture and statuary.

In a hillside location with ‘stunning sea views’, this supremely family-friendly hotel has something for everyone – indeed, everything for everyone.

‘We had unobstructed views across Mount’s Bay, and were treated to two glorious sunsets and a harvest moon.’

Up 137 steps, through ‘glorious’ gardens, ‘one of the most comfortable establishments I’ve ever stayed in’ occupies a higgle piggle of houses with ‘extraordinary views’ across Falmouth Bay.

‘The situation, the view and interior are all marvellous,’ writes a reader this year, of Karen and David Richards’s ‘superb hotel’ (Relais & Château) right by the harbour wall in a fishing village on the Roseland peninsula.

A Victorian baroque showstopper, this manor house stands on a steep hill in gardens above the Fowey estuary. It is part of the Luxury Family Hotels group.

‘What a super place to stay for tackling some of the Coastal Path; it ticks all possible boxes,’ writes a Guide inspector in 2018 of Sally and Chris Searle’s historic B&B.

This ‘youthful, buzzy’ spot, say returning guests this year, is liked for its ‘good rooms, helpful, friendly staff, excellent food – and no flashy bits’.

‘We cannot praise it too highly,’ says a report this year on brothers Charles and Edmund Inkin’s dining pub with rooms.

While families whoop it up at sister hotel Bedruthan (previous entry), grown-ups enjoy the serenity at this adults-only hotel and spa.

Hazel Billington and Ross Lewin are the ‘excellent hosts’ of this ‘absolutely fantastic hotel’ that has guests returning year after year. ‘The standard remains high every time we visit.’

John and Susan Gladwin’s ‘very pleasant’ small hotel ‘preserves a different world’ filled with ‘delicious’ cream teas and ‘glorious’ walks’ along the Coastal Path.

‘I have travelled widely but never stayed in a place where I truly felt I was with a close friend.’ Owner Susan Stuart ‘has created a real treat’, says a Guide regular after this year’s visit to the ‘beautifully restored listed house’.

Bird’s-eye views of the Lizard peninsula, little luxuries and an easy air turn this clifftop hotel (Luxury Family Hotels) into a stress-busting retreat for the whole family.

A Victorian pile almost as impressive as the Atlantic swell outside, the Armstrong family’s child- and dog-friendly hotel overlooks one of the best surfing spots in Cornwall.

The whole of Falmouth Bay stretches away from Lynda and Malcolm Cook’s ‘delightful’ B&B, just two minutes from the beach.

Whether testing the surf for the first time, or paddle boarding like an old pro, there’s a pursuit to suit at Will Ashworth’s ‘great’ beachside hotel.

Stepped lawns, then buckets and spades in the sand are all that separates this ‘welcoming, relaxed hotel’ from the sea.

Given the rugged setting and exhilarating Atlantic views, you might feel you were on the edge of the world. Turn inside, however, and Fairs’ cliff-edge hotel is sleek and stylish, with a laid-back vibe.
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Tucked into streets behind the harbour, this ‘achingly cool’ 17th-century house has ‘lovely staff’, ‘well-appointed bedrooms’ and ‘tasty breakfasts’.

‘Superbly located in a beautiful setting.' Guide readers in 2018 were thrilled by this ‘fabulous (and fabulously dog friendly)’ seaside spot.

Historic grounds tumble away from this ‘magnificent, lovingly restored’ castellated mansion on the banks for the Tamar river.

Gazing across to the harbour to St Anthony’s Head, David and Karen Richards’s casual, quayside spot is like for its seaside charm and ‘very good situation’.