The Beach

Above sandy Summerleaze beach, Susie and Will Daniel’s young-at-heart hotel is a great hang-out for surfers, sybarites and sun-seekers (Bude is officially one of the sunniest places in Britain). You can order cocktails to drink on the terrace and drink in the coastal view, too, while grazing on a charcuterie platter or cheeseboard. Within a 19th-century building, the bedrooms are in cool New England style, with limed oak furniture, Lloyd Loom chairs, pale paint finishes, a smart modern bathroom. Some of the rooms share the outlook over sand and sea, with glass doors to a Juliet balcony or a private terrace. Two self-catering suites are designed for a family; dogs are welcome, as well as six humans. The bar is often buzzing, and readers praise the friendly, helpful staff. The Beach no longer has a restaurant, but Bude offers a wide range of dining options, from tapas to tandoori, pub grub to pizzas. The former small port and village became a favoured resort for Victorians, when Summerleaze was a men-only beach. Today anyone is free to disport themselves in the waves or splash in the sea-bathing pool.