Stays where you can walk to a beach

There are very few things worth setting an alarm for on holiday. But the sea, before almost anyone else is awake – especially when it’s a two-minute walk from your front door – is one of them. At that hour, the beach belongs almost entirely to the gulls, the tide and whoever was persuaded out of bed by the promise of salt water. You’ll smile at strangers, sharing a quiet glow at being the ones who know this hour is special.

Some people dive straight in. Others spend several theatrical minutes negotiating the temperature, inch by inch. Either way, 20 minutes later you’re towelling off with salty skin, sandy feet and an appetite that feels almost impossible to satisfy. Take it from us: breakfast tastes way better after a morning dip, every bite oddly celebratory, as though you’ve earned it.

What’s more, that early swim will be one of the things you remember most from the stay. And you don’t need a beachfront hotel to do it. Just somewhere close enough that the sea becomes part of your morning rather than a day trip. That’s exactly why we love hideaways where you can walk to the beach.

From the cinematic dunes of Camber Sands to the secret coves of Cornwall, the vast beaches of Pembrokeshire to quiet corners of the Hebrides, at these hideaways the sea is tantalisingly close. Which means you can also return after lunch. Take another paddle at sunset. Or simply wander down every evening with a Moth cocktail-in-a-can and watch the light disappear.

Perhaps the greatest holiday luxury isn’t a bigger house or a fancier kitchen. It’s being able to leave your front door and be standing barefoot at the water’s edge 10 minutes later. Definitely worth setting an alarm for, anyway.