Villas in South-West

Families in the South West do well at Torquay, Mevagissey or Newquay, surfers at Bude and Woolacombe, and the far west is a long drive. Expect holiday cottages and family houses rather than pool villas. Book early for the school summer holidays, and travel midweek if you can: Saturday traffic on the M5 and A30 is heavy.

Where

Villas: 436
From, per week: £305
Cheapest month: November
Nearest airports: By road from London, Exeter is around three hours and west Cornwall five or more, longer on summer Saturdays when the M5, A303 and A30 queue. From Birmingham, Newquay is around four hours. GWR trains from Paddington reach Plymouth in around three hours and Penzance in about five. Cornwall Airport Newquay has flights from Stansted and, in summer, Gatwick and Manchester; Exeter airport suits Devon.

Where to stay in South-West

Torbay and the Teign (Torquay, Teignmouth, Chudleigh)

Torquay has more of our South West houses than anywhere else. With Paignton and Brixham it forms the English Riviera, a sheltered bay with calm water, Kents Cavern and the harbour at Brixham. Teignmouth has a town beach and a small passenger ferry across the estuary to Shaldon. Chudleigh is inland on the edge of Dartmoor, near Canonteign Falls. From London, allow around four hours by car or three by train.

Best for: Families who want sheltered beaches and the shortest drive from London

Not for you if: You want wild, empty coast: Torbay is a built-up resort area with traffic to match in August.

Mevagissey, St Austell Bay and Fowey (Pentewan, Charlestown, St Austell)

Mevagissey is still a working fishing harbour, and the Lost Gardens of Heligan are just outside it. Pentewan has a sandy beach a short walk from the village. Charlestown's Georgian harbour, often with tall ships moored, was a filming location for Poldark. The Eden Project is close to St Austell. Fowey is a sailing town on its estuary, with small ferries to Polruan and Bodinnick. Trains from London reach St Austell in around four and a half hours.

Best for: Harbour villages and big gardens for wet days

Not for you if: You want to park outside the pub: Mevagissey and Fowey have steep, narrow streets and limited parking.

The Rame Peninsula, Plymouth and Looe (Kingsand, Cawsand, Liskeard)

Kingsand and Cawsand are twin villages of colour-washed cottages. From spring to autumn a ferry runs from Cawsand to Plymouth's Barbican in about half an hour. Mount Edgcumbe's park and the long beach at Whitsand Bay are close by. Looe is a harbour town split by its river, with boat trips to Looe Island. Plymouth is around three hours from London by train.

Best for: Couples who want a quiet village with a city a boat ride away

Not for you if: You dislike narrow lanes: the roads onto the Rame Peninsula are single-track in places.

West Cornwall (St Ives, Marazion, Sennen Cove, Helston, Falmouth)

St Ives has Porthmeor beach, Tate St Ives and the Barbara Hepworth museum, but town parking is hard, so use the train from St Erth. At Marazion you can walk the causeway to St Michael's Mount at low tide. Sennen Cove is a surf beach near Land's End and the cliff-side Minack Theatre. Helston is the gateway to the Lizard and Kynance Cove. Falmouth has the National Maritime Museum and Pendennis Castle.

Best for: Art galleries and surf beaches at the far end of England

Not for you if: You want a short journey: from London it is five hours or more by road or rail.

Bude, Widemouth Bay and the Dartmoor edge (Launceston, Okehampton)

Widemouth Bay, a few miles south of Bude, is one of the most reliable surf beaches on this coast, with lessons in summer. Bude has the Summerleaze beach and a tidal sea pool where children can swim in calm water. Inland, Launceston has a castle and is right on the A30. Okehampton sits under the northern edge of Dartmoor, and trains run from there to Exeter. From London, allow around five hours by car.

Best for: Surfers and families who want big sandy beaches

Not for you if: You want to arrive by train: Bude has no station, and the nearest is at Okehampton or Exeter.

North Devon (Woolacombe, Combe Martin, Ilfracombe, Bideford)

Woolacombe has about three miles of sand, with surf schools and lifeguards in summer. Combe Martin sits in a narrow valley at the western edge of Exmoor. Ilfracombe is a harbour town with Damien Hirst's Verity statue on the pier. From Ilfracombe or Bideford, the MS Oldenburg sails to Lundy Island in under two hours. From London, allow around four and a half hours by car.

Best for: Families who want a long surf beach and Exmoor nearby

Not for you if: You want calm water every day: Atlantic swell makes these beaches better for surfing than paddling.

Newquay and Bodmin

Newquay has Fistral, one of the best-known surf beaches in Britain, and several town beaches and Watergate Bay just up the coast. Cornwall Airport Newquay is about 15 minutes away, and a branch railway runs in from Par. Bodmin, inland, is a base for Bodmin Moor and the Camel Trail, a flat cycle path along the river to Wadebridge and Padstow. From London, allow around five hours by car.

Best for: Surfers, groups and anyone flying in to Cornwall

Not for you if: You want a quiet town: Newquay is Cornwall's main party resort in summer.

When to go to South-West

The school summer holidays, from late July to early September, are the busiest and most expensive weeks, with full beach car parks and slow traffic. Easter and the May half-term are busy too. June and September are the best months, with quieter beaches, and by September the sea is at its warmest. From November to March many beach cafés and attractions close or open fewer days, but the coast path stays open and prices fall. Pack for rain whatever the month.