41 St Nicholas Court

The pristine sands of Porthmeor Beach are popular year-round with walkers, surfers and swimmers, while above it the elegant Tate St Ives art gallery celebrates West Cornwall’s connection to artists from around the world. A stroll through cobbled streets and winding lanes leads across the peninsula to the town’s historic harbour; the South West Coast Path also links the two via Porthgwidden Beach and The Island – a headland which juts out into St Ives Bay and is home to the ancient St Nicholas’ Chapel. There’s much to do in St Ives, and a wealth of day trip options for those who’d like to explore further afield – Land’s End is a 20-mile drive south-west, and romantic St Michael’s Mount at Marazion is less than 10 miles south.

Set across two floors of St Nicholas Court, right on the seafront, this stylish apartment is a superb base for a couple who want to be at the centre of the holiday action. An open-plan kitchen/diner/lounge has all the kitchen and entertainment essentials you’d expect. A light, bright bathroom is off this area, and there’s also access to one of the apartment’s two private balconies. An open-tread staircase leads to a pretty bedroom where there are full-size twin beds, a TV, vanity unit and en-suite WC, plus patio doors giving access to the second balcony.

The two balconies here offer valuable private outdoor space; one is accessed from the open-plan living area and looks out across the bay, while the other – off the bedroom – overlooks a prettily planted central courtyard.