Seaton

Seaton is a small, quiet beach village on Cornwall’s south-east coast, sitting between Looe and Downderry. The beach here is a real gem — a long, wide stretch of excellent sand that rarely gets crowded, even at the height of summer. The Seaton River runs across the beach to the sea, creating shallow pools that young children love to paddle in, and the sand quality is consistently good.

The village is small and low-key, with just a beach cafe and a few houses clustered around the valley. There’s no amusement arcade, no fish and chip shop frying until midnight, no car park meters ticking. That simplicity is its strength. The beach is backed by a wooded valley that makes a pleasant sheltered walk, and the coast path connects east to Downderry and west towards Looe and Millendreath.

Seaton works perfectly as a base for families who want a good beach without the crowds and commercialism of bigger resorts. Looe is about ten minutes by car for restaurants, shops and boat trips, and Polperro is a bit further along the coast. The Monkey Sanctuary is nearby and makes a good rainy-day option. If your ideal holiday is sand, sea, a good book and not much else, Seaton delivers exactly that.