St Ives is quite simply one of the most beautiful towns in England — and on a sunny summer day it genuinely looks like somewhere in the Mediterranean. The harbour, the turquoise water, the whitewashed cottages climbing up the hillside, the narrow winding streets packed with art galleries, independent shops and brilliant restaurants — St Ives has an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in the country.

The town has been drawing artists since the 19th century and has a wonderful creative energy. The Tate St Ives gallery is one of the best art galleries outside London. The beaches — Porthminster, Porthmeor and Porthgwidden — are all beautiful and each has its own distinct character. Go early in the morning before the day trippers arrive and you’ll have the harbour almost to yourself.

Best for: Couples, art lovers, foodies, beach holidays

Don’t miss: Breakfast at Porthminster Beach Café, a walk to the Island, the Tate St Ives, the Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden

Where to Stay Near St Ives

St Ives itself has some wonderful small hotels and B&Bs, but if you want more space the surrounding area has brilliant self-catering cottages. Cornwall Hideaways and Sykes Cottages both have excellent properties in and around St Ives, from harbourside apartments to farmhouses in the surrounding countryside.

There is nowhere quite like Whitby. Perched dramatically on the cliffs of the North Yorkshire coast with a ruined gothic abbey silhouetted against the sky, a working fishing harbour, narrow streets of independent shops and some of the best fish and chips in England — Whitby has a character that is completely its own. It’s moody, atmospheric, historic and endlessly fascinating.

The town is famously the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula — the Count arrives in Whitby harbour in the form of a black dog, and the 199 steps leading up to the abbey feature prominently in the novel. Every autumn thousands of goths descend on the town for the Whitby Goth Weekend — one of the most extraordinary events in the British calendar. But you don’t need to be a Dracula fan to love Whitby — the harbour, the abbey, the beaches and the food are reason enough to visit.

Best for: History lovers, foodies, walkers, anyone who loves dramatic scenery

Don’t miss: Whitby Abbey, the 199 steps, fish and chips on the harbourside, a walk to Robin Hood’s Bay, the Captain Cook Memorial Museum

Where to Stay Near Whitby

Whitby has excellent accommodation options from cosy harbourside B&Bs to holiday cottages in the surrounding North York Moors. Sykes Cottages has a brilliant range of properties in and around the town — staying in a cottage within walking distance of the harbour is a wonderful experience.

Brighton is the UK’s most vibrant seaside city — and it earns that description easily. It’s colourful, creative, welcoming and endlessly entertaining. The famous pier, the extraordinary Royal Pavilion, the bohemian lanes packed with vintage shops and independent restaurants, the pebble beach buzzing with life on a summer weekend — Brighton has an energy that’s completely addictive.

It’s also one of the most easily accessible seaside destinations from London — just 50 minutes on the train — which makes it perfect for a spontaneous summer day trip or a weekend break. The food scene is exceptional, the nightlife is legendary and the range of things to see and do is genuinely impressive. Brighton is also one of the most welcoming and inclusive cities in the UK.

Best for: City breakers, day trippers from London, foodies, nightlife, shopping

Don’t miss: The Royal Pavilion, Brighton Pier, The Lanes, the i360 observation tower, a swim in the sea

Where to Stay in Brighton

Brighton has a fantastic range of hotels from boutique seafront properties to well-known chains. LateRooms is a great place to find and compare Brighton hotels — particularly useful if you’re booking close to your travel date.

Tenby is one of those places that makes you catch your breath the first time you see it. The colourful Georgian townhouses ranged around the harbour, the medieval town walls, the beautiful beaches on either side — North Beach and South Beach — and the dramatic rocky headland all combine into a picture-postcard scene that is genuinely one of the most beautiful in Wales.

The town is compact and wonderfully walkable, with excellent restaurants, independent shops and a brilliant atmosphere in summer. Caldey Island — a real, inhabited monastery island — is just a short boat trip away and makes a fascinating half-day excursion. The surrounding Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is one of the most spectacular stretches of coastline in Britain.

Best for: Families, beach holidays, walkers, anyone who loves beautiful scenery

Don’t miss: South Beach, the town walls, Caldey Island boat trip, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, a pasty from one of the harbour cafés

Where to Stay Near Tenby

Pembrokeshire has some brilliant holiday cottages — rural and coastal — and the Blue Lagoon waterpark at the Bluestone Resort is a great option for families. Sykes and HolidayCottages.co.uk both have excellent Pembrokeshire properties.

Whitstable is the seaside town that Londoners discovered and fell in love with — and it’s easy to see why. Just an hour from the capital by train, it has all the ingredients of the perfect British seaside town: a working harbour, brilliantly fresh oysters and seafood, colourful beach huts, independent shops and a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere.

The oysters are the thing here — Whitstable native oysters are among the finest in the world and the annual Whitstable Oyster Festival in July is a genuine highlight of the summer calendar. But even if oysters aren’t your thing, the town has plenty to offer — excellent restaurants, a beautiful shingle beach, the harbour with its fishing boats and a lovely easy pace of life that makes it perfect for a weekend of proper switching off.

Best for: Foodies, couples, day trips from London, relaxing weekends

Don’t miss: Fresh oysters at the harbour, the beach huts, the Whitstable Oyster Festival (July), a walk along the beach to Tankerton

Where to Stay Near Whitstable

Whitstable has some lovely small hotels and B&Bs — book early as they fill up fast in summer. The surrounding Kent coast also has excellent self-catering cottages in places like Herne Bay, Faversham and the Isle of Thanet.

Padstow is Cornwall’s foodie capital — and has been ever since Rick Stein opened his famous seafood restaurant here in the 1970s. The harbour is beautiful, the surrounding beaches (Rock, Harlyn Bay, Constantine Bay) are spectacular and the food scene is genuinely world-class. It’s a small town that punches well above its weight.

The Camel Trail — a brilliant cycling and walking route that follows the estuary to Wadebridge and on to Bodmin — is one of the most enjoyable traffic-free routes in England. The ferry across to Rock is a lovely short trip with great views back over the harbour. In summer Padstow is very busy, so consider visiting in May, June or September for a quieter experience without missing the best of the weather.

Best for: Foodies, cyclists, families, beach lovers

Don’t miss: The Camel Trail, the ferry to Rock, Harlyn Bay beach, a lobster at one of the harbour restaurants, the Prideaux Place estate

Where to Stay Near Padstow

The Padstow area has some of Cornwall’s finest holiday cottages — particularly around Rock, Trebetherick and Constantine Bay. Cornwall Hideaways specialise in this area and have some exceptional properties.

St Andrews is not your typical seaside town — but it’s one of the most fascinating and beautiful places on the British coast. Home to Scotland’s oldest university (and famously where Prince William and Catherine met), the ruins of a magnificent cathedral, a stunning castle perched on the clifftops and the most famous golf course in the world — the Old Course — St Andrews has a unique and rather magical atmosphere.

The East Sands and West Sands beaches are both wonderful — West Sands was famously the setting for the opening sequence of Chariots of Fire. The town itself is beautiful, compact and full of excellent cafés, restaurants and independent shops. A brilliant and slightly unexpected seaside destination that most people love far more than they expected.

Best for: Golf enthusiasts, history lovers, couples, anyone who loves beautiful towns

Don’t miss: The Old Course, St Andrews Cathedral ruins, the castle, a walk on West Sands beach, the British Golf Museum

Where to Stay Near St Andrews

St Andrews has a good range of hotels and there are excellent cottages in the surrounding Fife countryside. LateRooms is a good starting point for comparing hotels in the town.

Lyme Regis sits right on the Jurassic Coast — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — and has been one of England’s most beloved seaside towns for centuries. Jane Austen visited and set part of Persuasion here, and the famous Cobb harbour wall is one of the most iconic views on the English coast.

What makes Lyme Regis really special is fossil hunting. The cliffs along this stretch of the Jurassic Coast are regularly giving up extraordinary fossils — ammonites, belemnites and occasionally much rarer finds. It’s something the whole family can do together on the beach with no equipment needed, and it’s genuinely exciting when you find something. The town itself is lovely — good restaurants, pretty streets and a beautiful beach.

Best for: Families, fossil hunters, history lovers, walkers

Don’t miss: Fossil hunting on the beach, the Cobb harbour wall, the Jurassic Coast, the Lyme Regis Museum, a walk along the coastal path

Where to Stay Near Lyme Regis

The Dorset and East Devon coast has some brilliant holiday cottages — particularly good for families given the fossil hunting and beaches. Sykes and HolidayCottages.co.uk both have excellent properties in the area.

Windermere Lake Cruises

Lake Windermere is England’s largest natural lake and a cruise across it is one of the most enjoyable and relaxing things you can do in the Lakes. Windermere Lake Cruises operates regular scheduled services between Ambleside, Bowness and Lakeside, with hop-on hop-off tickets that let you explore the lakeside villages at your own pace. The views across the water to the surrounding fells are absolutely beautiful — on a clear day this is genuinely one of the most scenic experiences in England.

Ullswater Steamers

Ullswater is many people’s favourite Lake District lake — a long, winding stretch of water surrounded by dramatic fells on all sides. The historic Ullswater Steamers have been sailing its waters since 1859 and the journey between Pooley Bridge and Glenridding is one of the most scenic boat trips in England. Perfect for a leisurely afternoon or as transport between starting and finishing points on a fell walk.

Scafell Pike — England’s Highest Mountain

At 978 metres, Scafell Pike is the highest point in England — and reaching the summit is on many people’s bucket lists. The most popular route starts from Wasdale Head and takes around 4-5 hours for the round trip. It’s a challenging but very achievable walk for anyone with reasonable fitness and proper walking boots. The views from the top — on a clear day — are extraordinary. England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland are all visible simultaneously.

Catbells — Perfect for Families

If Scafell Pike sounds a bit ambitious, Catbells is the perfect alternative — one of the most popular and rewarding walks in the whole Lake District, and very achievable for families with children. Starting from the western shore of Derwentwater near Keswick, the summit at 451 metres offers stunning panoramic views over the lake and surrounding fells. Allow around 2-3 hours for the return trip. The descent via Little Town makes for a classic circular route.

Grasmere & the Wordsworths

The beautiful village of Grasmere was home to William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy, and the landscape here inspired some of the greatest poetry in the English language. Dove Cottage, where Wordsworth lived from 1799-1808, is open to visitors and is a fascinating glimpse into the life of the poet and his circle. The village itself is lovely — and the famous Sarah Nelson’s Gingerbread Shop has been making its unique recipe since 1854.

The World of Beatrix Potter — Bowness-on-Windermere

Beatrix Potter wrote and illustrated the Peter Rabbit books while living in the Lake District, and the landscape of the area is woven through every page. The World of Beatrix Potter attraction in Bowness brings her characters to life brilliantly — perfect for young children who love the stories. Hill Top, her farmhouse in Near Sawrey, is maintained by the National Trust and looks almost exactly as it did when she lived and worked there. A magical place for any Beatrix Potter fan.

Muncaster Castle

Perched dramatically above the Esk Valley with views stretching to the sea, Muncaster Castle is one of Cumbria’s most atmospheric historic houses — and reputedly one of the most haunted buildings in England. The castle has been home to the Pennington family for 800 years and is open to visitors, with beautiful gardens, an owl centre and fascinating ghost tours. A brilliant and slightly spine-tingling addition to a Lake District visit.

Carlisle Castle & Cathedral

On the northern edge of Cumbria, the city of Carlisle has an extraordinary history as a frontier town between England and Scotland. Carlisle Castle has watched over the city for nearly 900 years — Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned here in 1568. The nearby Cathedral is also stunning. A fascinating half-day out that gives a very different perspective on Cumbrian history compared to the National Park.

Honister Slate Mine

England’s last working slate mine sits dramatically at the top of the Honister Pass — one of the most spectacular road passes in the Lake District. Honister offers underground tours of the Victorian mines, a via ferrata climbing route on the cliff face and stunning views in every direction. This is one of those genuinely unusual experiences that really stays with you. Not for the faint-hearted but absolutely brilliant for adventurous visitors.

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway

Known affectionately as “La’al Ratty” (Little Ratty), the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway is a narrow-gauge steam railway that winds for seven miles through some of the most beautiful scenery in the Lake District. Running since 1875, it’s a wonderful way to explore the western fells without a car — and children absolutely love it. The village of Ravenglass itself is on the Cumbrian coast and is the only coastal village within the Lake District National Park.

Holiday Cottages in the Lake District

A self-catering cottage is the most popular choice for a Lake District break — and it’s easy to see why. Waking up to fell views, having your own garden to sit in at the end of a long day’s walking and the freedom to come and go as you please makes a cottage stay in the Lakes feel very special indeed. Sykes Cottages and Rural Retreats both have excellent selections of Lake District properties, from cosy one-bedroom hideaways to large houses sleeping 10 or more.

Hotels in the Lake District

The Lake District has some wonderful hotels — from country house hotels with spa facilities and fine dining to welcoming inns with roaring fires and local ales. LateRooms is a great place to search for availability and compare prices across a wide range of Lake District hotels.