Rooms

Airy, spacious, bright, with uplifting splashes of colour and a superb level of equipment and thoughtful detail - these houses are simply gorgeous. After 48 hours, my wife declared (somewhat pointedly, I thought) that she could happily spend the rest of her days living here.

The open-plan living-dining spaces invite lazy relaxation, with white-washed timbers, high eaves, a wood-burning stove, and tassly rugs on polished cement floors. The dining table and kitchen island allow for sociable cooking, while a vast sofa with colourful cushions and smart TV take care of rainy evenings. Jo has done a great job mixing locally sourced furniture with mementos of their world travels. Local basket lampshades, porthole windows, redecorated surfboards and Mexican hats combine to feel exotic without being over-styled.

Bedrooms - two, three or four per house - share the same airy white look, with divinely comfy mattresses, fluffy robes, cute storage niches and fun artworks. Angled slatted shutters and tight-sealing windows ensure a sound night's sleep; electric Veluxes come with rain sensors in case you leave them open. The master double bedroom in each house has an ensuite shower room, while the main bathroom boasts an eye-catching double-ended nickel tub alongside a walk-in wetroom (and lovely ethical toiletries courtesy of Cornish Land & Water). Other rooms can be set up with twin or double beds; some boast an additional futon on a the mezzanine reached by a steep ladder - fun for older kids, not great for toddlers, though easily closed off.

The cherry on the cake is an outside deck packed with fun stuff; a private hot tub, sauna-in-a-barrel, Fatboy hammock and deckchairs, and a sail canopy for shady outdoor dining. So long as you don't expect a rolling lawned garden, or direct sea views, you won't be disappointed here.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• Iron
• Safe box
• Tumble dryer
• Washing machine
• WiFi

Eating

Each house has a beautiful and beautifully equipped kitchen. To give you a flavour: wine fridge, chunky Procook pans, blender, food thermometer, stylish Smeg toaster and kettle in duck-egg blue, plus practical stuff like garlic press, plastic glasses for outdoors, tupperware for leftovers. Try as we might, we couldn't think of anything missing.

A generous welcome tray is packed with Cornish goodies, from gingerbread to seaweed thins to scones with clotted cream and jams. There's bread, butter, tea and coffee for your first breakfast, spices and oils for the first dinner, and in the fridge a selection of tipples for in between.

But actually it might be a while before you get cooking, because the on-site food truck offers a changing menu of world cuisine. Tacos on Tuesday, Thai on Thursday, curries on Saturday - the innovative dishes are fairly priced and can be delivered to your door. On Sunday - Monday, when it's closed, we highly recommend booking a DIY pizza kit, including oven, ready-to-roll dough, sauces and toppings; great fun, and with material for 12 pizzas, nobody will go hungry!

If that sounds like hot work, book a private chef. Craig and Jo have road-tested a bunch and chosen three, one of whom - an ex rugby player - learned his (second) trade at Rick Stein's and Paul Ainsworth's No. 6 in Padstow. Or head out to one of west Cornwall's many and varied eateries, from beachside fish-n-chips or crab shacks near Hayle to AA-rosetted posh-nosh in St. Ives or Porthleven. The in-house guide has tons of suggestions.

Features include:

• Barbecue
• Chef on request
• Dishwasher
• Food blender
• Fridge
• Full kitchen
• Hob or stove
• Microwave
• Oven
• Toaster
• Welcome hamper

Activities

• The seemingly endless, wide, sandy beach is perfect for volleyball, frisbee or just splashing around; parts of it are dog-friendly
  
• Besides kite-surfing and surfing, it's a great spot for kayaking, SUP and other water sports; equipment can be pre-booked, with tuition via their neighbour, Global Boarders
  
• Stunning coastal paths lead to Godrevy Point for dramatic cliffs and seal watching
  
• Too tame? Book a coasteering adventure, clambering up rocks and leaping in: a great family leveller
  
• Or try zip-lining (over the Eden Project), cave adventures (St. Just), hang-gliding, even parachuting
  
• There's horse-riding near Hayle, golf (4 courses within 30 mins), sport fishing, or award-winning foraging walks with Rachel Lambert - just ask reception for details on any of these

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling

Kids

This is a wonderful place for a beachy family holiday: learn to surf, head out on SUPs, picnic on the dunes, spot seals - it's the stuff future memories are made of. Each house has 2, 3 or 4 bedrooms, plus extra mezzanine-level futons if needed. There are board games, books, beach toys and baby equipment (some provided, some available as extras).

Best for:

Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

The two-bedroom houses (which are essentially three-bedrooms with one room closed off) are perfect for a family of 4-5, with one double room and one twin (plus an extra futon at mezzanine level). The three-bedroom houses are great for larger families or teens who want separate rooms. Each has one double room and two double/twins, plus extra futons at mezzanine level; you could even squeeze two families in. But better for two families or a multi-gen family are the four-bedroom houses, for obvious reasons.

All houses can fit 1 or 2 cots, and are dog friendly.

Distances:

• Hospital: 6km / 15 mins (Hayle)
• Supermarket: 4km / 8 mins (Loggans)

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Three Mile Beach is in Gwithian Towans, on St Ives Bay in Cornwall.

By Train:
Take the London Paddington - Penzance line and get off at St. Erth (5+ hrs), from where it's a 10-minute taxi ride; or get off at Truro and hire a car (a 40-minute drive).

By Car:
From London or the Midlands, it's around 300 miles (5+ hours' drive) via the M4/M5 to Exeter and then the A30 to Hayle. The last 2 miles are on a small country lane. Each house has its own parking spaces and an EV charging point. If you want to hire a car, see our recommendations.

By Air:
Newquay Airport (45 minutes' drive) has some domestic flights; otherwise fly into Bristol (3 hours' drive) or London Heathrow (5 hours).

Detailed directions are provided when you book through i-escape.