Sandymouth Surf Town

The inhabitants of Bude (10 minutes' drive) could pretty much write the book on beaches – Summerleaze, Crooklets and Breakwater beaches are all within a few minutes' walk of the town centre, where there's also a seawater lido for good measure. Walkers with itchy feet stand little chance of getting bored around these parts: the South West Coast Path is a few minutes' walk away from site. Heading north, highlights include Hawker's Hut (25 minutes) and Cornakey Cliff (25 minutes), while those wending their way down to the tail end of Cornwall have the gorgeous Pentargon Waterfall (30 minutes) to look forward to. For similarly scenic inland explores, you could also take yourself down to Devon for otter-spotting jaunts on the Tarka Trail (an hour). Also over in Devon is Bideford (45 minutes), a mid-sized town with family-friendly attractions like the Big Sheep theme park and a heritage railway that should keep the tots content. You can indulge in seaward sallies here as well and board the ferry to visit windswept Lundy Island.