Best Holiday Cottages By The Sea in the UK

Renting a self-catering cottage by the sea has to be the most popular – and iconic – British holiday of them all. Seaside bucket-and-spade holidays are the ones we all remember, and the ones we most want to recreate when we fancy a coastal break. Wake up with a sea view, stroll on the beach and enjoy all the fun of the seaside in your coastal home from home. We've brought together the UK's best and most attractive UK beach houses, sea view cottages and holiday cottages with direct beach access. Whether you're after a romantic clifftop hideaway, a fancy sea view lodge or a family beachside villa, you're sure to find something to suit you among our range of seaside cottage rentals. Go for a walk on the coastal paths or spend a day on the beach walking the dog and paddling in the ocean.

Whether you rent a holiday house for a weekend or a couple of weeks, there's always plenty to keep you busy - many cottages have sea views and are right on the coast, some right by the beach. You'll find them to charming remote coastal villages like Bude or St Ives, with a history of their own and small shops and restaurants to explore.

Beach Houses

Not all of the cottages we include are by the beach, but some are almost on the beach! We have luxury beach houses in Cornwall, or beach cottages in the old port towns of England. Smugglers Cove Cottages is a favourite - sitting just above the sand at the southern end of Portreath's fabulous beach: a sheltered strip of sand so fine it could be the Caribbean. Finally, if a pebble beach for morning strolls is more your thing, One Wavecrest in Whitstable has a location right on Whitstable beach.

Showing 145 - 144 of 145 sites

Prev 1 2 3 4 Next

FAQs: Seaside Cottages

Which are the best towns to rent a seaside cottage in the UK?

This depends what you’re looking for: among upmarket resorts, you might try Aldeburgh and Southwold on England’s Suffolk coast, or Cromer, Wells or Hunstanton on the North Norfolk coast. In England’s Southwest, the Cornish Coast is always popular, especially the classic Cornish resorts of St Ives, Newquay and Padstow, along with and fabulous beach and surf places like Woolacombe and Croyde in North Devon, and Weymouth and Swanage in Dorset. Consider too the coast of Pembrokeshire, where Tenby, St Davids, Saundersfoot and New Quay are the standout places to rent.

Are these seaside cottages wheelchair accessible?

Some of these cottages have ground-floor bedrooms, wet rooms and properly adapted bathrooms, but check beforehand if you are unsure. Bear in mind also that it’s not just about the property itself. However scenic the location, or impressive the views, you’ll regret booking somewhere at the top of a steep hill, or whose entrance is up a flight of steps, if you’re travelling with someone with limited mobility.

Will the cottage be maintained while I’m staying there?

If you’re staying for longer than a week then the owners might come in and clean; for stays of up to a week, you’re usually expect to keep the place clan and tidy yourself. Best check beforehand if this is important to you, or rent somewhere where the owners are either on site or nearby – that way you can be sure someone is on hand to deal with all your needs and queries.