18 of the best holiday cottages in Cornwall

Drive on for about half an hour and you’ll head straight into the sea at Lizard Point – the most southerly spot on mainland Britain. The long journey to sweet little cliffside village Coverack is worth it, not only to experience its time-capsule shops and restaurants, kooky nearby Terence Coventry Sculpture Park and salty air, but for Ukiyo, one of the finest modern houses in the UK.

Originally a blocky Sixties family home, the building has been entirely revamped, with all but the upstairs floorboards torn apart, replaced and reworked. Now it’s an arresting, open-plan and eco-friendly ode to the view before it, designed to enable guests to stare out thoughtfully from almost every corner – including the bath and walk-in shower. Filled with locally crafted furniture and quirky artifacts (a coffee table shaped like an alligator, Bulgarian milking stools), it has personality in spades while remaining pared back and airy. Plus it feels like home – albeit in your wildest dreams.

Step through a sliding door to the palm-tree-lined side garden, framed by romantic pampas grass swaying in the sea breeze, to dip into the cedar hot tub or curl up on a chair in front of the firepit, keeping watch for dolphins, seals and swooping birds on the horizon. Becky Lucas

Address: Ukiyo, Sunny Corner, Coverack, Cornwall
Price: From £1,450 per three nights (sleeps four)