Seaton Beach

Seaton stretches along the south coast of south-east Cornwall, in a small bay where the River Seaton runs down across the sand and shingle to meet the sea. South-facing and open to the light, it looks out towards Looe Island offshore, with the sand and small pebbles giving way to a broader, firmer beach as the tide retreats. It is an easygoing, unpretentious sort of place, well away from the busier resorts further west.

Behind the beach lies the wildlife-rich Seaton Valley Country Park, which follows the river deep inland. A nature trail runs for almost two miles up the valley towards Hessenford, threading through habitats home to dragonflies, butterflies, kingfishers and otters, so a day here can pair an hour on the sand with a quiet walk among the trees and water meadows.