Three Mile Beach, Cornwall

Fifteen brightly colored beach houses sit five minutes from Gwithian Beach in far west Cornwall, each with a kitchen, hot tub, and sauna, sleeping two to eight. The vibe is resolutely low-key: a food truck handles meals, surfing lessons are unofficially encouraged, and the dress code is essentially a wetsuit or nothing. It's the kind of place where ambitious plans quietly collapse into beach walks and another round in the hot tub.