Holiday cottages

The South West region is probably England's most well-known holiday hotspot, being home to some of the most famous seaside resorts. Pretty villages and harbours in Cornwall, many with sweeping sandy beaches, such as St Ives, Polzeath and Port Isaac to name but a few, give way to sophisticated seaside resorts in Devon and Dorset which include Bournemouth, Torquay and Ilfracombe. The history of this region is unrivalled; Wiltshire's spectacular downland and the stone circles at Avebury and Stonehenge, through Hardy's Dorset, dramatic Dartmoor and gentler Exmoor, to the mining landscapes of Cornwall and West Devon, which are now recognised as being of international significance, having been awarded World Heritage Site status in 2006. The Trust protects 370 miles of the coastline in Devon and Cornwall and, wherever you are in the two far western counties, you're never more than 25 miles from the sea. As well as this peninsula, the Trust also cares for much of the countryside in Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset and a wide array of fascinating properties to visit and explore. Not surprisingly, perhaps, this area is also home to the widest selection of National Trust holiday cottages.

South Devon is a vivid contrast to the rest of the county: almost a world within a world with an atmosphere and scenery all of its own. After the dramatic, rugged coastlines of North Devon, the high wilderness of Dartmoor and the settled rural charm of East Devon, here you have an extraordinarily vibrant land ablaze with the colours of the red sandstone cliffs, the exotic semi-tropical plants growing in the warm atmosphere, and the myriad greens and blues of the river estuaries burrowing their way deep into the pastoral landscape. There are beautiful coastal towns to discover, such as Salcombe, Dartmouth and Paignton, as well as inland towns like Kingsbridge and Totnes, steeped in history. With its mild and sunny climate, palm tree-lined seaside towns, estuaries filled with boats, and sandy beaches in sheltered coves, South Devon is a wonderful place for an annual holiday or short break.