Devon sent

If there is a happier holiday cliché than drifting off to sleep while waves gently lap the sand beneath your window, then surely it’s being woken by the squawk of a passing seagull, while sunlight streams through the doors that open on to your private balcony. It’s a Saturday morning routine I could get used to, so it’s lucky for me that this paradise is just three hours from Paddington, near Salcombe in South Devon.

Salcombe, a small harbour town perched on hills that gently roll down to the Kingsbridge estuary, is so picture-postcard beautiful that my boyfriend Nick and I could barely suppress our euphoric giggles when we arrived at the South Sands Hotel as a spectacular sunset lit up the sky. The hotel sits on South Sands Bay, a small beach a winding mile-and-a-half drive from Salcombe, and boasts room-to-sea distances seldom found outside Thailand. The 22 rooms and five suites were rebuilt in 2010 to be just what you’d want from a beachside boutique hotel. Scattered shells and portholes adorn the vast bathrooms, but it’s far from rustic: a modern spiral staircase dominates the entrance; the largest room has not one but two freestanding baths looking over the beach, and the beds are vast and comfortable.

Our first day began as every day should, with an epic breakfast eaten overlooking the sea. South Sands’ website has a live-feed webcam and we’d been streaming it as holiday porn for weeks, but the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows is so much more impressive in reality, especially when enjoyed over smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.

A cliff walk seemed a good idea after such excess, so we set off up the winding path to Bolt Head. With the sun hot on our backs, we made the ascent, but no sooner had we found a prime photo spot than a hail storm (there’s nothing like an English seaside holiday) forced us back to the hotel. Our plan to stick to a light lunchtime snack was scuppered when presented with the full menu, offering a tempting array of fresh local fish and cider.

After three delicious courses we hopped aboard the ‘sea tractor’, which drove us out to a ferry waiting to whisk us to Salcombe town. The boat is a brilliant way to spot some breathtaking real estate — which over the past decade has turned this formerly sleepy fishing village into the Knightsbridge of Devon. In fact, earlier this year, Salcombe jumped from 27th to ninth in PrimeLocation.com’s list of towns with the highest proportion of properties valued at over £1 million, with a whopping 28.9 per cent of houses. The retail scene isn’t quite so spectacular, but there’s plenty of beachside chic on offer — Salcombe was the first town with a Jack Wills, after all — not to mention a couple of excellent delis.

A 25-minute amble brought us back to South Sands, and after a cocktail or three we were ready for our pre-ordered lobster. Head chef Stuart Dowie changes the menu daily, depending on what has been caught, but when lobster is in it’s guaranteed to go fast. At night the dining room is transformed with flickering candles, and soft music accompanies the splashing of the waves outside. It’s hard not to be seduced by the romantic atmosphere — or the chocolate fondant.

The next morning we were ferried by Tom, the hotel’s charming driver, to his favourite surfing spot Bantham Bay. The south coast of Devon is something of a surfing mecca, but while Nick whizzed along like something out of Blue Crush, I wallowed in the shallows. One thumb injury later (apparently a common complaint when you use your board as a shield), I beat a hasty retreat to the beach café for a reviving plate of fish and chips. As we clambered back on to the train that afternoon, still sticky with salt, we felt blissfully rested and a lot heavier. With sand, obviously; nothing to do with all those chips. ES

Check in

Rooms at South Sands Beachside Boutique Hotel & Restaurant from £180 per night B&B this autumn. Special offer: three nights for the price of two between 16 September and 31 October 2012 (guests must dine in the restaurant at least once); rooms from £180 B&B. Offer excludes public and school holidays (01548 859 000; southsands.com)