The perfect autumn beach getaway holiday that won’t break the bank

‘Please be kind, watch us quietly and let us sleep,’ hikers are cautioned as they creep up to a craggy Cornish coastline where they can spot the largest colony of grey seals in the county.

The polite notice conjures images of large groups of tourists cramming shoulder-to-shoulder to get a glimpse of the marine mammals during the peak summer months when visitors descend on Cornwall en-masse. But there are only around six people ahead of our party as we head up the trail in Godrevy National Trust.

After the group ahead of us depart, my family is left in solitude to watch the seals lounge on the beach at Mutton Cove, flanked by high cliffs and only accessible at low tide.

From the viewing point, we count more than two dozen seals in the bay below, the majority trying to catch 40 winks as the incoming tide laps at their tails. At times there can be up to 200, I’m later told.

Our private viewing of the seals highlights why autumn is one of the best times of year to visit Cornwall. Of course, the weather can be temperamental but even at the height of summer most tourists need to be armed with a brolly and a bottle of sun cream.

We’d started our three-mile walk from our holiday home at Three Mile Beach – a collection of upmarket holiday homes –  in lashing rain, barely able to see a few metres ahead as we stumbled along a soggy coastal path. But by the time we reached the headland at Godrevy, the sky was azure blue and the sun beamed down on the back of our necks.

Tearing ourselves away from the seals, we round the coastal path for a magnificent view of the Godrevy Lighthouse – the brilliant white 165-year-old building is said to have inspired Virginia Woolf’s novel ‘To The Lighthouse’ and it prompts us to share stories of Cornwall’s chequered history of smugglers.

During our visit to Cornwall, we stay at one newest editions to Three Mile Beach: a so-called beach shack. While the phrase evokes images of a tumbledown beach bar, the experience is quite the opposite, offering every element of luxury in a two-bedroom holiday cottage, perfect for couples, singletons or small families. Four-legged friends are most welcome too.

An incredible amount of thought has been put into ensuring there’s everything a tourist could need in their home away from home – including an array of family games and a stash of beach items for a trip to the shore, which is situated just yards from the front door.

The collection of self-catering beach houses lies at the centre of a nature reserve and only a stone’s throw away from Gwithian Towans Beach, which forms part of the beautiful three-mile stretch of sand in St Ives Bay. The spot is popular with surfers due to its year-round swells.

My family and I book some surf lessons with an enthusiastic and patient teacher from Global Boarders Surf School. After two hours, we are self-proclaimed experts, but utterly exhausted, so take ourselves home for a much-deserved rest in our beach shack’s private sunken cedarwood hot tub, followed by a quick stint in the barrel sauna.

Making the most of the temperate weather, we book in for a pizza party in the evening. A pizza oven and hamper full of ingredients are delivered to our holiday house. We turn our hand to the art of pizza making using a large selection of locally-sourced ingredients and pizza doughs from a nearby bakery.

For those who prefer easier dining options, there’s an excellent open-air restaurant on-site. Chomp offers a wide selection of delicious sharing dishes for families to pick and choose their own meals.

As the autumn evenings set in, the beach shack is kept wonderfully warm through a combination of an electric Everhot cooker and underfloor heating, with an option to turn up the heat even further with a log burner.

Three Mile Beach is a perfect base for exploring other parts of Cornwall including nearby St Ives and St Michael’s Mount.

Even in the quieter months, parking in the popular seaside resort of St Ives can be tricky so we choose to catch a train from St Erth. In the peak of summer, there is standing room only on short Great Western Railway journey, but we manage to get a window seat (on the right hand side of the train on the outward journey) giving us a delightful 11-minute ride along a scenic coastal route, with the impressive Godrevy lighthouse in the distance.

Summer in Britain’s holiday hotspot can include shoulder-rubbing with other visitors through the narrow streets, or clambering to find a spot on some of the nation’s most beautiful beaches. But as children return to school in September many disperse, though it’s still bustling with a second, smaller, wave of tourists.

We amble along the streets, stopping to watch Cornish fudge-makers at work and pasties being made in shop windows before the heavens open, prompting us to nip into the nearest cafe. Sky’s Diner is a delightful but unexpected stop and a perfect opportunity for us to have a pastie – we sample one vegan and one traditional steak pastie – which are both scrumptious.

On our return to St Erth we realise we are just five miles away from St Michael’s Mount – the tidal island crowned by a medieval church and castle which is accessible by causeway during low tide or boat at high tide – so we hop in the car to inspect the iconic island for ourselves.

We arrive a little too late in the day to take a trip out to the beautiful landmark, instead deciding to venture out on the causeway as far as we can without getting our toes wet to get a closer look at the beautiful island.

On our last night in our home-from-home, we decide to do a spot of stargazing from the warmth of the hot tub. With very little light pollution, and the luck of a cloud-free evening, we can see the concentration of the Milky Way above our heads and spot a number of shooting stars stream across the night sky. It’s a perfect end to our wonderful Cornish getaway.

How to plan your trip

Prices start from £619 for three nights in a two-bedroom beach shack, based on four guests sharing, including welcome hamper. Visit threemilebeach.co.uk.