Bay View Farm

Meet someone who has camped at Bay View Farm and you can instantly tell there is something special about the place. You can tell by the passion with which they speak about it and the joy that comes with recalling the local beaches, the fresh fish and chips, and the Polperro tea rooms. People love this little campsite and the owners, who have worked tirelessly over the years to keep it in top shape, do to.

When you see the view, you realise why. It’s about as good as it gets on the south coast of Cornwall, with vistas across to West Looe on the far side of Hanner Fore. You can also see across the water to St George’s Island, a remote island with no running water, electricity or other inhabitants. Previously owned by a schoolmistress from Surrey and her sister, they threw themselves into life on St George’s and lived there for many years until they died. Thankfully, they turned down multimillion pound offers for the island from developers and it has now passed to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust who maintain it as a nature reserve.

Back at Bay View, today's managers keep everything just so, from the eight brand new pods and clean, modern amenities block to the prize-winning shire horses in the adjacent field. It’s not a massive site: there are around 25 pitches available to tents, motorhomes and caravans during mid season, which tilt at an increasingly steep angle towards the sea. Sleep the wrong way and you’ll have blood rushing to your head, sleep the right way and you’ll be able to enjoy the view in the morning without getting out of bed. Still worried about space? Well don’t because during peak season, a second field is magically opened, which will give you another 40 pitches to choose from. If that still isn’t enough, then treat yourself to a camping hug in the form of an insulated glamping pod.

Nearby attractions include Polperro, a quaint and picturesque fishing village with tea rooms, fudge shops and galleries in a car-free higgle-piggle of alleys and narrow lanes. You can also find fresh fish for your BBQ, or if cooking sounds too much like hard work, head to the oldy-worldy Three Pilchards pub by the quay for locally caught fish and tasty ales.