Morfa Isaf Cottage

Morfa Isaf Cottage sits above the wooded valley that runs down to Penbryn on the Ceredigion coast, and the coast path leaves from the property itself, which is the single most useful thing about it if you are arriving with a dog.

Penbryn is a National Trust cove reached on foot through the valley, and it is one of the few beaches on this stretch of coast that does not close to dogs over the summer, so a July week here does not mean waiting until autumn to get the dog on the sand. Check the signs when you arrive, but the walk down and back is the kind of route dogs remember. North and south along the clifftops the path links Llangrannog and Tresaith, both with pubs used to muddy paws.

The cottage is a whole-house let, so there is nothing to negotiate on arrival - no corridors, no lobby, no neighbours through the wall. Up to two pets can stay. The owners ask you to confirm your dog size and breed when you book, which is a sensible arrangement rather than an obstacle, and dogs covered by the Dangerous Dogs Act are not accepted.

Guests who have brought a dog rate the location above everything else, and the property holds consistently strong scores across its wider guest feedback.

It earns 4.5/5 on our paw rating and suits couples or a small family with one or two dogs who want walking straight from the door and a beach that will not turn them away in August. Anyone who wants shops within walking distance should look at Aberporth or Llangrannog instead - this is a quiet spot at the top of a valley, and you will be driving for a pint of milk.