Harbour View

The cliffs above Bude's harbour deliver exactly what the name promises - a proper vantage point where you can clock the Atlantic swell rolling in and watch the fishing boats jostle for space below. It's not a manicured viewpoint with benches and plaques, just a spot where the land drops away sharply and the vista opens up. The walk down to it from the town centre takes maybe ten minutes, though the return leg back up will leave you breathing a bit heavier.

Who gets the most from it? Photographers, definitely. The light hits differently throughout the day, and storm days when the waves are proper hammering the rocks are genuinely dramatic. Walkers en route along the South West Coast Path will pass through without thinking twice, which tells you something. If you're staying at Pencuke Farm Holiday Cottages just four miles out, or camping at the Bude Camping and Caravanning Club Site a bit further along, it's worth including in an afternoon's ramble rather than making a special trip.

There's no admission fee and no set hours - you wander up when you fancy. Allow an hour if you're taking photographs, less if you're just passing through. The real appeal is that it's genuine and unpackaged. You get windblown, you get views, and you don't need to queue. That's worth something in itself.