Sandsend, North Yorkshire
Why Sandsend is a picture-postcard English village with charming cottages, a duck pond on the green, and streams running down to the glorious sandy beach. Explore the ruined castle in the surrounding Mulgrave woods.
Do Stock up on local supplies at Sandsend Stores (sandsendstores.com) or pick up a picnic from the lovely Sandside Cafe (sandsidecafe.co.uk), then set off for a coastal hike or cycle along the Cleveland Way. Whitby is just a couple of miles' stroll along the beach, or you could visit the Turnstone art gallery (turnstonegallery.net) in the village itself.
Eat Wits End Cafe (witsendcafe.co.uk) serves simple homemade food and has a walled garden. Estbeck House (estbekhouse.co.uk) is a fine dining restaurant with rooms, with an emphasis on local seafood.
Drink Have a pint of Black Sheep in the Hart Inn, a traditional village pub.
Stay The Woodlands (01947 893438, thewoodlands-sandsend.com, doubles from £105) is a small hotel packed with character set in a valley near the sea. The five bedrooms are decorated on themes from British retro to New England cool; you could grab a few friends and hire the whole place.
West Wittering, West Sussex
Why Unspoilt West Wittering beach has it all: soft sand, occasional surf, views of Chichester Harbour and the South Downs, beach huts, grassy dunes and a lovely village. Phew.
Do Windsurf, kitesurf, or if you're lucky with the swell, surf surf. And enjoy the fact that it's cheekily located on the Manhood Peninsula.
Eat In nearby Bosham, the Millstream's (millstream.com) £50 tasting menu features roquefort mousse with pickled pears, smoked haddock and leek ravioli, summer fruit and elderflower trifle. Job done.
Drink The Lamb Inn (Chichester Road, 01243 511 105, lambinn-westwittering.co.uk) looks olde worlde and has darts and ales.
Stay The Beach House guesthouse (01243 514800, doubles from £90 at weekends) has seasidey style and a nice restaurant, or camp at Wicks Farm (01243 513116, wicksfarm.co.uk, standard pitches from £21 a night at weekends).
Rothesay, Isle of Bute
Why Once Scotland's most popular seaside town, Rothesay, on this island 15 miles long by four wide and two hours' drive from Glasgow, is now full of down-at-heel charm.
Do Explore the Victorian promenade and go sea kayaking by the mountains of Arran or around the Argyll coast with Kayak Bute (kayakbute.co.uk).
Eat The restaurant kitchen of Mount Stuart (01700 503877, mountstuart.com), a gothic revival estate, uses local suppliers of rose veal, beef and oysters, and veg from its own gardens.
Drink Have a snifter in the themed Russian tavern in the Port Royal Hotel – walls are hung with Russian tapestries and wall-plates, and intelligent conversation and vodka flow.
Stay Try the architect-designed Bruichladdich (01700 502803, isleofbuteholidayhouse.co.uk, from £100 a night, two-night minimum), a three-room self-catering house in the upmarket district of Craigmore, 10 minutes' walk from the beach.
Laugharne, Carmarthenshire
Why Dylan Thomas loved and lived in this magical little seaside village on the Taf estuary; this lends it a special atmosphere as you explore the paths leading down to the sea, imagining all the strange characters and goings-on behind closed doors that inspired his famous "play for voices" Under Milk Wood. It's sleepy, has a beach and isn't far from Cardiff.
Do Visit the poet's old home, The Boathouse (dylanthomasboathouse.com), now a great little museum about his life and works, with a sunny terrace out the back doing cream teas. Drive up to the stunning beaches of Pembrokeshire or visit the jolly town of Carmarthen.
Eat The chef at Seaview (see below) is Darren Jory, who has headed Michelin-starred restaurants around the world; the nine-course tasting menu costs £55pp.
Drink Be sure to have a pint in the snug of the New Three Mariners in Market Street (thenewthreemariners.co.uk) among friendly locals.
Stay Seaview (01994 427030, seaview-laugharne.co.uk ) is another former home of the poet in a Georgian building with views down to the waves and seabirds' lookouts that he captured so well in verse.
Newquay, Cornwall
Why If you don't live that way you probably think Cornwall's too far for a weekend, but fly to Newquay after work on Friday (from many UK airports) and back early on Monday morning and it becomes totally viable – especially if you stay somewhere near the airport.
Do Coastal walks from Watergate Bay to Bedruthan Steps.
Eat Buttermilk pancakes or a "Big Kahuna" cooked breakfast at the Fire Cafe (01637 860372, firecafe.co.uk) on the beachfront in Mawgan Porth.
Drink The wild nightlife of Newquay is on hand, but you could just have some delicious Cornish ale at the Travellers Rest in Trevarrian, just north of town.
Stay Trevarrian Lodge (01637 860 156, travarrianlodge.com) has rooms from £30pp, or opt for a gorgeous swanky apartment at The Village in Watergate Bay (01637 861005, beachretreats.co.uk, sleeps four) from £510 for a three-night weekend.
