Mevagissey, Cornwall

Overlooking the bustling fishing village is Compass Point, a contemporary curved white house with clifftop views that stretch to the Chapel Point, Fowey Harbour, and the Rame Peninsula in the distance. The three-bedroom property was built in 2014 with an open-plan living area on the lower-ground floor with wraparound, multiple, floor-to-ceiling windows and doors that lead on to an infinity terrace – from which the owners say they have seen kestrels nesting on the cliffs and dolphins, seals and basking sharks (on occasion) in the sea. £1.95m. Knight Frank, 01392 84 8856

Fishguard, Pembrokeshire

This pastel blue end-of-terrace house, built in the early 1900s, was first a home and then a hotel before the owners decided to retire from making breakfast for guests every morning to enjoy the seaside. It has 10 bedrooms, eight bathrooms, an industrial kitchen and a pine-clad bar room, and is ripe for renovation. From its elevated position the road slopes down to meet a coastal path with views of the 18th-century Fishguard Fort (last used in the second world war), the harbour and Goodwick sea wall. £695,000. Savills 02920 368 915

Mortehoe, Devon

Down a private lane and set back from the cliff edge between the popular surfing spot of Woolacombe and the harbour town of Ilfracombe, is a five-bedroom, three-bathroom property built in the 1930s but extended in the 1980s, now on the market for the first time in half a century. It covers 288 sq metres (3,104 sq ft) with an entrance hall that leads into the open-plan living-dining room. There are views over the sea and open countryside under the care of the National Trust. Clifftop pathways run to viewpoints such as Morte Point and Bull Point. £1.3m. Stags 01271 322 833

Ilfracombe, Devon

The town is separated from the Bristol Channel only by a stretch of the Exmoor national park and the clifftop path. Overlooking the countryside and sea is a Victorian end-of-terrace house with five bedrooms and a wealth of period details. Mosaic tiles ground the entrance hall, which has a stained-glass front door. Throughout the property are cast-iron radiators, decorative cornicing and ceiling roses. The garden is wrapped in a wall of reclaimed stone and there is a north-facing timber terrace from which you can spy the rugged coastline. £795,000. Inigo 020 3687 3071

Whitby, Yorkshire

With planning permission already secured for change of use from a B&B to a residential property, this seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom Victorian townhouse, over five floors, would suit a large and multi-generation family. While the size is appealing, the location is great for energetic children, too. Steep paths wind down from the bustling streets of the West Cliff area to the sandy beach, painted beach huts, and harbour. There are also views across to the abbey, said to have been the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and the 199 steps. £725,000. Carter Jonas 01904 937 733