POLZEATH on Cornwall’s North Coast might be a small village but it has a royally big reputation.
Well-known for its beautiful sandy beach and choppy waters that are great for surfing, the area is so stunning it attracts a celeb crowd during the months . . .  even members of the .
Prince William and Harry are among the big names who have visited, first as young teenagers and then again as adults.
In fact, the pair apparently love Polzeath so much, visited during his stag do and, before they married, enjoyed a weekend there with Meghan.
So if it’s good enough for the royals, it’s surely good enough for me and my family.
I was visiting with my husband Paul and daughter Lexi from the nearby town of Bude over the course of a gloriously sunny weekend.
Aside from celeb-spotting, Polzeath has become a go-to destination for watersports lovers and nature enthusiasts who want to soak up the beautiful surroundings.
If you’re not keen on surfing then the windswept waters are great for bodyboarders, too — there are rental shops dotted along the shore offering up various watersports gear.
On top of that, there are tons of such as The Cracking Crab, dishing up deliciously fresh seafood, and some gorgeous shops selling everything from surf gear to seaside titbits.
The beach is one of the few dog-free shores in the area (from the middle of May until September 30), although pooches are most welcome on the nearby coastal paths winding along the cliff edges.
Just a short walk from the sea was our holiday home for the next few days, Drum Fish, a cool coastal three-bedroomed house with views to die for and plenty of attractions nearby.
The bedrooms, all situated on the ground floor, were nicely furnished with a surf-chic theme – think white walls, bleached wooden floors and quirky accessories.
The perfect meant we could spend long evenings on the glass balcony overlooking the Atlantic, watching the sun slowly dip beyond the horizon.
Another brilliant thing about being so close to the shores, aside from the cracking views, was being able to wander to the sands at sunrise. Lexi and I enjoyed the most peaceful early morning dips without a single other soul in sight.
Food trucks and bars
The kitchen in our holiday home was well-equipped with an electric hob, oven and fridge-freezer, so cooking up lunches and dinners was easy-peasy.
If you don’t want to cook, though, Polzeath is full of food trucks, bars and restaurants — but be warned, it’s not the cheapest place.
We visited one of the bars on the beach one evening and a pint of set us back an eye-watering £10.80.
Elsewhere at Beach Box, you can pick up a breakfast bagel crammed with smoked salmon and cream cheese for around £6.80.
And if you’re after a slap-up dinner showcasing local ingredients, then head to the Oystercatcher. The pub with rooms has a well-priced menu featuring coastal favourites such as dressed crab and West Country sirloin steak as well as a cracking chicken tikka masala.
And for dessert? Don’t miss a trip to Vanilla, an ice-cream shop overlooking the beach which sells every kind of flavour you could imagine from toffee apple to lemon swirl, as well as waffles piled high with scoops and whipped cream.
If you’re serious about refining your water skills, you can book in with George’s Surf School while you’re here, which will get you standing on your board in no time.
Or if, like me, you prefer to unwind in a spa, Saunas By The Sea, located on Baby Bay and accessible via the main beach at low tide, sells private sauna sessions (£18.50 for 50 minutes) or group bookings for ten people (£130 for 50 minutes, see saunasbythesea.co.uk).
The quirky shipping containers have been converted into wood-fired saunas, each with impressive views of the sleepy ocean.
Even if the weather doesn’t hold out, you’ll certainly warm up in here.
And with views like this, it’s not hard to see why the royals love Polzeath so much.
This slice of the Cornish coast really is fit for a prince.
