4 Ocean Reach, Malborough

4 Ocean Reach is one of a small group of apartments at Bolberry, high on the cliffs between Hope Cove and Soar Mill Cove, and the position is the reason to come. Bolberry Down starts more or less at the door, which means a proper hour of open clifftop walking without touching the car, and the South West Coast Path runs along the edge of it. Hope Cove is a walk in one direction and Soar Mill Cove in the other.

Dogs are charged at £40 per pet per week, so a two-dog party pays £80 for the week, and up to two pets are allowed per booking. Beyond that the site itself is set up sensibly for people arriving with animals and luggage in the dark: sensor lighting across the grounds, bins and recycling close to hand, and parking that includes visitor spaces rather than a single allocated bay.

There are two things worth planning around. Cleanliness on arrival has been inconsistent, with dog hair left on furniture and floors that had not been properly done, so it is worth a quick look round before you unpack. And out-of-hours support is handled off-site rather than locally, which has meant a long wait outside with a dog still in the car when a key safe would not open. Arriving in daylight, with the letting agency's number to hand, takes most of the sting out of both.

There is a restaurant on site, which is convenient in bad weather but sits close enough that cooking smells carry into the nearer apartments and evening groups can be audible. Beaches need the car - the nearest sand is a short drive to South Milton or Hope Cove - so this suits a dog that is happy with clifftop walking rather than one that needs the sea twice a day.

Best suited to walkers with one or two dogs who want big coastal views and open ground from the doorstep, and who do not mind driving to the beach. 4 Ocean Reach earns a 4.6/5 paw rating.