Harry's, Torquay

Harry's is a whole house on a quiet residential road in St Marychurch, the Babbacombe end of Torquay, and it reads as a family home that someone happens to let out rather than a holiday unit. For a dog that matters more than it sounds: there is an enclosed garden to potter in, the feel of a home rather than a show house, and no shared entrance to negotiate on the way in.

One pet is allowed and stays free of charge, which is a rarer combination than it should be on the English Riviera. The garden is enclosed, so the first job on arrival is a look at the gate and then the dog can be let out while you unload the car. Inside, the house is set up for a longer stay - washing machine, iron, a hoover for the sand that comes back with you, and a cupboard of games and puzzles for the evenings. There is a beach hut of kit for days out too, which saves hauling windbreaks and bodyboards down from home.

The location suits a walking dog. Babbacombe Downs is a short walk away, a long flat grassy clifftop with big views across Lyme Bay, and the South West Coast Path runs along it in both directions, down towards Oddicombe and on around the headland. Guests come back to Harry's repeatedly and rate it as spotless and unusually good value, and the owners have a reputation for answering quickly and putting things right.

The niggles are small and domestic: the upstairs bathroom and the downstairs toilet have no blinds or curtains, which is worth knowing if the house overlooks neighbours. Seasonal dog restrictions apply on some Torbay beaches, so check the current rules if a swim is part of the plan.

Harry's suits a couple or a family with one dog who want an affordable, homely base with a garden and clifftop walking on the doorstep. With two dogs, or a dog that needs a bigger secure space to run off steam in, look elsewhere. It earns a 4.5/5 paw rating.