Luxury surfing holidays

Pack your suit and head for a watery wilderness, where shivery-salty smiles and sand in your hair are the surest signposts of a British surf trip done right. These private homes come with steaming outdoor showers where you can wash the ocean off, secure storage for the surfboards, and bubbling hot tubs where you can thaw the digits. Add a deck for morning wave checks, and you have all the makings of the best luxury surfing holidays in Europe. At the end of a day spent carving and turtle rolling, it'll be sundowners and a barbecued supper on the terrace.

Whether it's just you, your dog, and your bodyboard, or a big group of wave riders gathering for an annual trip, these luxury holiday homes scattered up and down the coast are just a stone's throw from the swell. Iconic surf spots like Porthleven and Gwithian, where ankle slappers and six-foot barrels live in unison, beckon beginners and pros alike, and secret surf spots in the underbelly of Ireland bring Blue Flag beaches and wild Atlantic swells by the keg. Why lug your longboard to the tropics when the forecast for luxury surf retreats on home soil looks this good?