This Mallorcan retreat is bathed in sunshine for much of the year and for sale through Engel & Volkers. Photo: Eduardo Marquez/Theory4

When the sun comes out there’s no better place to be than beside the seaside – ideally unwinding on a beautiful beach. Whether you’re relocating within the UK or hunting for a holiday home abroad, check out these coastal properties, each with a beach in easy reach.

1. Salema Beach Village, Vila do Bispo, West Algarve, Portugal, from €340,000 (£286,500)Photo: Not just for holidays - you can live here all year round. Photo: Kronos Homes

A new community of spacious two- and three-bedroom villas in a pretty fishing village just over an hour from Faro airport.

They are suitable for use as permanent residences or second homes and hug a hillside that gently slopes down to a sandy beach.

All have balconies and terraces, and amenities include a swimming pool with children’s section, a playground, padel courts and an outdoor gym. By Kronos Homes.

2. Scrabster, Thurso, Caithness, offers over £450,000This lighthouse has been given a new lease of life. Photo: Galbraith

B-listed Holborn Head Lighthouse was constructed in 1862 and originally comprised two keepers' flats with a tower and its warning light above. It ceased operating in 2003 and three years later was bought by the current owners who converted it into a unique home looking out over Scrabster beach and harbour and towards Orkney.

Three bedrooms and two bathrooms are on the ground floor, a living, living and dining room occupy the first floor, and the three-storey tower contains an office, observatory and external viewing platform. Through Galbraith.

Read more: 9 apartments with impressive outside space

3. Wheal An Wens, Marazion, Cornwall, £1.35mViews were prioritized in the design of this striking house. Photo: Rohrs & Rowe

Spinnakers is a modern art deco-inspired house a short walk from the village’s sandy beaches.

The main living areas are on the first floor to maximise the panoramic views of St Michael’s Mount and out to sea, and it has three ground floor bedrooms, a self-contained annex in the basement, and a fabulous roof terrace with tons of room for socialising and a contemporary pod for shelter. Get in touch with Rohrs & Rowe.

4. Llandanwg, Nr Harlech, Gwynedd, £1.75mThe contemporary house is perched on top of the beach. Photo: Jackson-Stops

Set against a backdrop of mountains and overlooking Cardigan Bay, Plas Tanwg has direct access to Llandanwg beach where there’s a family-run café.

The contemporary crescent-shaped house incorporates four bedrooms suites, a one-bedroom annex and a vast open plan kitchen, living and dining area with wall-to-wall bifold doors. Find out more from Jackson-Stops.

5. Saunton, Braunton, Devon, £1.75mPhoto: Move here and you'll be able to walk on the beach every day. Photo: Knight Frank

This three-bedroom apartment is on the top floor of a purpose-built block with direct access to three and a half miles of golden beach at Saunton Sands.

It includes three double bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sleek kitchen and an open plan living area with three sets of double doors opening on to a full-width balcony. The shower and dog-washing area in the garden are bound to be very useful. Via Knight Frank.

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6. Hove, East Sussex, £3.5mAccess to a shared private beach is included. Photo: Fine & Country

You’re unlikely to find a home closer to the shoreline than this roomy villa, part of a terrace with its own stretch of private beach which only residents can use.

Completely refurbished using natural materials throughout, the house features a grand entrance hall, four bedrooms and a 40-foot long all-in-one kitchen, living and entertaining area.

Full height sliding doors lead out to a wide beach-level deck and you can watch the sun setting over the sea from the rooftop terrace. Through Fine & Country.

7. Bournemouth, Dorset, £3.95mMax Bygraves lived in this clifftop mansion for 35 years. Photo: Savills

Once the home of entertainer Max Bygraves, Panaroma House sits on a clifftop on the edge of Sandbanks, Britain’s priciest coastal location.

The 7,300 of living space includes seven bedrooms, six bathrooms, three reception rooms, cinema and games room, and the garden contains several areas for sitting and enjoying the views.

A footpath moments from the front door winds down to the promenade and its Blue Flag sandy beaches, though it’s a steep climb up. From Savills.

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8. Samujana Estate, Koh Samui, Thailand, $5.5m (£4.1m)Buy your own slice of paradise on Thailand's second-largest island. Photo: Samujana

The largest villa in an exclusive gated resort on the island where the third series of The White Lotus was filmed.

Overlooking a coral cove, it has eight bedrooms, huge open plan living spaces and an infinity pool and comes fully furnished.

Residents have use of a private beach and services such as chefs, personal trainers and yoga instructors if required. For more information Visit Samujana.

9. Camp de Mar, Mallorca, €15.95m (£13.44m)Multiple terraces provide breathtaking views. Photo: Eduardo Marquez/Theory4

Privacy and proximity to the sea are among the many attractions of Villa Monte Carlo, built in a prime location in a village known for its crystal clear waters, beach and snorkelling.

This traditional Mediterranean-style house is fully geared up for indoor/outdoor living and a steady stream of visitors, incorporating expansive entertaining areas, south-facing terraces, a swimming pool and a bathing platform.

With a main bedroom suite, three guest suites and a second floor tower room that could be used as a study or extra bedroom, it sleeps at least 10 people in the lap of luxury. Via Engel & Volkers.

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