I’ll never forget the drive down to St Ives that crisp autumn afternoon – the leaves turning all those fiery shades of orange and red along the A30, making the whole journey feel like a proper postcard. We’d piled into the car from up country with the kids buzzing about pasties and beaches, but halfway there, disaster struck: a cheeky flock of sheep decided to block the road near Hayle, turning our smooth cruise into a 20-minute standoff with a farmer on his quad bike. I was fuming at first, but as the sun dipped low, painting the moors in gold, even I had to laugh. “Well,” I said to the wife, “at least it’s given us time to appreciate Cornwall’s free traffic jam entertainment.”

By the time we rolled into Carbis Bay, the anticipation was electric. Late October’s that sweet spot down here – not scorching like summer, but still mild enough for shorts one minute and a brisk walk the next, with that fresh sea air that clears your head like nothing else. Pulling up to our luxury penthouse apartment, right on the edge of the bay, my jaw dropped. First impressions? Stunning. Perched perfectly just a short stroll from the award-winning golden sands of Carbis Bay Beach, it screamed Cornish coastal dream. Those panoramic sea views from most rooms and terraces stretched right out to St Ives harbour one way and Godrevy Lighthouse the other – pure magic as the autumn light danced on the waves.

We were six of us, three generations, and it slept us all comfy in the en-suite bedrooms. That open-plan living and dining space was a bright, airy haven, flooding with light even on cloudier days. Sliding back the floor-to-ceiling patio doors onto the little balcony felt like stepping into a wildlife documentary – binoculars at the ready, we scanned for dolphins or seals bobbing in the bay. Spotted a few seals on day one, which had the grandkids whooping like they’d won the lottery.

Autumn shaped every bit of it, really. Mornings started with steaming mugs of tea on the balcony, watching mist roll off the sea as the sun burned it away – no summer crowds, just peaceful. We’d wander down to Carbis Bay Beach, toes in the cool sand, building epic castles before the tide nipped in. The water was bracing, mind – one quick dip had me yelping and scarpering back for a hot pasty from the beach kiosk. Afternoons meant ambling the coastal path to St Ives, leaves crunching underfoot, stopping at Porthminster for fish and chips wrapped in paper, eaten on benches with gulls eyeing us greedily. The town was alive but not heaving; galleries glowed with cosy light, and we picked up fudge that tasted like childhood holidays.

Evenings were for hunkering down as the days shortened – sunset views from the penthouse turning the sky psychedelic, then board games with the heater on low. One night, a storm blew in, rain lashing the windows while we feasted on local crab, feeling all snug and superior to the weather outside. Made me reflect a bit, sat there with the family: rushing about life up north, we forget how a place like this, in this season, resets you. No tan lines, no sunburn, just that deep, soul-recharging Cornish autumn glow.

We left knackered but grinning, already plotting next October. If you’re after a holiday that lets the season do the heavy lifting, this is it.