THE FACTS ABOUT BUZZARDS BAY COTTAGE

USA

Strands of seaweed curl around tiny shells on Buzzards Bay, a long, curved stretch of sand that forms one side of a peninsula opposite Cape Cod and just across the water from Martha's Vineyard. Behind the beach is a quiet, private road that peters off into nothing, providing access to a string of wood-and-shingle cottages, all on tall stilts dug deep into the sand. Modern and airy (whitewashed walls, rugs on varnished boards, simple wooden furniture), the cottages have arched floor-to-ceiling windows that fill the living space with light reflected from sea and sky. Sundecks run around three sides; on the first floor a mezzanine landing leads to a double bedroom and smaller, two-bedded room (with a bed on wheels and a pull-out). They are compact cottages with one downstairs bathroom, perhaps best suited for a family with two school-age children. Because it is in prime Moby Dick territory, it makes a superb base for exploring the old whaling ports of New England, as well as being within easy reach of Plymouth and Boston. SLEEPS Four COST £865-£1,005 per person per week, including flights, car hire, insurance and a one-night stopover on the outskirts of Boston CONTACT The Individual Travellers (0870 077 4774; www.indiv-travellers.com)