Being in our mid-30s and having a small child in tow, my partner and I were looking for a relaxing and upmarket surfing holiday. Our days of backpacking around the world's best surf breaks are over and we've come to enjoy a level of comfort in our travels, especially when you?re catering for a three-year-old's needs, as well as your own.

Living in Cape Town, we were obviously drawn to South Africa's surfing Mecca ? Jeffrey?s Bay.

J-Bay, as it?s known in the surfing community, is an unspoilt paradise of long white beaches, perfectly-formed rolling point breaks and warm, cobalt blue water, framed by lush belts of the regions national flower, the Aloe.

On arriving in J-Bay we were still in awe of the dramatic river-cut gorges, rocky headlands, glassy lakes and deep tangled forests that we?d seen on the day's drive from Cape Town. J-Bay could be considered the tail-end of the Garden Route (purists may disagree) sporting all the myriad attractions such as rocky coasts, pretty fynbos, an abundance of sea-life and the long sandy beaches for which the route has become famous.

We arrived at Supertubes Guesthouse, named after the world-famous surf break, which I could hear before we?d even entered the house. It was literally breaking in legendary perfection at the end of the garden. The three of us nearly fell over each other in excitement. For surfing, or even just beach enthusiasts, the guest house could not be more perfectly positioned.

Entering the house itself we gasped at the marbled entrance hall, elegantly curved staircase and tastefully decorated lounge and dining room, complete with fireplace and interior sound system. Throwing the French doors wide open we strolled out onto an extensive patio area, where curvaceous wicker loungers lent themselves to the lazy pastime of relaxation.

The built-in braai was a modern marvel with smoke protected lighting, hooks dripping with utensils, coal, fire-lighters and baskets of perfectly dried farm wood ? basically everything your typical South African braai-master would require. It could not have been easier.

Waking up each morning to the sun streaming in through the wide open windows (yes, even in winter!), the crashing of waves and the fresh sea air was a treat I still pine for. The king-size bed would have fitted all three of us quite comfortably, but the gracious hostess organised an extra mattress for our son.

The view was quite beyond words, and had the bathroom not been so luxurious, I probably would have spent a great deal more time admiring it from the balcony. Having the beach on our doorstep, however, meant that we spent most evenings sipping sundowners on the soft dunes and gazing at the sky changing from rosy- blues to vivid oranges and yellows and then fading eloquently into dusk. What could be more romantic or sublime?

For those who don?t surf, J-Bay is still an adventurer's haven. The elephant parks, Monkeyworld, horse-riding on the beach, bungee-jumping and game drives are just a few of the attractions on offer nearby. To be quite honest though, with long stretches of beach, countless surf breaks and the languid summer climate all year through who would want to do anything else but enjoy the exquisite natural splendour? And Supertubes Guesthouse is the perfect spot to do just that.

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