This old stone building, a former olive warehouse, is beautifully restored and sits on its own – a simple bolthole for rest and recuperation

Three spacious manor apartments with views for big gatherings of family or friends. Walk to the beach or the pub, play tennis and croquet

A relaxed home-from-home feel at this Spanish house with old-fashioned charm, a big garden and pool and lovely views from every window

Charming trulli apartments promise rustic comfort and panoramic views (horses too). Perfectly placed for exploring the area

A very tastefully restored old stone stable on a gloriously rural estate with woodland gardens, lake and a deer park

A great find if you want to be close to all the action but nicely tucked away. Friendly pub downstairs, cool bedrooms up, Soho 20 minutes

Tradition and comfort on the border with Wales, a welcoming country-house hotel with warm rooms, pretty gardens and delicious food

Perfect château B&B with pointy turrets and pale blue shutters, surrounded by gorgeous countryside, a cycle route and ancient villages

A charming 17th-century village inn, a destination place for foodies and real beer lovers, with very comfortable and stylish bedrooms

This stately-looking former manor house set back from the road in acres of gardens serves very good food and has rustic-chic bedrooms

Between mountains and coast: come for peace and serenity at this small hotel framed by fragrant gardens and the mighty Sierra Nevada peaks

Everything you’d want of a lovely country inn – pretty rooms, tasty food, local ales in a beamed bar and fabulous walking

Feel French in this very beautiful 300-year-old house with a large garden and pool in a hilltop medieval village of winding, cobbled streets

Simple and rustic, this early 1700s farmhouse has warmth and charm, surrounded by countryside in the Perche

Quaint barns dotted among truffle oaks and rosemary, each one constructed the old-fashioned way and close to the Dordogne and Vézère

Light-filled gites share a lovely pool, with pétanque, ping-pong and bikes to borrow – bring friends and take all three

Come for Tudor beams, a sunny roof terrace and the bustle of Lewes in this beautifully restored coaching inn

At the gates of a country estate, two quirky hexagonal lodge houses with private outdoor seating and acres of grounds for walks and picnics