A heavenly setting for this very well-hidden cottage with its own small pool, amazing views and delightful pebble beach below

Secluded stone farmhouse, fragrant gardens, a natural pool, and winding forest paths – the perfect off-grid Tuscan escape

Five tranquil apartments surrounded by Tuscan countryside just over half an hour's drive from Siena – hire them all for a group holiday

An attractive converted stable with covered veranda, private garden and views over rolling countryside, minutes from the coast

Readers adore this place run by warm, generous sisters Renée and Claude. Stroll the wild gardens - follow a path into the lovely landscape

Character and quirk in this fine old cooperage overlooking the vegetable garden with its own terrace and a shared pool. Walk, cycle, explore

A welcoming inn with rooms on the edge of a small village. Stay in a converted barn in the pretty garden, eat delicious country fare

Escape to mountains, sea and sky, simple rooms and lovely food. Walk, swim, read, write, nurture your soul

The views take your breath away, the breakfasts are beautiful, and you feel like you're staying in the home of dear friends

Sheep's Head Way is reputedly one of the best walks in Ireland. Come back to roaring fires, a Rayburn, art and style – terrific restorations

Quirky townhouse on the edge of the Peak District, with country walks from the door, plus shops, cinema, heritage centre, bistros and pubs

Soak up Provençal peace in a charming estate in the Alpilles, with stylish ground-floor B&B rooms, olives, vines and a friendly family dog

A stylish hotel, tucked away yet central, an unusually quiet base for exploring Rome just a three-minute walk from the tube station

Gaze over to glorious Curemonte from the pretty cottage, loll by the pool, play games in the barn. Bring friends and book the main house too

A wonderful surprise inside this 1590 house sitting in a beautiful walled garden full of fruit trees, just off the High Street

Peace, space and sophisticated living at a serene villa-apartment in the hills above Cannes

Gorgeous rooms, delicious food, gardens and lake to explore, a spoiling spa with indoor pool and much comfort between moors and the sea