It's not often you get an entire hamlet to yourselves but here it is – 10 traditional stone houses with big communal spaces in rural bliss

Year-round Alpine fun at this peaceful home a short hop from the peaks with calm bedrooms, delicious breakfasts and mountain views

A treat of a country retreat in the North York Moors National Park with lovely high ceilings, a log-burner, much comfort and fabulous views

Perfect luxury in deepest Normandy: gorgeous gardens, a heavenly pool, and interiors worthy of an art gallery

Friendly Maki and Clive's higgledy-piggledy home is a charming, special place. Rooms are cosy, Clive's cookery courses are fun and delicious

A big, comfortable house with heated outdoor pool in 17 acres of gardens. Mountains, river swimming, hiking nearby; coast within the hour

Good looking barn conversion for sociable gatherings on an organic farm – meet the animals, take a day trip, go walking

A stylish, thoughtful and impressive place for a family holiday, in a dreamy Charentais landscape with the odd sheep to keep you company

Retreat to this sweet, peaceful cottage with suntrap courtyard garden enveloped in rolling hills just a short hop from the Jurassic Coast

A beguiling retreat for a couple or a family of four – feel cosy and secluded in a thatched cottage close to the coast

Come for a bright, roomy, uber-green and accessible larch-clad space with garden and pond in pretty countryside

Rooms with rooftop and mountain views, luxurious in their simplicity, heavenly breakfasts out on the terrace, and a cultured, caring owner

Spacious bedrooms, friendly hosts and a classic English country house in a peaceful hamlet with walks from the doorstep

Come for stunning views down to the bay of La Herradura and this traditional, family-focused 1990s house on three floors

A flamboyant place! You're in the heart of this charming market town, just a hop from the river and a stroll from pretty squares and bistros

Rambling casitas in a mountain hamlet, with a rustic bar, big shared pool and golf course, surrounded by birds, bougainvillea and views

Gaze over sublime vistas, refresh in the plunge pool, cook up a barbecue treat. A Provençal studio, simply furnished and deeply relaxing