You're on an ancient packhorse trail just a stone's throw from the coast. There's a timeless feel to this place and the peace is deep

A comfortable and light-filled converted stone barn in the pretty Vendée, a quiet and rural spot but just half a mile from town

A bright and airy 50s townhouse in a residential suburb with large, light bedrooms and a sparkling pool – cycle into gorgeous countryside

Come for amazing food at breakfast, really comfortable bedrooms with garden views and lovely Sasha (and her dogs) who will spoil you

Colourful coastal apartments and studios where you can be nicely independent, and enjoy a communal café and health club with Art Deco pool

Historic, eco-friendly elegance, views over Etna and Naxos Bay, jasmine-scented gardens... and a charming family feel. Stroll into Taormina

A very generous amount of space in this beautifully restored annexe with heated pool and outstanding views over the East Devon AONB

A stylish, refined 17th-century house off a quiet street with its own garden and lots of generous surprises, a short hop to everything

In a quiet, ancient country town – outdoor breakfasts and indoor style: trompe l’oeil decorations, frescoes, vaulted panelled ceilings

A 200-year-old quintessential Umbrian farmhouse with pool, immersed in nature and with no immediate neighbours for lazy, peaceful days

For escapists, wannabe writers and lovers of rural bliss: two boho hideaways for two (four at a squeeze) in this lush corner of Galicia

A warm and convivial place steeped in French history with an interesting, kind host who really looks after you. Under an hour from Paris too

Three luxurious apartments sleeping up to 10 people altogether, set within an elegant Georgian manor house in the Wye Valley AONB

In Andalusia, step through an ancient wooden door into this Moorish-inspired townhouse with a pool and tapas bars just moments away

Peaceful Georgian house with beautifully proportioned rooms, sumptuous meals, swimming and tennis. Dartmoor is on the doorstep

Fringing Tuscany countryside and fun Montone, an authentic Umbrian mansion with Slow Food, lavender fields, apartments and pool. Pure Italy

A sweet retreat for a nature-loving couple, with soul-searching views and the smell of the sea. Logs and Breton cider are on the house...

On a farmstead near Ronda where views stretch for miles are 2 houses, one old, one new, brilliant for families, sharing a fabulous pool