Chill under poolside palm trees or lose yourself in novels on super comfy armchairs. Funchal with its colourful markets is within easy reach

A lovely 300-year-old cottage with a tiny walled courtyard garden in a village with a good pub. You can see Dartmoor from the windows

A fascinating restoration, a harmonious retreat from the heat, and owners whose enthusiasm is infectious – what are you waiting for?

Come for excellent food, warm interiors and nicely priced rooms in this light old Rectory with a pretty terrace for summer drinks

A cheery farmhouse conversion for groups outside a village in a non-touristy part of Italy, close to scenic trails and medieval villages

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

Breakfast on homemade ricotta, bask on a cool white lounger, swim in the cove below. We love this young, friendly, rustic B&B

Beautiful views over Bantry Bay from this thoughtfully restored house with stylish rooms, gardens and woodland – a wonderful escape

Near Vosges mountains, a happy homely hotel surrounded by woods and flower-filled meadows with friendly hosts. Deliciously peaceful

A truly authentic place to stay on a Sicilian working farm with roaming hens, wheat fields, wild flowers and a distant view of the sea

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

Your very own château in the Dordogne for big family get-togethers and special celebrations

A lovely 1910 village house, deep in sleepy countryside, with delightful owners, delicious home cooking and a pretty garden for lazy days

A small and stylish townhouse retreat in leafy Folkestone with excellent bedrooms and a terrace for breakfast in summer

B&B in the heart of Totnes with bright bedrooms and a sitting room, plus an enchanting garden with ponds and wildflower beds

Hospitable Jorge and Clotilde love nothing more than sharing their colourful, chaotic old house with guests. The farm produce is fabulous

A fabulous Belle Epoque château with much wow factor set in vast grounds with lawns and lakes, circled by a dense forest

A hilltop setting for this ancient fortress with an illustrious past. You stay in apartments or farmhouses inside or outside the walls