Three family friendly gites with a contemporary feel, a saltwater pool, national trails to wander and wellness retreats on offer

Picture-perfect Andalusian houses with private, colourful gardens, stunning mountain views and sparkling pool; utterly relaxing

Remote barn in the middle of Northumberland National Park with views for miles, wonderful walking trails and clear starry skies

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

A deliciously rural stone house with charmingly simple rustic-chic interiors and saline pool - an hour from Perugia

Crackling fires in winter, croquet in the summer. Life ticks by peacefully - rooms are engagingly old-fashioned, the garden is much-loved

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

A delightful holiday home for a big family or group of close friends. Children and dogs can charge about safely, you can unwind completely

Three immaculate rooms in a 17th-century building; step out onto winding streets lined with trattorias, boutiques, fountains and monuments

A niftily converted barn with high vaulted ceiling sitting on a hill with wonderful views over a newly-created lake and the Stour Valley

For retreats, groups of friends, and big families: come to recharge the senses at this special and ancient house enveloped by wild gardens

Warm family hospitality, magnificent surroundings, bedroom breakfasts, candlelit dinners and elegant windows overlooking the park

Once a coach house, now a split-level place to stay – you can walk to the river and it's just a short hop to central London

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 large tranquil apartment with garden and pool surrounded by Tuscan countryside, just over half an hour's drive from Siena

Log fires smoulder, rooms are comfortable, the food is delicious and there's bags of character at this old village pub – once a cider house

Come to this cosy barn down a winding lane for a back-to-nature escape: hike the Black Mountains, splash in the stream, gaze at the views

Up, up and away to this stunning cottage perched 1400 feet high in the National Park with big skies, grand walks and much comfort indoors