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

Wake to ocean views, breakfast overlooking the sea and a beach stroll in the afternoon from this smart lodge on the Dunskey Estate

Gather the clans and just come. It's lovely here among acres of wildlife-filled grounds – a Sawday's Community Champion

Up in the hills, an amazing family holiday with Lorna and Lee. Weekly paella nights, great pool, lovely walking. Beauty therapies, too...

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

Ensconce yourselves in the Black Périgord and stay in the East Wing of a 16th-century castle with private garden and surrounding parkland

Hear the rooting of wild boar and the odd splash of the pool. For those who love fresh air, great food, and the sweet hills of Umbria

A sprint from London: a Cotswolds pub modernised with sympathy and care. Happy staff, organic ales and food, gorgeous rooms

A hop to Montpellier, but deep in the countryside: a romantic pad, with Moroccan rugs, ochre-limed walls and bikes to ride into the country

A tranquil cabin for two in rural countryside near arty Totnes: there are walks from the door and all of Devon is yours to explore

The South West Coast Path passes by this waterfront pub on the Teign estuary. Come for fresh bedrooms, classic dishes and excellent walking

Brilliant birdwatching, heavenly countryside, a generous welcome and lovely furnishings... A place to linger as long as you can

A lovely honey-coloured stone cottage with private walled garden, large terrace and pool, outdoor bath and pergola-covered terrace

Elegance and ease mark this gentle group of Loire-Valley buildings, with soft-textured interiors and the owners’ fine hospitality and food

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

Come to the dramatic Côtes-d'Armor and three charming gîtes perched on the cliffs, just a short stroll down to the beach

A striking 200-year-old coaching inn in a sleepy village with a classic, traditional pub feel, superb food and wines, pretty bedrooms

Between Paris and Rouen, a handsome country house in Monet scenery. Cows graze, bedrooms soothe, friendships bud over bountiful breakfasts