Come for gloriously independent B&B in your own cosy retreat with a belter of a breakfast brought to your door and plenty of local walks

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

Painting courses on request, gardens full of roses, a parasol’d terrace, a seductive pool… we love this welcoming, traditional hotel

A confident style for this mid-19th-century house, with a Mediterranean garden, elegant terrace and pool, a stroll from the historic centre

Beautiful Noto is 4 miles from the Ionian Sea, and this creative renovation, with lush garden, stands above the throng. Heaven in Sicily

Visit Florence, Arezzo, Siena… or revel in the beauty and peace of Casa Zia, surrounded by wilderness and lovely birdsong

Beautiful cottages, donkey rides, a popular pool and restaurants to walk to. Dutch Peter knows all the walks in this heavenly valley!

Mesmerising sea views from this big comfortable hillside house near Deià with a big pool, verdant gardens and sun-trapping terraces

An adorable whitewashed crofter's cottage on the Wern Estate with pretty gardens, a bird-filled woodland and glorious walks from the door

Beautiful light-filled eco-homes in Loch Lomond National Park – Scotland’s treasures are easily reached from here

An enchanting Belle Epoque villa with a terraced garden and superb views across palm trees and vines to Mont Saint-Michel

An 1820s farmhouse at the end of a quiet road in the North York Moors National Park, overlooking a forest and surrounded by fields

A peaceful grown-up place circled by meadows and woodland with helpful owners next door – a superb spot to explore the south-west

Charming cottage surrounded by acres of wildflower meadows: drive to Newport in 15 minutes, walk the Pembrokeshire coastline

Two family and dog friendly retreats for lovers of the countryside, birdwatchers and those wishing to escape the crowds

Come for an exceptionally inviting 17th-century inn, a chocolate-box Cotswold village, excellent local food and ales, very comfortable rooms

A hop from the Côte d'Azur is this elegant home: bring friends, explore the garden, curl up on the sofa, dip in the heated pool

A chic bolthole in a sleepy Suffolk village with seriously good food, stylish bedrooms, riverside walks and Suffolk’s wild coast