Great taste – in decor and food – and a delicious heated pool. Views swoop over field and valley; trails, villages, wineries tempt

In an outstanding area for lovers of food and wine, here are 3 beautiful boltholes in the Alto Douro, the oldest wine region in the world

A romantic creekside cottage down a web of narrow lanes in a tumbling green valley – mess about on the water to your heart’s content

This classy, refurbished village pub is the community hub, chock-full of locals and a popular destination for foodies. Lovely bedrooms too

The views are green, both cottages are homely and comfortable and the gardens have direct access to the riverbank footpath for walks

The views are breathtaking over forest and field from this lovely barn conversion on a working farm, for special gatherings

A roomy, stylish barn conversion in Devon's rolling hills with wonderful walks from the door and panoramic views of the Exe valley

An old-world inn full of colour, with open fires, cosy rooms, local food and the magnificent Northumberland National Park all around

Big house with bags of character and easy access to beaches, cafés and cobbled streets, coastal paths and hidden coves

Exceptional generosity reigns at this complex of 5 excellent, colourful holiday apartments, with pool and meals, on the Sorrento Peninsula

Live out all your bohemian dreams at this arty villa, with garden and plunge pool, perched above the glittering Riviera.

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

An 18th-century listed cottage in a pretty terrace with a private courtyard garden and pond, just a short walk from the high street

A delightful home-from-home village house with large gardens and walks from the door – perfect for families

An elegant palazzo with three swish apartments in the heart of Baroque Salento with a glorious roof terrace, just steps from Piazza Salandra

Charming 15th-century farmhouse near Montrésor and Loches with immense lawns, orchards and a fabulous pool

Two homely gîtes sleeping 4 and 2 in rural farm country. Walk to the bakery; drive 15 minutes to Saint-Malo and riverside restaurants

A picture-perfect village and a beautifully refurbished 17th-century inn with a cracking bar, stylish bedrooms and delicious pub food