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

Escape your cares here, move from terrace to terrace tracking the sun's progress and dive into the sea from your own swimming platform

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

Bright, cosy cottage in a quiet Devon village, four miles from Totnes, with two good pubs nearby and an en suite ground-floor bedroom

Charmingly rambling, inside and out: blazing fires, riotous patterns, oak panelling, a prolific garden and comfortable antique beds

Take a suite with champagne, strawberries and a tower, swim in the saltwater pool, eat a Castilian cocido - unwind in rural peace!

Stay a while... lulled by lapping sea and fragrant hanging gardens - cool, light, balconied, classic, intimate, unpretentious

Take breakfast on the terrace, splash in the fabulous pool. A secluded, friendly, immaculate villa close to golf and surfing beaches

A captivating place for couples and families with fabulous views, pool and foodie hosts. River water sports, markets and vineyards near

Splash under the Elephant Arch, take a boat to the caves, set off for Tunisia! Then it’s back to a super-private room by the sea

A nicely priced inn on Shaftesbury's high street with a warm contemporary style and some excellent food – fine local walking waits

Next to a glorious National Trust estate, an exceptional barn renovation, a honeymooners’ dream – and Marsden a stroll downhill

Wonderful hosts at this traditional, upbeat B&B, where imaginative breakfasts set you up for glorious hikes in Eyri (Snowdonia)

Shady spots in the garden, a pool overlooked by tall palms, a bar nook stocked with drinks and a new spa in the Serra do Açor

A stunner of a setting for this restored croft house with long views to a sparkling loch and a lively village nearby. Good beaches too

Sumptuous bedrooms and delicious breakfasts at these two magnificent wings in glorious gardens and grounds next to the castle

A sleek, light-filled, beautifully designed, minimalist space for 4 with wrap-around views from the living room and pool