Stay in a celebrated French author’s holiday home, beautifully restored and tucked among pines next to one of Brittany's loveliest bays

A pretty upside-down cottage, formerly a dovecote, lovingly restored with sustainability the focus

A summer hideaway by a lively Algarvian village with a pretty garden. Sundowners, a pool, massages, a BBQ and traditional bedrooms

An island of oyster farms, salt pans and white beaches, woolly donkeys, countless push-bikes and the odd celeb – we love the Ile de Ré!

Pluck grapes, splash in the child-shallow pool and explore the ‘Yorkshire of Italy’ with rolling green hills and conical trulli

A marvellous spot overlooking Rutland Water for this 1760 former hunting lodge with good seasonal British food and very comfortable bedrooms

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

A really friendly French family home, steeped in history and tradition with delicious home-grown food, a lovely garden and peaceful pool

Big house in peaceful lush oasis among the bananas, vines and aloe vera, a 20-minute walk down into Funchal

A new-build in local stone with vast windows gazing out at the meeting place of three beautiful lochs, surrounded by 12 acres of croft land

Restored 18th-century farm building surrounded by countryside, with a good pub a short walk away and Lake Windermere a ten-minute drive

This secluded New Forest inn is a magnet for families in summer: a good pint and the log fire make it a superb winter hideaway too

With a sauna in the woods and a Nordic bath by the lake, these carefully renovated farm buildings are a lovely slow-living retreat

An impressive limestone house on three levels created within the ruins of an ancient village with uninterrupted views of the Vézère valley

Come for the glorious walking and bring your dog. Return to afternoon tea then a gorgeous plant-based supper in the bustling restaurant

An 1820s beach house just 50 metres from the pretty sands and a first-floor deck for al fresco meals with stunning views over the water

An iconic Cotswold pub, restored to perfection, with a cracking bar, elevated pub food and some super-smart bedrooms in pub and extension