Gather family or friends and take both villa and cottage. The terraces and gardens have long views, the pool is roomy and the peace palpable

B&B rooms, some with kitchenettes, in a lush garden setting with a river running behind. The pretty village is on your doorstep

An eye-catching ancient inn with a colourful flower garden in summer, delicious local food and very presentable bedrooms

An 18th-century townhouse restored with flair by former restauranteurs: come for colour, comfort and sublime dining

A small, quirky country house hotel with lovely staff, pretty rooms and heavenly food served in a pillared dining room

A countryside escape for 2 near Chepstow with traditional interiors and cheery wood-burner. Not suitable for children but dogs very welcome

A lovely eco barn - your home from home; come for walks on the North Yorks Moors, world class cycling and cosy evenings by the wood-burner

Step into a place full of life, colour, texture and clever design surrounded by beautiful gardens and lakes

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 stunning veranda wraps itself around the house: doze off in a wicker armchair or sip a drink at dusk as the sun melts into the valley

Stay in the very first holiday let in the history of this lovely little hamlet of nine houses, with a superb sailing club and a decent pub

Feel very private in this light and bright B&B room with your own patio and pleasing views over garden and countryside

Spend restful days in a verdant garden, slip into the cooling pool, sip wine on your private balcony, stroll into arty Benissa

A Grade II listed 1669 ex-Almshouse in a row of three in walking distance of the historic town centre of Ashbourne and the Tissington Trail

A beautifully-restored Devon bank barn at the end of a quiet lane in the glorious South Hams, just right for a couple or small family

This old stone building, a former olive warehouse, is beautifully restored and sits on its own – a simple bolthole for rest and recuperation

In peaceful walled gardens, this former convent is a quiet retreat just a stone’s throw from the Riviera coast and the best of Tuscany

Unwind here in the rolling hills with the river bustling along, your own secluded garden and an unpretentious cottage full of character