Stay just minutes from the sea in colourful Donaghadee for wild swims, island visits, bird watching and coastal walks

Kate makes you feel at home the moment you enter her great big beloved house - full of books, guitars and a piano, antiques and huge spaces

A 18th-century house with pool in a small town with friendly owners and a tropical garden of banana, fig and, of course, frangipani

Leave crowds behind for this charming stone farmhouse in the olive groves of rural Umbria – bring friends and have it all to yourselves

Imperious old coaching inn lost in deep country with a river to fish, five-mile views, delicious rooms and some very tasty food

This hidden valley is the dreamiest part of South Devon. Catch the ferry across the Dart; gaze on the hills; snuggle up by the wood-burner

Glorious airy living space in this superbly restored barn, a terrace with long views and a pool across the garden - bikes to borrow too

Immerse yourself in sentiment and romance at Valeria’s charming Veronese villa. The walls sing with framed opera programmes and music scores

Fall in love with this riverside village, lost in a valley in lower Normandy, and this sunny house for couples or families

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

A converted stable on a peaceful farm surrounded by acres of countryside - a Sawday's Community Champion

A rare treat to find such a comfortable and cosy, dog-friendly place in exceptionally wildlife-friendly and sustainably managed grounds

Four beautiful bedrooms, acres of gardens and parkland, restaurant and café, tennis, outdoor pool and gym, a gallery and events. Just come

A rustic and elegant farmhouse retreat in Provence with a pool, vineyards and wildlife-filled pond – a launchpad for the Luberon

A pretty cottage in the grounds of an 18th-century house in the heart of southern Burgundy, with stunning gardens and a shared pool

Two peaceful olive grove farmhouses, a shared pool with incredible views, hours of hiking along beautiful trails, Pisa and Lucca nearby

A lovely little bolthole to return to after days out exploring pretty Cotswold villages and walking in an AONB straight from the door