Beautiful cottages, donkey rides, a popular pool and restaurants to walk to. Dutch Peter knows all the walks in this heavenly valley!

Four stylish Andalusian retreats surrounded by olive groves and almond trees, and a restaurant for wonderful, seasonal food

Stylish sustainability in star-hung Alicante with solar power, gorgeous rooms and a pool. Authentic breakfasts and dinners await

A deliciously cool loft hideaway set among tall sycamores in the grounds of the main house, with a New York Tribeca feel and much comfort

Wander the city, discover islands, visit Vesuvius, eat in lively restaurants, savour the street food of Naples

There’s a calm feel to this three-storey cottage, close to the centre of Bridport and the beach. Great for families, walkers and dogs

An airy converted barn with beautiful woodwork and countryside views. Reach riverside restaurants and St Malo within a 15-minute drive

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

A cosy cottage on a farm down a long winding track, wonderfully rural with footpaths across fields or along the canal

A beautiful house with Pyrenean views, generous hosts and wonderful hiking, biking and skiing nearby. A rare pearl

Like staying in a family home, only with Henri III furniture and rolling green views. Energetic hosts cook, farm, hunt, chat over champagne

A large handsome 1800s manor, now a peaceful haven for free-range families and creative types on the edge of vibrant Richelieu in the Loire

The views take your breath away, the breakfasts are beautiful, and you feel like you're staying in the home of dear friends

A light and airy barn conversion, very comfortable and rural, sitting on a hill with views to the south overlooking the Stour valley

An absolute peach of an apartment on the first floor of this iconic building with stunning views over the harbour and St Michael's Mount

A grand, 16th-century Breton château complete with dovecote, turret and chapel surrounded by 50 acres of parkland, woods and small lake

You'll feel relaxed in this big light-filled house with plunge pool and outdoor cinema; walk along the river with Portugal on the other side

Above the Breton sands, amongst cypresses and roses, 2 neighbouring lower-floor gîtes. The gardens and the sea views are the stars here