An enchanting hideaway with sensational views in a flowery English semi-wild country garden, near Sissinghurst and Great Dixter

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

Delicious vegetarian cooking, a pool, lemon groves and hazy views of the Hyblaean mountains make a perfect escape near Cassibile

For walkers and lovers of wildly beautiful coastal country: two cosy old cottages and a bright, modern renovation in a cluster with others

Rooms are good value, breakfast is taken overlooking the garden and there's superb veggie food next door - a Sawday's Community Champion

A taste of old Italy in this off-the-beaten-track rustic house on three levels, exquisitely restored and with elegant designer furnishings

Choose the atmospheric early Georgian house or the garden bedrooms, all have views, Paul's welcome is genuine and his dinners delicious

A beautifully renovated lighthouse with stunning views from the lantern room. Pretty bedrooms, great walking and fabulous breakfasts

Converted barn with the most welcoming owners – the garden and pool are all yours; explore a less touristy part of the Dordogne

A traditional country house experience with plenty of space for big family get-togethers, on a very old estate with fascinating gardens

Up the drive flanked by grazing horses, to a warm welcome from the housekeeper and a great fire in the hall. Perfect for family gatherings

This architect-designed passive style house sits just behind the sand dunes at Waxham beach, one of Norfolk’s most lovely beaches

An eco renovation of an 1800s gamekeepers cottage, now a charming place for couples or families to immerse themselves in nature

A tucked-away and peaceful retreat from which to explore the beautiful Dordogne or simply to unwind and recharge

Wrapped in fields and woods, this big traditional house has crisply furnished interiors and plenty of gadgets. Terraced gardens and pool too

Spacious gîte in a former hunting lodge, set on one of the oldest estates in Pézenas, for a relaxing getaway with family and friends

Gaze over to glorious Curemonte from the pretty cottage, loll by the pool, play games in the barn. Bring friends and book the main house too

In a profoundly peaceful spot between arty St Ives and stunning Marazion, a hideaway for two surrounded by gardens and parkland