Hear the rooting of wild boar and the odd splash of the pool. For those who love fresh air, great food, and the sweet hills of Umbria

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

Two charming cottages a stroll from the Coast Path, surf school, shop, pub and restaurant. Take both cottages for a big family get-together

Minutes from old Ajaccio (a scenic cycle ride) is a charming small hotel with a stunning bay setting, and majestic mountains behind

Tranquil manor house deep in Bordeaux wine region with six acres of grounds, a tennis court and swimming pool

Picture-perfect Andalusian houses with private, colourful gardens, stunning mountain views and sparkling pool; utterly relaxing

A three storey house and garden with sea glimpses in the 'vieux village' named for the Mimosa trees which flower in profusion in winter

A fin-de-siècle Franco-Scottish décor for this hospitable, entertaining B&B, in the heart of Edinburgh’s cultural quarter

A lovely bolthole in remote North Yorkshire – follow stunning hill walks with a soak in the roll top bath, and a glass of bubbly

Beautifully designed timber cabins in the Black Mountains, right next to a lovely old inn serving good, honest food from their own farm

Soak up Provençal peace in a charming estate in the Alpilles, with stylish ground-floor B&B rooms, olives, vines and a friendly family dog

On the side of a hill in the little-known Marche, a happy young farmhouse with an elegant saltwater pool, and wonderful meals from Kelda

Traditional and modern mix beautifully and bedrooms are quietly elegant. Relax and drink in the views over orchards and the Sierra Nevada

Proper village pub with much-praised food and cosy rooms; country walks lead from the door and Oxford is half an hour away

Peaceful converted barn on a remote working farm – pet the donkeys, wild swim and row on the lake, warm up around the wood-burner

1820s cottage with long views, a lovely garden and generous extras. Alnwick is close and miles of white sandy beaches with dunes

An elegant, super central bolthole for two (or three): stroll everywhere, hop on a vaporetto, sit in piazzas drinking cappuccino, live like a local