Fine contemporary interiors within this half-timbered hillside villa, built with natural materials and with a beautiful pool and jacuzzi

A romantic creekside cottage down a web of narrow lanes in a tumbling green valley – mess about on the water to your heart’s content

A medieval monastery, stunningly revived, in untouristy, car-free Pisciotta. Sip greco on the terrace; scramble through olives to the sea

A traditional cottage in Polruan on the Fowey estuary with harbour and cove views and a tea shop and two pubs in the village

Charming manor house B&B, packed with character, interest and history, sitting in extensive gardens and with elegant bedrooms

An elegant manor house with pretty bedrooms, pool and large grounds. Nathalie looks after you with ease and sets you up with big breakfasts

Live like a local at these rustic apartments with a shared courtyard; walk to restaurants and shops, take the ferry to the beach

A country house, elegant and unstuffy, at the heart of a working Lazio olive farm. Lunch by the pool or unwind at the hot spring spa

Family cottage within 25 acres of fields, garden and orchard with fresh eggs to collect, wellies for walking and animals roaming the farm

A Regency farmhouse sitting in a wrap-around garden with views to mountain and sea for wonderful walking, cycling and swimming

Steps from the sea in get-away-from-it-all scenery – half an hour’s walk from St Ives’ arty heart. Sleeps 4 with pull-out beds for 2 more

Immerse yourself in rural Lot at this eco retreat – hiking and cycling from the door, a natural swimming pool and serene gardens

A delightful house & converted 19th-century barn a short jaunt to the unspoilt beaches of the spectacular Anglesey coast

A 15th-century courtyard hides a petite contemporary apartment – a fabulous base from which to explore the city and all its treasures

Surrounded by delightful gardens, these gîtes are serene retreats from which you can discover the Dordogne, or gently unwind

Such lovely views from this light-filled flat, built in the 19th century – curl up with a book and gaze out to sea