Leave the car, everything is walkable & buses are practically free. Visit restaurants, vineyards & markets from your lofty village bolthole

Mesmerising sea views from this big comfortable hillside house near Deià with a big pool, verdant gardens and sun-trapping terraces

The farm is up its own track with wake-up Cheviot views over pine forests and fields of sheep. Luxurious bedrooms, large airy living space

A harmonious B&B in Chinon wine country. Home-cooked food, comfortable beds, easy conservations with your host and starry skies at night

Cosy Lakeland stone barn in acres of peaceful countryside for walkers, wildlife lovers and those wishing for a retreat

Independent B&B in an ancient hamlet with modern interiors, immaculate bedrooms and a pleasant wooden terrace for sunny days

Gite retreats in château grounds - welcoming and wonderful for young families. Build castles in the sandpit, make friends around the pool

A delightful eco-friendly, off-grid bolthole in the Northumberland National Park with much comfort, massive views and in a Dark Sky area

An ancient trullo saraceno, carefully restored and sitting in a huge swathe of nature, with a serene pool, gnarly olives and wide skies

A smooth, contemporary space with far-reaching views, plenty of light and high ceilings for nature lovers, walkers, artists and dreamers

Hike down secret paths and along the Suffolk coast before a superb lunch or supper at this friendly inn; sweet bedrooms too

Rural retreat, far from the madding crowd. Laze by the infinity pool and take in the views. Inside all is calm and stylish. Stay a while

Technically in Florence yet immersed in the Tuscan hills: easy comfort, country character, warm wonderful hosts, heavenly views

Perched on a hilltop in a nature reserve, two lovely places to stay. Hike and beach-hop all day before relaxing in the pool

A fine designer house and pool above the coastal hurly-burly and one of the loveliest coves in Spain, backing onto a nature park. Happy hols

Immerse yourself, luxuriously, in beautiful rural Picardy – mirabelle jam, peaceful parkland, walking in the hills – near historic Amiens

Stunning, spacious 3-storey converted mill with stylish bedrooms. Cook just-caught brown trout from the river, eat at a hand built oak table

Country house set in a secluded valley in a nature reserve with a pool & walks from the door. The small town of Jabugo is just over the hill