You're on an ancient packhorse trail just a stone's throw from the coast. There's a timeless feel to this place and the peace is deep

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

Walkers, bikers, families and nature fans will love staying with ever-helpful Joan and Montse in this secluded but not too remote valley

Lawns, paths and walnut trees, rolling views in every direction... a serene place to stay in every season. Sweet luxury for a big family!

After a day touring châteaux, return to this pretty, very comfortable cottage with private terrace and a garden filled with birdsong

Between Penzance & Helston, close to Praa Sands, is a beautiful bolthole for 6. Good for garden lovers & peace-seekers – dog-friendly too

Breakfast on homemade ricotta, bask on a cool white lounger, swim in the cove below. We love this young, friendly, rustic B&B

Feel like the lord or lady of the manor at this sublime restoration of a Tudor, timber-framed stone house in lovely Ludlow

Bring the family for a traditional Tuscan apartment holiday with a restaurant and pool on site, all surrounded by rippling green countryside

Charming farm cottage in a meadow next to ancient woodland and with breathtaking views. A haven for bird-watchers and walkers

In off-the-beaten-track Tuscany, 2 peaceful apartments in a former haybarn, both carefully renovated with antique furniture

Two cottages which can be taken together, in wing of a warm yellow 1927 house. Charming owners, beautiful grounds and breathtaking views

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

A superb palazzo in beautiful old Florence with 13 design rooms, a cocktail menu and breakfast in your room. Arty, stylish and near the Duomo

Heart-soaring Pyrenean views, animals roaming, natural materials in simple rural rooms, organic food: it’s a superbly welcoming eco-lodge

A truly special barn conversion, flooded with light and with its own decked outdoor space surrounded by bucolic countryside

A honey-stone 1800s house, sitting pretty in acres of fields and woodlands, with a pool, lovely gardens and a separate cottage next door