From the delicious scented garden with its limestone pool to the cool rooms with perfect linen, this is a place for a special occasion

A 200-year old townhouse on a charming cobbled street with stunning views from the terraces over rooftop Olhão and down to the sea

Traditional and modern, verging on the opulent. Find a stone-flagged tap room for walkers, top modern food and Chatsworth-perfect bedrooms

A big friendly farmhouse basking in light, with terraces, vineyards, pool and views to several horizons, good for family gatherings

There's a lovely relaxed feel to this rather grand house, garden, ponds and orangery. Ashley and Amanda are easy-going hosts

An achingly elegant boutique hotel set in Mallorca's olives and orchards: candlelit organic dinners, infinity pool, a smart little bar...

Like staying in a family home, only with Henri III furniture and rolling green views. Energetic hosts cook, farm, hunt, chat over champagne

At the end of the unpaved road, surrounded by oaks, chestnuts and pines, a wonderful surprise for families and children who love to explore

A wonderful place to stay whether you enjoy golf or not, with big skies, sea views, sumptuous bedrooms, delicious food and attentive staff

Comfortable, understated, spotless and authentic – a modest family hideaway on Brittany’s stunning Crozon Peninsula (think Land’s End...)

A light and bright converted milking parlour in a rural idyll with a barbecue hut, a spa overlooked by horses and a shared hot tub

A pretty retreat in the grounds of a romantic château – you have your own walled garden, with terrace, pool and sunbathing area

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

An elegant Burgundian townhouse with pool on the fringe of Morvan National Park in Côte d'Or. Dijon, with Beaune and Chablis an easy drive

A magnificent medieval tower in the grounds of an 18th-century château sitting in a dreamy valley. Come for superb gardens and architecture

A rare treat, 700 metres above sea level and girdled by forests, waterfalls, chestnuts and olives, this is the place to come for solace

A hop from the coast and charming Alnwick, a gorgeous and supremely comfortable country escape for friends and families. Dogs welcome too

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