Stunning views from sunny bedrooms. Delightful lively hosts, good breakfasts with homemade jams, colour galore in the acre of garden

Plenty of restful, comfortable space indoors and out in the Mediterranean garden with its courtyard pool – restaurants to walk to

An exquisite Provençal home for a large party, hidden behind grand gates in a small village surrounded by the pine-scented Alpilles

A stone building designed by Sir John Soane in the stable yard of this historic and beautiful estate with deer park and woodland gardens

Stylishly simple cottage in the heart of the old fishing port of Méze, within easy stroll of seafood restaurants and sandy beaches

Once a lofty edifice for music recitals, now an original place to stay - with stained-glass windows, a bed on a stage and wild gardens

A stunner of a setting for this restored croft house with long views to a sparkling loch and a lively village nearby. Good beaches too

Light-filled retreat full of character and vintage finds, with handmade touches and farm-fresh produce on your doorstep

A deliciously rural stone house with charmingly simple rustic-chic interiors and saline pool - an hour from Perugia

A scented garden, delicious local delicacies and those coastal landscapes. This place is a sensory feast

A delightful coastal house with lush courtyard gardens, masses of space, home office and terraces galore

A magical chateau set in the forested hills of Burgundy with lovely rooms, peaceful walks, home cooking and a merry welcome

A very generous amount of space in this beautifully restored annexe with heated pool and outstanding views over the East Devon AONB

A small, delightful hotel, perched on a high hill within a 14th-century convent with stunning views, garden and pool - very special indeed

A truly authentic place to stay on a Sicilian working farm with roaming hens, wheat fields, wild flowers and a distant view of the sea

In a leafy, peaceful part of Frome - a very civilised bolthole for two. A big garden is yours to share, friendly owners live next door

A thoughtful conversion of an old farm barn with beautifully-beamed interiors - a flawless, rural escape for romantics and dreamers