Come to shed your city cares, eat wonderful local food, spend time in simple, authentic surroundings and remind yourselves about serenity

A small and stylish townhouse retreat in leafy Folkestone with excellent bedrooms and a terrace for breakfast in summer

A clutch of airy properties, most with their own jasmine-scented terraces arranged around a funky pool

A beautifully restored building in a vast, open space dotted with olive trees and fragrant citrus - unwind in the calming atmosphere

Proper village pub with much-praised food and cosy rooms; country walks lead from the door and Oxford is half an hour away

Delicious vegetarian cooking, a pool, lemon groves and hazy views of the Hyblaean mountains make a perfect escape near Cassibile

A chic bolthole in a sleepy Suffolk village with seriously good food, stylish bedrooms, riverside walks and Suffolk’s wild coast

Sun-soaked stillness, saltwater dips and garden scents of fig and rosemary - slow days unfold between olive trees and a sky full of stars

Romantics will love this small converted hut-on-a-hillside surrounded by pines and olives with stunning views over the old town and the sea

Gloriously green rural self-catering apartments with pool and lovely, friendly owners

Go with the slow - homemade delights, no plastic anything, few mod cons - just relaxed humorous hosts and a beautiful place

Immerse yourself in sentiment and romance at Valeria’s charming Veronese villa. The walls sing with framed opera programmes and music scores

Stables turned into bright, comfortable holiday homes in countryside near Battle - for couples and families, whose dogs are very welcome too

A relaxed hilltop escape with good food, a pretty garden and fine views of the Dales and the river Wharfe – bring your dog too

A charming villa in a quiet neighbourhood with pool, fab sea views & an easy stroll to eateries. Water sports & golf are easy from here

Traditional B&B in a beautiful château bursting with history and surrounded by formal gardens, then farmland and two fine rivers

This civilised bolthole offers a quiet retreat, castle views and the magic of Edinburgh on your doorstep

Water sports fans and families will love this characterful beachfront house with panoramic ocean views on Brittany's Côtes-d'Armor