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

Charming manor house B&B, packed with character, interest and history, sitting in extensive gardens and with elegant bedrooms

Welcome to a dreamy fortified castle, once owned by French royalty, the perfect place to stay for history lovers and comfort seekers

A 200-year-old quintessential Umbrian farmhouse with pool, immersed in nature and with no immediate neighbours for lazy, peaceful days

A restored Dordogne farmhouse with a dash of Scandi flair - heated pool, bucolic views, and beautifully designed bedrooms

Hospitable Jorge and Clotilde love nothing more than sharing their colourful, chaotic old house with guests. The farm produce is fabulous

A traditional coaching inn dating from the 18th century with good food served in private and public dining rooms on the Wellington Estate

Deep in undulating countryside, three pretty stone cottages with a shared, family-friendly saltwater pool and charming, generous owners

Rustic, sophisticated, relaxed, charming… ancient Follonico is all these things, and gazes on the loveliest hills in Tuscany

A converted stable on a peaceful farm surrounded by acres of countryside - a Sawday's Community Champion

In tranquil Borgomaro, a wonderful hotel spread across three old buildings. Stylish rooms, a tempting pool and delicious Italian breakfasts…

A modern, beautifully refurbished inn set in smart gardens, overlooking the village pond and surrounded by Hampshire hills for grand walks

A 18th-century house with pool in a small town with friendly owners and a tropical garden of banana, fig and, of course, frangipani

Explore the coastal paths on foot or by bike, or simply sunbathe next to the pool... Leafy gardens, comfortable rooms and excellent dinners

A large tranquil apartment with garden and pool surrounded by Tuscan countryside, just over half an hour's drive from Siena

In the heart of arts and craft town Chipping Campden, a beautifully decorated 17th-century house with a celebrated restaurant downstairs

Come for a sense of complete peace surrounded by country and coast with wonderful interiors to boot – a bolthole for two (plus two)

An historic, moated manor house dating from the 16th-century, fully restored and with all mod cons, including an indoor heated pool