Stay just minutes from the sea in colourful Donaghadee for wild swims, island visits, bird watching and coastal walks

Glorious boutique hotel on the Sorrento Peninsula with Michelin-starred restaurant and superb cellar to explore

A 1980s Catalan mas built in a traditional style, with garden and pool, surrounded by olive trees and vineyards near the Spanish border

Elegance and ease mark this gentle group of Loire-Valley buildings, with soft-textured interiors and the owners’ fine hospitality and food

A small, rural cottage high in the wooded hills with long views, your own private pool, utter peace and quiet and a superb restaurant nearby

A lovely old 19th-century inn by the sea with hand-pumped ales, fresh local and seasonal food and spoiling bedrooms, some with sea views

Sustainably built Suffolk retreat with plenty of space for friends and family to properly unwind - a steam room seals the deal

Escape to the heart of the Haute-Savoie and this impressive château near Annecy, Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva

A short stroll from the centre of historic Wimborne, a big Georgian house with beautiful interiors, original features and a lovely garden

What a surprise to find a masseria in the heart of a Puglian village. Welcome to Anna’s elegant agriturismo

An award-winning dog-friendly pub with rooms. Find happy staff, delicious well-sourced food and comfy rooms – great for walkers

Such lovely views from this light-filled flat, built in the 19th century – curl up with a book and gaze out to sea

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

A beautifully designed B&B for foodies, cyclists and walkers in a village surrounded by trees just 15 minutes from the coast

If you need a great place in which to relax and don’t want to pay too much for it, try these excellent suites, which spoil you all the way

Gorgeous small hotel perfectly placed for the magical Dales - stylish bedrooms, open fires, lovely staff and pretty gardens all wait

Take your time here. Lucy will take you round her wonderful garden, introduce you to her donkeys, and share her laid-back approach