Colourful coastal apartments and studios where you can be nicely independent, and enjoy a communal café and health club with Art Deco pool

A traditional Welsh cottage perfect for a nature loving pair – stunning coastal walks, hidden coves, birdwatching and a crackling fire

Magical sunshine-filled grounds with olive trees, palms, cacti and carob surround the charmingly-coloured stone of these 1750 farm buildings

An organic farm near coast, village and Etna – super for families, done in simple good taste. Laze in the hammock, visit the coast...

Sofas in front of the fire, English wines and local ales, ambrosial food and smart rooms, all a short stroll from Sissinghurst Castle

Spread out in much style with friends or family in a beautifully renovated Victorian farmhouse at the foot of the Howgill fells

A fortified castle in parkland, built mostly in the 1300s on the Montbazens plateau, near to the stunning Averyon gorges

A pleasing (not very little) place to stay in the heart of a wood within the unspoilt countryside of the South Downs National Park

A much-loved Tuscan villa restored to elegance: dinner on the terrace, frescoes, rose garden, a small spa…and Florence a 20-minute drive

Ascot is a trot down the road and there's a really cosy, cottagey feel to this quaint 18th-century inn with great food and comfy bedrooms

Float in the infinity pool above the canyon, dine under the stars, revel in the silence, head to the Cavagrande di Cassibile Nature Reserve

A beautifully converted building, part of an old mill, now a gorgeous place to stay with the stream running through and shared parkland

An 18th-century coaching inn wrapped in countryside now a relaxed pub with rooms serving excellent food and drink with 16 inviting bedrooms

A very tranquil spot with views of rolling countryside, the East Mendip Way on the doorstep and good pubs within walking distance

Beautiful Noto is 4 miles from the Ionian Sea, and this creative renovation, with lush garden, stands above the throng. Heaven in Sicily

Friendly inn in the middle of Sedbergh. Lots of bedrooms to choose from, suntrap picnic area, walks in the Yorkshire Dales on the doorstep

A majestic renovation of a Victorian 'model' farm with underfloor heating, open plan design, light bright lines and not a whiff of IKEA

Step into the valley region from this beautifully restored 17th-century house surrounded by saltwater and freshwater canals and lakes