Plenty of uncluttered easy space both in and out by the private pool - children love the freedom - great wine, food, and cycling country

Feel at ease in a lovely old townhouse filled with pictures and personality and including a separate loft apartment

The living is easy here: laze in the subtropical garden, float in the saltwater pool, let the kids play and meet other guests over dinner

Comfortable, traditional, accessible and in the grounds of an old rectory with meadows and the river Frome nearby for summer dips

Swim with frogs in the freshwater pool, breakfast in the sunshine, play boules by moonlight. Châteaux don't get much more rural

A romantic creekside cottage down a web of narrow lanes in a tumbling green valley – mess about on the water to your heart’s content

A tranquil cabin for two in rural countryside near arty Totnes: there are walks from the door and all of Devon is yours to explore

Orchards and ducks, open fires, deep comfort in glorious Wiltshire countryside. Courtyard bedrooms and lovely big kitchen too

Come to be cossetted in this 300-year-old Burgundy farmhouse with rose garden, sheltered pool and convivial Dutch owners

A very comfortable and attractive 1820 gate lodge surrounded by mature trees on a family estate, in gently rolling countryside

Near the sandy beaches of the Cabo de Gata, close to the village of Níjar, is a much-loved family estate with eco pool and exotic gardens

Bags of rustic charm in this elegantly restored retreat, perfectly placed to explore Sicily’s rich history and beautiful beaches

Burrowed into the olive groves of the lush Valle d’Itria, a restored masseria with five trulli, an indoor and outdoor pool, hot tub and lovely views

Be inspired by hilltop views, unwind in beamed rooms by huge fireplaces or scramble down to the beach for family adventures

Down a track with a delightfully remote feel but near to the coast and with good walking and cycling; views out to sea are awesome

Spend restful days in a verdant garden, slip into the cooling pool, sip wine on your private balcony, stroll into arty Benissa

A big old house with a lovely pool, surrounded by ancient olives just 3kms from the sea and deep in the heart of Bandol wine country

Birdwatchers and artists delight: acres of peaceful land, close to some of Cornwall’s finest galleries – and the sea