Hike the Wild Boar Fells, get cosy at home with books, games and DVDs, and meet the farm’s hens, cows and sheep

Garden lovers will flock to this lovely B&B with two spacious suites and delicious breakfasts – a good spot by a quiet hamlet

Pretty Parisian pied-à-terre tucked down a private lane, with a lively local scene and the metro just a minute away

Agriturismo at its best - delightful hosts, communal meals of superb home-grown food, homely rooms, a garden filled with fragrant flowers...

At these small hilltop apartments and studios near Cádiz, find history to delight you, massages to soothe you

A small hotel with gorgeous interiors, friendly staff, spacious rooms, a proper library, pretty garden and a relaxed, homely feel

An artistic escape with a stunning kitchen in sleepy, gastronomic Lot – stroll to the village market and feast on local produce

A lovely big old farmhouse for gatherings of friends and family with your own indoor pool, sauna, gym and jacuzzi

Rustic, relaxing, comfortable and fun with pool and play area, river beaches, great hosts, peaceful countryside, an hour from Porto

Pomegranates, persimmon and figs, the waft of rosemary on the air... we love this old 'mas' 25km from Gordes, in sweet sunny Provence

One of five cottages on the Wern Estate, all comfort and charm, with a garden for kids, rockpools at Black Rock Sands and a mountain railway

A warm, comfortable and light-filled 1800s cottage with south-facing garden and absolutely wonderful views over the Kyles of Bute

Between Penzance and Helston and close to surf beaches, a perfect place for two. For peace-seekers and lovers of mid-century design

Great for gatherings of family and friends: fine views, a good big kitchen, games room and pool; nearby caves and castles to explore

Simple rooms on a spotless farm, delightful hosts, delicious fruit tarts at breakfast on Sundays. The perfect stopover en route to Calais

A fine old house packed with grand old things above Portree Bay in the middle of Skye - homely bedrooms, some huge, are a treat

An attractive converted stable with covered veranda, private garden and views over rolling countryside, minutes from the coast

An 18th-century limestone barn, now a quiet hideaway for a group of friends or family in a very rural spot surrounded by fields and woods