Bored by the idea of a beach break? Might I suggest a country villa instead?
Here, we’ve selected 20 of the best bases for a proper summer break —
self-catering properties that allow you to kick back and forget the world
for a week or two. Each one lies in an area brimful of interest, too. Which
is always nice to know as you take another sip from your chilled white wine
and turn the next page of your novel...
Unless stated, travel is not included in the cost of the property. We have
listed the closest airport — ask the operator for the best flight, ferry or
train connections
FRANCE
1 LOT
Mas du Cayrou (sleeps 6)
How much character can one house have? The Mas du Cayrou is extraordinary — an
18th-century stone manor topped with a vast dovecote. Were doves bigger back
then, or did they keep pterodactyls? Some people might find it too
idiosyncratic, were it not for the painstaking makeover the property has
been given — from the stone pool house in the garden to the stripped floors
and pale walls within. In a word: gorgeous.
One week, arriving on August 4, costs £2,580 for the property, including ferry
crossings for one car. If you fly, the nearest airport is Rodez, 48 miles
away.
With whom? Dominique’s Villas (020 7738 8772, www.dominiquesvillas.co.uk),
which specialises in France and seems to have more than its fair share of
honey-coloured stone properties in the southwest.
2 GASCONY
Domaine de la Bourdette (sleeps 14)
If you’ve ever sat in a cinema and fantasised about France, you were probably
dreaming of somewhere like this — a honey-stone 17th-century farmhouse,
surrounded by parkland and shaded by enormous chestnuts. Inside, there are
exposed beams, rough-hewn walls and fireplaces big enough to roast a pig —
while out through the french windows, you’ll find three terraces, a big pool
and plenty of secret conversational corners. Stock it with the right people
and you’ve got the makings of house-party heaven.
One week, arriving on August 11, costs £2,820 for the property. Toulouse, 56
miles away, is the most convenient airport.
With whom? The Gascony Secret (01284 827253, www.gascony-secret.com), which
specialises in a single Gascon department — the Gers, tucked away under the
Pyrenees.
3 LOIRE
The Pavillon (sleeps 2)
Love nest, anyone? If you really want to shut out the world, there can be few
better places than this wee gothic summerhouse, set in 80 hectares of
parkland in the rural hinterland of the Loire. Restored last year, the house
is neat, modern and well equipped, with a mezzanine sleeping platform set
under the eaves. Saumur is an hour’s drive away — in case you need a little
sparkling wine to toast the start of your holiday.
One week, arriving on August 4, costs £478 for the property. The nearest
airport is Tours, 50 miles away.
With whom? VFB Holidays (01452 716 830, www.vfbholidays.co.uk), which favours
smaller properties and offers lots of less visited regions as well as the
honeypots of Provence and the Dordogne.
4 PROVENCE
Mas Rosemerry (sleeps 6)
Just up the road from here is Beaumes de Venise — famous for its fragrant and
fortified white wine, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise. The locals drink it as an
aperitif, but it also goes well with fruit puddings, and there can be few
better places to enjoy it than the terrace of this sophisticated property —
recently refurbished in cool minimalist style by its Danish owners. The
muscat is only the most local of the area’s famous wines. Nearby, you’ll
find the rich, mellow reds of Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Rasteau, while
Carpentras market will supply you with the raw ingredients for a holiday
full of summer salads and barbecues.
A week here, arriving on August 18, will set you back £2,105, including a hire
car. Nîmes is the nearest airport, 56 miles away.
With whom? Voyages Ilena (020 7924 4440, www.voyagesilena.co.uk), which has a
strong portfolio in this foodie-friendly area, as well as in Corsica and
Sardinia.
5 SAVOIE
Chalet Kandahar (sleeps 6, plus 2 children)
A brisk walk through stunning scenery is only the start of it:
mountain-biking, climbing, kayaking, rafting, golf — they’re all on tap in
the Alps, and just about the only activity you can’t try is lying around on
a beach feeling slightly bored. Chalet Kandahar is a great base if you’re
tempted by all this action. Set on the edge of woodland, on the outskirts of
Morillon, it’s a new building, full of mod cons but completely in sync with
the local architecture. The village centre is well set up for the summer,
and even has its own lake for swimming.
One week, arriving on August 5, costs £911 for the property, including return
ferry crossings for one car.
If you decide to fly, the nearest airport is Geneva, 45 miles away.
With whom? Peak Retreats (0870 770 0408, www.peakretreats.co.uk), which
specialises in the less developed villages of the French Alps.
6 CORSICA
Tantanni (sleeps 8)
For those who can’t quite kick the sandcastle habit, Corsica is a good bet.
One of the chief glories of this craggy and heavily forested island is the
way its character changes from coast to country in a matter of minutes —
giving you two holidays for the price of one. Tantanni is a case in point.
It’s only a mile away from the golden sands of Furnello, yet looks out over
the vineyards and tiled roofs of the village of Monaccia d’Aulenne. The
villa itself is smart, modern and well equipped — and there’s a private chef
available whenever you want someone else to take care of supper.
One week, arriving on August 5, costs £999pp, including flights and car hire.
With whom? Coastline (0844 557 1020, www.coastline.co.uk), which has a new
programme of villas on Corsica, Mallorca and Ibiza, many of which have chefs
and nannies available, should you need them.
7 COSTA VERDE
A Casinha (sleeps 6)
Small, neat and modern, A Casinha isn’t quite the higgledy-piggledy country
cottage most of us dream of. But give it a moment. Inside, it’s sumptuously
furnished, and the location, on a wooded hillside, looking towards the
coast, is superb. It has a big pool for lazy days at home, and a pergola on
hand for when the sun gets too hot. Nearby, at Afife, is one of Portugal’s
cleanest beaches, while inland you’ll find pretty market towns such as Ponte
de Lima, and the border fortress of Valenca do Minho — its walls dominate
the approaches from Spain.
One week, arriving on August 3, costs £1,350 for the property. Oporto, 100
miles away, is the nearest airport.
With whom? Vintage Travel (0845 344 0460, www.vintagetravel.co.uk), which has
a portfolio covering more than 400 properties across Europe.
8 DOURO VALLEY
Quinta de Lamelas (sleeps 6)
Hidden away from the world at the end of a half-mile track, this 17th-century
manor is an eye-popping mix of old and new. Upstairs, the decor is sleek,
white and modern; downstairs, you’ll find ornate wooden ceilings, carved
archways and a huge stone pillar in the kitchen. Outside, vineyards,
cypresses and almond trees wreathe the garden in green, and there are
stirring views across the Douro. Perhaps the most appealing feature of all
is the pool — long, narrow and set right up against a stone wall, so you can
haul yourself out of the water, put your back against the hot rocks and let
the sun dry you off.
One week, arriving on August 4, costs £1,121 for the property. Oporto airport
is about 100 miles away.
With whom? The Individual Travellers Company (0870 078 0194,
www.individualtravellers.com), which has a huge range of properties in
France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, as well as New England.
9 GALICIA
Casa la Puja (sleeps 4)
Albariño is one of the new stars of the wine-making world — a crisp but creamy
white, coaxed from the albariño grape of Galicia. As luck would have it, it
goes Spain very well with fish, the other famous product of the region, and
if you fancy trying the combination, Casa la Puja might well be the place to
do so. It’s a crisply converted single-storey house in the village of
Tomino, close to the Rio Miño and the Portuguese border. There are several
albariño vineyards nearby, with fish markets in every town, and when you get
back to La Puja, there’s an indoor wood-burning barbecue waiting to help
turn it all into a sensational supper.
One week, arriving on August 4, costs £530 for the property. Santiago de
Compostela airport is 80 miles away.
With whom? Casas Cantabricas (01223 328721, www.casas.co.uk), which features
the whole of Spain’s north coast and northern Portugal, as well as the areas
around Salamanca, Cadiz and Barcelona.
10 ANDALUSIA
Puerta Azul (sleeps 2)
This is the epitome of whitewashed simplicity — a four-room, single-storey
cottage right at the top of the winding streets of Montejaque. The village
is a classic of its kind, one of the famous hilltop settlements of
Andalusia, 20 minutes’ drive from Ronda, in the heart of the Parc Natural de
Grazalema. Use it as a base for walking (there are lots of paths leading
away from Montejaque itself), for more vigorous activities, such as
canyoning, climbing and mountain-biking, or simply as a place to sit in a
heap and slowly recharge your batteries.
One week, arriving on August 4, costs £275 for the property. Jerez airport is
65 miles away, Malaga 75.
With whom? Travellers’ Way (0845 612 9000, www.secretdestinations.com), which
offers properties in Portugal, the Canaries, Florida and Mallorca, and all
over mainland Spain, including remote regions such as Extremadura.
Montejaque is one of the company’s strongholds, and it offers a wide range
of sizes and styles of accommodation there.
11 CANTABRIA
Cruz de San Andres (sleeps 4)
To get to Cruz de San Andres, you have to follow a three-mile track from the
nearest village until you get to an open, grassy hillside dotted with
patches of woodland. San Andres sits on a natural shelf in the midst of this
rural idyll — a big, old stone-built farmhouse that proudly bears the cross
of St Andrew (evidence of the Carlist sympathies of the family who owned
it). Inside, there’s lots of room, especially downstairs, which is
completely open-plan — outside, footpaths lead from the front door up into
the hills behind the house. The nearest beaches are a 10-mile drive away.
One week, arriving on August 9, costs £877 for the property. Santander airport
is 25 miles away.
With whom? Spanish Affair (020 7385 8127, www.spanishaffair.com), which has a
portfolio featuring properties in both the north and south of the country —
and which belongs to a larger group covering Croatia, France, Corsica,
Romania, Portugal and the Middle East.
12 CATALONIA
Delta Cottages (sleep 2-8)
For a slice of a Spain you never knew existed, check in at one of these
cottages in the Ebro Delta, two hours south of Barcelona. This is a
completely unfamiliar landscape of lagoons, saltpans and rice paddies,
crisscrossed by canals. As you’d expect, the region pullulates with bird
life, especially flamingos, and there’s plenty of fish to eat, as well as
vegetables from the shared organic garden. The cottages themselves are
thatched and whitewashed, and come in a range of sizes. There’s a wealth of
good cycling and sailing to be had nearby, and if you hanker for something
more obviously Spanish, the historic towns of Tortosa and Tarragona are
within easy day-tripping distance.
One week, arriving on August 4, costs £445pp, irrespective of which of the
cottages you stay in. Reus airport is 50 miles away.
With whom? Inntravel (01653 617906 www.inntravel.co.uk), which specialises in
offbeat and/or rural properties right across Europe, from Norway down to
Cyprus.
ITALY
13 VENETO
Torre delle Fate (sleeps 4-8)
Weird and wonderful in equal measure, the Torre takes its name from the
strange stone and stucco building by the pool, which can’t quite decide if
it’s a Palladian apartment or a watchtower. Either way, it’s a delight.
There’s a cosy little flat inside, and the terrace on the roof is perfect
for sundowners and stargazing. Just across the garden is the rest of the
accommodation — richly furnished throughout, and housed in a pink- and
white-striped 18th-century villa, perched on a wooded hillside just 30 miles
from Venice.
A week, arriving on August 4, costs between £1,754 and £2,338 for the
property, depending on the number of guests. Treviso airport is 22 miles
away.
With whom? Carefree Italy (0870 330 3133, www.carefreeitaly.com), which offers
a wide-ranging and distinctive collection of properties, from castles to
farmhouse apartments.
14 TUSCANY
Ca di Carlino (sleeps 6)
The Lunigiana is Tuscany’s final frontier — a craggy and inaccessible
landscape, hidden away beyond Carrera — and Ca di Carlino is the perfect
base from which to explore it. Nearby, you’ll find the mighty hilltop castle
of Malaspina, one of many in the area, as well as the more delicate
Renaissance architecture of Fivizzano. The house itself has recently been
restored, and is furnished with a sense of drama — matched by the
sensational view south towards the Apennines. One week, arriving on August
18, costs £2,195 for the property. Pisa airport is 50 miles away. With whom?
CV Travel (020 7384 5897, www.cvtravel.co.uk), which offers a good range of
upmarket villas in Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, France and Morocco.
15 TUSCANY AGAIN
Il Castagno (sleeps 4)
If you think self-catering holidays in ancient Tuscan farmhouses cost a
fortune, think again. This roomy apartment is on the ground floor of a
pretty, rambling building only 20 minutes’ drive from Siena — and can be
yours for less than £750 per week in high season. Outside, the large, leafy
garden is home to a pool and a built-in barbecue, and there are plenty of
spots for alfresco dining. The local area offers good local markets, with
cookery courses available for anyone with more than a passing interest in
the region’s cuisine.
One week, arriving on August 5, costs £735 for the property. The apartment
upstairs (Anna; sleeps 4) can also be booked if you want to increase the
size of the party. Florence airport is 50 miles away.
With whom? Invitation to Tuscany (020 8600 2522,
www.invitationtotuscany.co.uk), which, as its name suggests, specialises in
Tuscan properties, but extends its empire into Umbria and Lazio.
16 UMBRIA
Noci (sleeps 6)
A 2,700acre estate set amid the steep, wooded hills along the Tuscan border,
this place was recently bought by Count Antonio Bolza, and three generations
of his family are now engaged in the restoration of the main castle and the
50-odd properties scattered nearby. Several are now available for holiday
lets and come with luxuries such as Bang & Olufsen sound systems, and a
concierge service, so you can dial up a dinner if you don’t feel like
cooking. You can book each property separately — Noci is one of the nicest,
and looks out over the castle — but why not take several with your friends,
all in the same week?
One week in Noci, arriving on August 4, costs £9,065. Perugia airport is 15
miles away.
With whom? The luxury-travel specialist Abercrombie & Kent (0845 0700 600,
www.abercrombiekent.co.uk), which offers properties throughout Tuscany and
Umbria, as well as in France, Greece, Cyprus and Croatia.
17 LE MARCHE
Casale il Cerro (sleeps 6)
Although this place is part of a recent redevelopment of farm buildings in the
Monti Sibillini National Park, it is set about half a mile from the other
properties and has its own pool and gardens. It’s a handsome, roughhewn
place and has been furnished with lots of local Marche furniture. Not that
you’re going to be spending much time indoors. The Monti Sibillini is one of
the prettiest mountain areas in Italy and, as well as bracing walks and bike
rides, it is home to some sensational produce, including truffles, mushrooms
and pecorino cheese. Nearby, the university town of Macerata stages a summer
opera festival and has a contemporary-art collection, and you can visit a
host of ancient hilltop towns.
One week, arriving on August 4, costs £1,690. Ancona airport is 70 miles away.
With whom? Real Holidays (020 7359 3938, www.realholidays.co.uk), which offers
properties in several of the up-and-coming areas on the Italian holiday
scene, including Le Marche, Puglia, Calabria and Sicily.
18 PUGLIA
Trullo Azzurro (sleeps 6)
Trulli are the distinctive stone-built country houses of Puglia, with
witch’s-hat roofs, built to keep their owners cool in summer. Many have been
restored, with new buildings attached to create a little more room, and the
Trullo Azzurro is a classic example of this modern trend. Approached down a
long gravel drive, through agricultural land, it offers plenty of room for a
family to spread out and enjoy the sense of peace. Nearby, the Monday market
at Cisternino will furnish you with a mountain of fresh local produce — from
artichokes and tomatoes to lamb and olives — and it’s worth considering a
dawn raid on the daily fish market at Taranto, too.
One week, arriving on August 4, costs £870, including car hire. Brindisi
airport is 36 miles away.
With whom? Long Travel (01694 722193, www.long-travel.co.uk), one of the
pioneers of trullo restoration. The company also offers more
conventional self-catering properties in several other regions of southern
Italy; Puglia, however, is its stronghold.
GREECE
19 CRETE
Therisso Retreat (sleeps 4)
Squirrelled away in the foothills of the White Mountains, out of sight of the
big Cretan towns, Therisso has starred in two separate resistance movements:
against the Turks in 1905, then the Germans in the second world war. These
days, the only people who come here are schoolchildren, brought to pay their
respects, and when they’ve gone, a profound silence envelops the village.
The Retreat is a fine place in which to enjoy it — perched on a hillside,
with its own pool, a built-in barbecue and several terraces. From here, day
trips to the bustling harbour town of Chania are a possibility — but
wouldn’t you rather just wander over to one of the six village tavernas?
One week, arriving on August 7, costs £735pp, including flights and car hire.
With whom? Greek Islands Club (020 8232 9780, www.greekislands.club.com).
Islands are, of course, a speciality, but many of its properties are hilltop
eyries, set inland.
20 CORFU
Silver Olives (sleeps 6)
The interiors are cool, white and elegant, but it’s on the terrace that you’ll
spend most of your holiday. It’s enormous — paved with big, rough-cut
stones, shaded by trailing vines and, at the far end, home to a 10-metre
pool. From it, you can look out over crags and forests to the blue horizon
of the sea. You’re bound to answer its siren call at least once, and the
nearest resort, Agios Stefanos, is only 10 minutes’ drive. But you may well
find yourself hurrying back to watch the sun set from that terrace.
One week, arriving on August 6, costs £2,149 for the property. Corfu airport
is 20 miles away.
With whom? Meon Villas (0870 909 7550, www.meonvillas.co.uk), which has a
portfolio covering much of the Med, as well as the Canaries.
