Sale: Save on Selected Villas in France, Croatia, Corsica or Portugal
15% off selected villas April to May 2012;
10% off selected villas June to October 2012
Croatia
Graziela Walnut Violica Rocco Cornelia Adriatic Dol Vista Agava Sea Gem Dvori Silencia Pepe Laura
France
St Avit Carree Blonde Ouzenauds Gourgas
Corsica
Abritu Alta Rocca Alzu Zetta
Portugal
Vista Lago
The Sunday Times Travel Magazine Top 100 holidays in 2012 recommends Portugal for a classic Med holiday:
Northern Portugal is a bit of a puzzle. Here’s the thing: it has great summer weather, a dramatic coastline, historic towns and lush rolling countryside and it’s amazing value. I mean, where else would you get a17th century stone Manor House, sleeping 10, with buckets of character, seven acres of gardens and a pool for £875/£1225? And that’s within a few miles of the gorgeous ancient capital, Guimaraes, and a vast national park, with canoeing, rafting, and hiking. The question is, why don’t we go there? Book the Manor House with Portuguese Affair (affairtravel.com) and ponder it over a port by the pool.
Gill Charlton from The Daily Telegraph recommends our Portuguese properties:
Whether you're after a family beach break, an independent adventure or a cycling or walking trip, where your euros can go a long way in Portugal, says Gill Charlton. In these tough financial times, Portugal looks like a particularly attractive option for a summer holiday. It is cheap and easy to get to for independent travellers, and it offers some of the best-value package holidays in the eurozone. If you avoid touristy bars and restaurants and eat and drink with the locals instead, you can save even more
For those in search of more highbrow culture, this year's European Capital of Culture is Guimarães, in the Minho, which also has World Heritage status. Many of its fine historic buildings will be staging cultural events and there will be a lot of local vinho verde drunk.
Affair Travel (020 7616 9990, affairtravel.com) Eight pretty houses in the Minho region including a 17th-century Manor House with pool, sleeping 10, for £1,225 in July. How to save money in Portugal
40 coolest villas in the Med; On the beach or rural retreat?
Joanne O'Connor and Caroline Hendrie have found the best places to rent Unless otherwise stated, all prices are for one week's stay, for the entire villa.
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Joanne O'Connor and Caroline Hendrie;
36 Amarante House. The Minho, Portugal.
At the heart of northern Portugal's wine-producing region, in the grounds of an old manor house, this accommodation comprises three 17th-century buildings grouped around a small courtyard — great for two families holidaying together or multi-generational groups. There's a large, attractive pool with wonderful views of the surrounding vineyards which produce Portugal's famed vinho verde, a fresh, semi-sparkling young wine.
Details From £1,078 a week for eight, from Portuguese Affair (020-7616 9176, portugueseaffair.com).
38 Walnut House, Istria, Croatia.
With its valleys of vineyards, sunflowers and olive groves, Istria is often described as "little Tuscany". For a real taste of village life, stay at the Walnut House, a stone farmhouse with shady garden and small pool on the edge of the tiny hamlet of Ruzici. The owners have provided two bicycles so you can ride to the nearby hamlet of Sv Martinski to buy groceries or sample Istrian specialities at the Pineta restaurant, one of the best in the area. Details From £623 a week for four, from the Croatian Affair (020-7616 9188, www.croatianaffair.com).