La Vista de Medina, Andalucía
The name says it all: the views are enticing. They reach over Medina's rooftops, the glorious spire of Iglesia Mayor and the pale-patchwork countryside, all the way to the shimmering beaches of Costa de Luz (a 25-minute drive). Drink them in from the terrace's free-form pool (with plunge pool for children), amid the warm scents of mimosa, oranges and lemons. Owners Gary and Kirsty, travel industry experts both, live next door and love this area of Spain. Contemporary-style suites, spread over two levels around and above the pool, are neat, spotless and a good size: white walls, tiled floors, colourful throws in cosy bedrooms, a bright modern sofa, a kitchenette for a simple supper should you fancy eating in. However, the restaurant terrace at the top is quite something – those views! – and the food a modern take on Andalucian favourites. It's so relaxing you could stay put all day. A pity though to miss the Alcornocales National Park, rich with walking trails and wildlife (especially birds), and the famous white villages, especially Véjer.
Medina Sidonia, +34 (0) 956 410069, lavistademedina.com. Doubles from €60
Casa Olea, Andalucía
It's off a scenic back road, deep in a river valley carved out of the rugged Subbética mountains. When Claire and Tim strayed here five years ago, they fell for a ruined olive farm and rolled up their sleeves: now the big airy Casa Olea gleams with white walls, hand-painted tiles and sensational pool terrace. Solar panels, olive-fuelled biomass: it's as eco-friendly as it is luxurious; the nearest neighbours are wild boar and birds. Best is the terrace: hammock slung under shady thatch by the pool, tables for dinner under the stars. Each air-conditioned bedroom – huge beds, bright cushions, lamps, rain showers, underfloor heating – looks upon a stubbled swathe of olives and jagged mountains. Membrillo wins the sunset prize; Olivo has a terrace. Over Claire's home cooking or a glass of wine in the fire-warmed lounge, swap travel tales and ask Tim about the web of hiking trails. You're an easy bike ride on a Vía Verde to one of Andalucía's famed white villages, just north of clifftop Priego de Córdoba and midway between Granada and Cordoba, each a half-hour drive.
Priego de Córdoba, +34 (0) 696 748209, casaolea.com. Doubles from €89
Casa La Siesta, Vejer de la Frontera, Andalucía
Down the road (a 10-minute drive) is one of the Costa de la Luz's best surfing beaches; perched in the rolling hills surrounding Vejer is one of Andalucía's most gorgeous rural retreats. Lee and Amelia, a young British couple, fell in love here and, in 2006, started crafting Casa La Siesta. The house has mellow stone and the wooden shutters, beautiful uncluttered bedrooms, a sweeping living room with hearth and piano, the whiff of things southern in the patio gardens and Amelia's Spanish-Thai food; her desserts are delectable. (Even the wines are special: take a peek at Lee's cellar.) There are huge beds, private terraces, fully stocked iPods and docks and goose-down pillows. Bedrooms have recycled tiles and rustic touches, retro radiators and exquisite vistas. Help yourself to a drink from the honesty bar or pop into lovely Vejer, nod off by the pool or head for the beaches. Return to a three-course feast at a sparkling table. It's honeymoon heaven and a stunning place for a very chilled break.
Los Parralejos, Vejer de la Frontera, +34 (0) 956 232003, casalasiesta.com. Doubles from €150
Cortijo el Carligto, Malaga, Andalucía
Spin round to a dramatic panorama: a sea of olives, almonds, vines; the Sierra Tejeda; mountains soften to rolling hills, sliding into the Mediterranean. The house sits high on a promontory, wrapped by gardens, in 10 acres of peace. Inside is a stylish ensemble of sloping ceilings, white beams and tapestries. The main sitting room has a huge fireplace, white sofa, antique chairs; in addition, there's a smaller sitting room half-open to the breeze, a library and a dining room with large teak table and oven for doing the finishing touches in situ. The kitchen gleams with top-quality equipment: hire a private chef or whizz up a meal with local olive oil, pata negra ham and fresh herbs from the garden. The master bedroom has a hammam-style bathroom, terrace and outdoor shower; all rooms are supremely comfortable, with air conditioning and underfloor heating. Hard to tear yourself away from the pool, shimmering on a terrace with cabaña, barbecue, sun loungers and summer kitchen ... but there's lots to do. Visit Andalucía's Moorish cities and whitewashed villages; hike, ski, cycle; take a culinary tour; dream.
Loma de la Caceria, Canillas de Aceituno, Málaga, +34 (0) 951 167180 carligto.es. From €4,665 a week, or €1,250 a night (low season), sleeps 6-8
Casa de Trillo, Galicia
Come for Slow Food and the earthy authenticity of a working farm in deepest Galicia. Here, sandy beaches are uncrowded, Atlantic mist swirls over wooded hills and women wear straw hats to work the fields. Pilgrims to Santiago may walk through on their final leg. A Celtic cross marks the hamlet where Jesús and Rosa's farm sprawls: cows, kennels, swings, mini golf, an orchard, forest, and stone horreos – those grain stores on stilts. The stone guesthouse is delightfully rustic, with white beds and antique furniture; it's not luxurious (thin walls) but there's a fire-warmed living room, a glass-walled dining terrace and a useful kitchen. Best is dinner: home-reared beef, garden vegetables, Atlantic fish stews, a shot of orujo (Spain's version of grappa) if you dare. Rosa cooks, Jesús serves, both are passionate about the area; his family have lived here for centuries. (If language is an issue, their daughter will help.) The Costa da Morte, renowned for shipwrecks, is wild, wonderful and fairly undiscovered, but has diving, sailing and excellent seafood. Fuel up on local cheeses and the farm's own honey before setting out to explore.
Lugar de Santa Mariña 1, Muxía, + 34 (0) 981 727778, casadetrillo.com. Doubles from €65
El Acebo de Casa Muria, Aragon
An austere, immaculately finished exterior belies a painstaking, top-to-bottom renovation for this old (1806) Pyrenean farmhouse in a cute hamlet with mountain vistas; they soar over the Sierra de Chía and the Posets Massif. At the back of the house is a fantastic three-level garden, with sculptures, prayer flags and stylish pergola complete with a deep-cushioned sofa – a top spot for stargazing. Rooms, named after different mountains – Kilimanjaro, Fuji, Posets – are bright and spacious, with lots of silk, wooden floors and natty colours. Bathrooms, colourfully mosaic'd and tiled, are generous. The basement, under impressive stone arched colonnades, makes a great communal space; equally design-conscious are the bare stone and beamy sitting room – with its hearty, après-ski wood-burner, library and old climbing kit on the wall – and the cosy low-lit restaurant with hanging sculptures and mezzanine for more exquisite views. It's ideal for trekking, biking and skiing, though the very young will find the garden terraces tricky.
Calle Única 8, Renanue-Bisaurri, +34 (0) 974 111313, casamuria.com. Doubles from €110
Hotel Palacio de Caranceja, Cantabria
Peek over a high stone wall in this quiet village for a glimpse of an exquisite, secluded, 17th-century palace. Step into the flagstoned hall, drink in the architecture and the understated luxury. The period charm has been quietly restored. Bedrooms are vast, with wood-panelled ceilings, carved headboards, embroidered bedcovers. Colours are rich and dark – "old inn"-style in a luxurious way. Bathrooms are super-swish with claw-foot baths, exquisite mosaics and marble floors. Wind down in the cosy sitting room with sandstone fireplace, robust antique furniture and solid wood floors – or recline on a chaise longue. Now for the treat: the vast balcony, the talk of Cantabria. Wisteria-clad, this rare galeria is open to the elements yet warm and inviting, with massive bookcases and leather chairs. Settle down with a book, or just gaze on the hills peppered with eucalyptus and pine. Outside is a large landscaped garden, sometimes used for weddings. A period masterpiece – and brilliant value.
Caranceja, Reocín, +34 (0) 942 709871, palaciocaranceja.com. Doubles from €75
L'Hort de Sant Cebrià, Catalonia
Spain's Guardia Civil once had their headquarters in this sturdy stone house, which dozes by a Romanesque church in a quiet town ringed by apple groves. Now it's the stuff of interior design magazines. Drift past a log-stocked fireplace, a chandelier, smart black-clothed dining tables, elegant sofas and beautiful arched French windows. Step out to the terrace and garden, an ensemble of red and white roses, herbs and a swimming pool presided over by a Roman bust. Relish the peace – no children, and church bells that don't ring during the night. If you're lucky, Jordi and Juan Carlos may serve dinner (no supermarket produce) on the wisteria'd veranda; breakfast is a treat, with kumquat marmalade on wood-oven baked bread. Neutral bedrooms are as light and elegant as the rest, each with a special touch: polished antiques, carved headboards. Three have balconies; the suite has a sitting room with sofabed and kitchenette. It's the perfect retreat after a day at the coast: perhaps the beach (4km), seafood in Sant Pere Pescador, ancient ruins at Empuriès, diving at Medes islands marine reserve.
Contrada Sant Pere Pescador 1, Torroella de Fluvià, +34 (0) 972 550067, hortdesantcebria.com. Doubles from €90
Sa Rota d'en Palerm, Mallorca
Come for almond blossom in February, and spring's exquisite flowers. The finca has been in Felisa's family for centuries, her parents still live here, she visits often, and the family is charming. Surrounded by green farmland and fruit trees, you sense you are miles from anywhere, yet you can reach any point on the island in 30 minutes. So sink into the peace of this warm serene corner and feel yourself unwind. In summer breakfasts and dinners are brought to the terrace under the branches of a huge spreading tree: homemade everything from pastries to preserves and masses of their own organic produce, including delicious salami (sobrasada). If you choose to self-cater, they bring the meals over. Modern bedrooms are a cool mix of family heirlooms and delicate iron bedsteads, linen furnishings and gentle colours; the apartments, around a fountain'd courtyard, are equally elegant, all with their own piece of terrace. Hop on a bike and explore the surroundings; come home to books, toys, DVDs and sparkling pool; nod off to the sound of birds and cicadas.
Lloret de Vistalegre, Mallorca, +34 (0) 971 52 11 00, sa-rota.com. Doubles from €130
Finca De Arrieta, Lanzarote
Take your pick of stylish yurt: from simple to decadent, tiny to large. Each has a skylight for a tantalising view of the stars, and everything is beautifully crafted, from Moroccan rugs to Mongolian art. Michelle and Tila – warm, friendly and family-orientated – have surrounded these six fetching yurts and gorgeous farm buildings with stepped gardens of aloe, succulents and exotic fruits (watered by a 200-year-old well), solar panels, wind turbines and the latest renewables, a lovely decked pool and a trampoline, a Wendy house, toys, dogs, donkey and hens. It's a heady mix, combined with views to mountains and sea. Collect eggs, onions, tomatoes, potatoes in season, whip up lunches in alfresco kitchens, chill out on daybeds by the pool, soak up the sun. Or grab a boogie board and stroll to the beach, wonderful with its play area and tapas bars. You can walk into Arrieta for dinner (less easy with a buggy, so take the car) and you don't have to have kids to enjoy the vibe: it's relaxing for all. Playa Francesa on the island of La Graciosa is a snorkellers' dream, Los Jameos del Agua is magical at night. Bliss.
Haría, Lanzarote,+34 (0) 928 826 720 lanzaroteretreats.com. From €420 a week (sleeps two)