A luxury villa to rent in north-west Mallorca, Spain

A traditional, secluded and fully serviced four-bedroom villa with beautiful views of the Mediterranean and a history dating back to the 13th century.

Son Bunyola is Sir Richard Branson’s luxury estate on Mallorca’s north-west coast and covers 680 acres of stunning landscape, among which are three luxurious stand-alone villas, including Son Balagueret, and a beautiful new hotel with 27 bedrooms. The estate is huge and each villa is super private with plenty of land between each of the different venues.

The recent addition of the hotel has opened a whole range of facilities to villa guests (dining, spa, sports etc..) as well access to the hotel concierge service.

Set in the gated estate, the house has panoramic sea views and is built in traditional Mallorcan style with exposed beams and terracotta tiles.

All three villas have recently been refurbished and are beautifully done in a cool Mediterranean style with attractive, shady outdoor seating and dinning areas surrounded by attractively planted gardens.

A luxury villa to rent in north-west Mallorca, Spain

A fully serviced and all-inclusive villa on Sir Richard Branson’s exclusive estate in Mallorca.

Son Bunyola is Sir Richard Branson’s luxury estate on Mallorca’s north-west coast and covers 680 acres of stunning landscape, among which are three luxurious stand-alone villas, including Sa Punt, and a beautiful new hotel with 27 bedrooms. The estate is huge and each villa is super private with plenty of land between each of the different venues.

The recent addition of the hotel has opened a whole range of facilities to villa guests (dining, spa, sports etc..) as well access to the hotel concierge service.

Set in the gated estate, the house has panoramic sea views and is built in traditional Mallorcan style with exposed beams and terracotta tiles.

All three villas have recently been refurbished and are beautifully done in a cool Mediterranean style with attractive, shady outdoor seating and dinning areas surrounded by attractively planted gardens.

A luxury villa to rent in Praia da Gale, Algarve, Portugal

A charming beachfront villa in a great location with a heated pool, a hard tennis court and a live-in cook.

This beautifully restored and presented villa is just 4km from Albufeira, on the sea beside the famous five-mile beach of Praia da Gale.

The house is large and comfortable with paths running down to the sea through the extensive and well-kept grounds.

There are six bedrooms, each with an en-suite marble bathroom and five with sea views. Four bedrooms are on the ground floor (three with super-king beds and one with twin beds), with two further twin bedrooms upstairs.

There is a large living room with French windows leading out to the terrace and gardens and with lovely views down to the sea. The formal dining room seats up to 14 people and is decorated with wonderful paintings of Italian landscapes. There is a fully equipped kitchen and, in the basement, a games room with a full-sized billiards/snooker table.

Outside are two seating and dining areas: one on the seafront terrace and the other under cover by the large, heated pool. Both have a dining table and chairs for 12, as well as a seating area with comfortable wicker armchairs and a coffee table.

Aside from the pool, you’ll find a hard court for tennis, a boules pitch, a large built-in barbecue and a ping pong table under cover by the pool.

There are two Portuguese- and English-speaking staff who live in a cottage in the grounds. The cook will prepare a daily breakfast of freshly cut fruit and pastries, as well as a delicious three-course lunch or dinner. Her partner, the gardener/pool man, will do the food shopping and barbecuing. They’re both extremely helpful.

The main beach is just to the left and has sunbeds and shades to rent, as well as a great beach bar/restaurant.

A luxury villa to rent in Kassiopi, Corfu, Greece

This is a spacious and elegant private house with French windows opening onto a large terrace and sweeping views over the sea. With Kassiopi only a kilometre away, it’s a good location for families with older children wanting to go out.

Three bedrooms are situated on the ground floor level, two of which have private terraces and one has an outdoor shower. The master bedroom is set alone on the first floor affording privacy. The four other bedrooms, one of which is a twin bed, are in the garden annexe.

A large pool overlooks the sea and there is direct beach access and a private jetty.

The terrace area has three distinct outdoor eating areas, one with a huge stone table seating 16, and is served by a summer kitchen with a custom-built, wood-burning stove.

The house is staffed with a cook in high season and has a very good house manager.

A luxury villa to rent in Trancoso, Brazil

A hugely popular Trancoso beach house made up of several quaint cottages, set on a quiet stretch of beach but still close enough to town and the famous Quadrado.

This is a quintessential Trancoso beach house, set 100m from Itaquena Beach on the gated domaine of Itapororoca and only a short drive from Trancoso village and the famous Quadrado.

The light and airy house, featured in many international design magazines, is made up of several cottages and has masses of outdoor living areas along with a big heated pool.

The garden gate opens onto the large, sandy beach of Itaquena; few tourists reach this far along the beach, which makes it quite secluded and private.

24-hour security makes the house a perfect option for guests wanting total privacy but be near enough to the lively Trancoso scene.

The house has a team of trained staff and includes a very good cook.

A luxury house to rent in Gorkana, Karnataka, India

Situated to the south of Gokarna, where the cliffs of the Western Ghat plunge into the Arabian Sea, the estate is perched on a hill and offers stunning 360-degree views of the jungle, the sea and the mountains beyond. Surrounded by nature, peaceful, and almost spiritual, this is a truly unusual and exceptional place to stay.

A private, newly built home, the house offers six spacious, luxurious suites, each individually decorated with refined Indian fabrics, rugs, furniture, antique doors and high ceilings with fans and air conditioning. All have stunning views over the jungle and the sea.

A beautiful, elegant, open living area is perched above the infinity pool with stunning views and lots of comfortable seating. The formal open-air dining room is set to one side of the house and the huge wooden table can sit 14.

Twenty acres of private land surround the house and the wonderful tropical gardens afford myriad different walks down through the vegetable garden and orchards of betal, coconut and banana trees.

A terrace overlooks the picture-perfect Paradise Beach and is the best place for sundowners. The infinity pool has white tented pergolas to each side and hours can be spent there listening to the noises of the jungle and watching the eagles soar overhead.

A team of delightful, smiling staff are there to look after your every need and the cook serves delicious Indian/European dishes using fresh produce from the garden and local market.

A luxury villa to rent near Weligama, Sri Lanka

Villa Suri sits above a quiet beach lapped by the Indian Ocean and edged by tall palm trees. It is a good step back from the main coast road (access down a quiet lane), so is calm and peaceful with no traffic noise.

Contemporary in design, the living areas open onto a deep covered terrace and lawn with the sea glistening below.

The bedrooms are all large with big en-suite bath or shower rooms. All have been decorated simply, with polished concrete and wood furnishings and are all the same standard with good, comfortable beds, air conditioning and ceiling fans. The fifth bedroom is in an independent annexe.

The attractive pool area is between the sea and the house and is gated. Shady, with tall trees and loads of sun beds, the pool is a good size and has an infinity edge and a ‘shelf’ with a shallow area. A locked gate opens onto the beach.

This is a very good house for families but also works well for groups of friends. There is a very efficient house manger, the staff are charming, and the excellent cook has been trained by the French owners.

A luxury villa to rent in Kanoni, Corfu, Greece

EOT number: 0829K10000319701

Villa Kanoni  featured in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only as well as The Executioner starring George Peppard and Joan Collins.

The unique estate is one of the neighbouring estates to Mon Repos, the summerhouse of the King of Greece and the birthplace of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Splendidly situated in a prominent position 40 metres above the sea, the villa has a beautiful panoramic view looking south-east over the Ionian Sea and famous Pondikonissi, or Mouse Island.

Located at the apex of the Kanoni estate, the villa is well away from Corfu’s tourist crowds, yet offers easy access to the restaurants and shops of Corfu Town, and is only 20 minutes away from the Corfu Golf Club.

The ten-acre estate has beach frontage and beautifully tended gardens filled with shrubs and flowers, and is shaded by hundreds of olive and cypresses trees, with bougainvillea, wisteria, plumbago and jasmine.

The sun-drenched terraces, the breathtaking views and the wonderfully calming swishing of the trees all fuse together to make this a truly spectacular house.

The villa was completely renovated 2001 during to the very highest standards of design and quality. The style of the furnishings and decor is arranged for cool, simple, elegant Mediterranean living.

The undisputed highlight of the main house is the splendid terrace (approximately 70 square meters) with stunning views.

A pair of luxury houses to rent in Avlaki Bay, Corfu, Greece

EOT License Number: 0829K112K813200

Kingfisher Point is actually two individual houses, built side by side, that can be rented separately or taken together for larger groups and families.

Both houses have stunning infinity pools. Amal’s pool is 40 metres long and runs the length of the front of the house. Pela’s pool points vertically out to sea, with amazing views towards Albania. There is also direct beach access from both houses and a private mooring for boats, plus a tennis court.

Each master bedroom is accessed through its own garden courtyard and has an outdoor shower. The other rooms are simple but very well done with French windows overlooking the pools and sea. All the bedrooms are finished to the same high standard.

Designed for outdoor living, the external areas have been skillfully designed to incorporate the natural beauty of the island. There is plenty of room for al-fresco dining and there are masses of different outdoor seating areas for those looking for a bit of privacy.

These are both five-star houses, which when taken together work particularly well for large groups. They are both professionally staffed and are located in one of Corfu’s most prestigious areas.

A luxury villa to rent near Propriano, Corsica, France

A very spacious, sophisticated, contemporary villa with wonderful views, an infinity pool and direct beach access.

A beautiful villa, built into the hillside with a ‘green’ roof and amazing views over the bay. The house has direct beach access and it’s possible to moor a boat here.

The villa is very spacious with lots of natural light, a large living/dining area opens onto a modern and well-equipped kitchen. Outside there is big deck overlooking the pool and plenty of al-fresco dining space.

The five bedrooms are well equipped and each has its own TV and shower room; one also has a bath. All are fronted with large bay windows looking out over the sea.

The house benefits from a good concierge service, which can help organise everything from delivery of dishes ready for the oven, to restaurant reservations, spa treatments and boat charters.