10 of the world's most beautiful villas to book now
There are plenty of reasons to choose a villa for your holiday over a hotel: perhaps you're travelling in a large group, perhaps you want privacy, or maybe you just prefer to cook for yourself and not worry about getting down to breakfast on time. Staying in a villa can make you feel part of your surroundings in a way that hotels rarely manage. But the choice of villa can make or break your holiday, and we all know the heart-sinking feeling of realising, upon arrival after a long journey, that you haven't got it quite right. There's little chance of that with these immensely stylish villas. We've selected ten of the world's most beautiful houses to rent, impeccably designed inside and out, and equipped with all the luxuries you could want for a relaxing summer holiday.
SALVA LOPEZ1/10Casa Soleto, Puglia, Italy
Midway between the rocky coves of Salento’s east coast and the sandy beaches to the west, Soleto is a charming town steeped in the past. The same could be said of this 17th-century palazzotto, which has been sensitively restored by multidisciplinary designer Andrew Trotter and his partner Marcelo Martínez. High vaulted ceilings, original terrazzo tile floors and lime plaster walls in warm, earthy tones are the backdrop for vintage furniture, jute rugs and organic linens, plus a smattering of pieces, including paintings and books, left by the previous owner. An outside staircase leads up to three spacious bedrooms, each with a bathroom. This is the biggest bedroom, which has its own terrace and a freestanding clawfoot bath. Downstairs, what was once a pair of chapels has been transformed into a monastic dining room and a snug-like space with a projector. Ideal for movie nights, it doubles up as an extra bedroom. If you breakfast in the courtyard, the only sound is church bells, while the garden room, which looks onto the plunge pool, is just the spot for afternoon tea. The house is a case study in simple, pared-back design grounded in its location.
Casa Soleto sleeps up to nine and costs from €700 a week (for a minimum of three nights).
SALVA LOPEZ2/10Can Lluïssó, Mallorca, Spain
Surrounded by lemon, olive and almond trees, this five-bedroom finca is on the outskirts of Porreres, in the rural heartland of Mallorca. Restored with traditional building techniques and materials that have been used on the Balearic island for centuries, it is largely crafted in lime, soil and stone. The result illustrates how to achieve great impact with very little. Function is at the forefront, with neutral, layered interiors featuring loose-linen-covered sofas, jute rugs, pottery and solid wood furniture creating quiet spaces to reflect and relax. At the back of the house, a dining area shaded by a jasmine-covered pergola leads out to a pool, surrounded by fragrant lavender and herbs and dry stone walls (pictured). In exchange for the remote location – you need to drive to most places of interest and to the island’s beaches – you have a feeling of total privacy in a house that celebrates a union of old and new.
Can Lluïssó sleeps up to eight and costs from €750 a night (for a minimum of five nights).
3/10Paxos TRD, Ionian Islands, Greece
Corfu’s smaller sibling, Paxos is an emerald-hued jewel in the Ionian, with three seaside villages – Gaios, Lakka and Loggos – lined with tavernas and shops epitomising slow summers in Greece. Imbued with much of the same mellow energy, this house is built of stone and limewashed wood, with doors and windows framing views of olive trees and cypresses in the gardens. There is a main building plus a guest wing – ideal for two families staying together – each of which has its own heated pool. These come together under a pergola with various seating areas.
Paxos TRD sleeps up to 16 and costs from £19,250 a week through Five Star Greece.
4/10Project Ö, south-west Finland
Rocky islets and pine-forested islands make up Finland’s Archipelago National Park. One of the islands is five-acre Skjulskäret, owned by designer couple Aleksi Hautamäki and Milla Selkimäki, who have created a gorgeous off-grid escape. A covered outdoor kitchen separates the sunset-facing sauna at one end of the wooden building from two bedrooms and a living space at the other. (Another two bedrooms are housed in a separate workshop, among the tools.) It feels minimalist yet cosy, with a log burner and a compact kitchen – breakfast and lunch baskets can be delivered and chefs booked for those who prefer not to cook. There is a wood-heated hot tub surrounded by trees, a sandy beach and a jetty with a rowing boat for exploring. But the joy is that the island is easy to walk round. Places to eat include a glass-walled A-frame structure, carefully positioned campfires and an inviting pavilion. A two-and-a-half-hour drive from Helsinki airport to Kasnäs village followed by a 20-minute boat ride, the island offers somewhere to switch off and forget the world.
Project Ö sleeps up to six and costs from €2,000 a night (for a minimum of three nights) through SJ Villas.
MR.TRIPPER5/10Mas de la Pépite, Provence, France
In an unspoilt valley, close to the Alpilles’ white stone quarries and with views over Les Baux-de-Provence, this is an excellent base for exploring the interior of this region. What makes it special, though, is the architecture: of the eight en-suite bedrooms split across a trio of buildings, two are a troglodyte design, carved into the cliff. Contrasting with the exposed stone, the decoration is grown up, with a mostly muted palette pepped up by flashes of colour – from patterned headboards and graphic print cushions to a claret bathroom and the dramatic, dark blue gym. Guests can breakfast under a pergola in the garden, where there is also a pool, boules court, open-air cinema and theatre, and there are plenty of shady seating areas for a quiet afternoon with a book.
Mas de la Pépite sleeps up to 16 and costs from £18,408 a week through CV Villas.
6/10Casa Antigua, Cartagena, Colombia
In Cartagena’s Unesco World Heritage-listed Old Town, this historic villa with a peaceful courtyard is a testament to its well-travelled owners. Original features such as double-height ceilings and wooden beams lend a sense of grandeur. Rooms are layered with an eclectic collection of decorative objects: Moroccan lanterns and ornate mirrors set the scene in one indoor-outdoor sitting area; Indian cushions, cane armchairs and ceiling-height plants fill another. Many of the seven bedrooms, including a separate, light and airy studio suite, have four-posters or metal-framed beds and en-suite bathrooms with pretty, tiled tubs. At the back of the house, a showstopping pool is lined by loungers with striking striped cushions (pictured). In the evening, staff will set up tables for candlelit suppers cooked by the private chef. A few minutes’ walk from leafy, lively Plaza de Bolívar, the townhouse is brilliantly positioned in the heart of the action yet feels like a hidden oasis of calm. The nearest beach, Playa de las Americas, is a 15-minute drive away.
Casa Antigua sleeps up to 14 and costs from €3,653 a night (for a minimum of three nights) through Welcome Beyond.
BENEDETTO TARANTINO7/10Antika, Panarea, Italy
As you approach Antika on the winding lane from the port of Panarea, only a modest pedestrian gate signposts your arrival. Continue down a set of stone steps and into the leafy garden, and the 1970s house – with its scattering of four buildings comprising the main sitting areas and bedrooms – seems unassuming. It is a fitting home for any visitor who makes the journey from Sicily to find a view of their own on this the smallest of the Aeolian Islands. There is no five-star hotel or fine dining, and no crowds or even cars on this volcanic island. As for beaches, there are only two – accessible on foot. From the terrace (above), you can see fishing boats with the catch of the day, while a handful of family-run shops sell island produce and other essentials delivered weekly from the mainland. Green-painted shutters, marmorino plastered walls, wooden doors sourced from a dealer in Piedmont and locally made tiles set the tone for the interiors, with very little else – and that is exactly the point. There are five bedrooms, a pool, an outdoor kitchen overlooking the sea and several shaded terraces.
Antika sleeps up to 10 and costs from £11,941 a week through The Thinking Traveller.
Picasa8/10Château de Baloigne, Rhones-Alpes, France
In south-east France, this hilltop chateau is set within the ruins of a medieval castle, surrounded by pine trees with the Ardèche river flowing below. Inside, furnishings are classic: Persian-style rugs on tiled and wooden floors, tapestries on walls, and heavy wooden dressers and writing desks. Guests can take the chateau with or without the renovated tower, which houses two bedrooms. Although the setting feels remote, the village of Saint-Michel-de-Boulogne is only 4km away.
Château de Baloigne sleeps up to 15 or 18 and costs from £3,339 for four nights through Oliver’s Travels.
conie suarez bravo9/10Casa Xolo, Tulum, Mexico
On the outskirts of buzzy, boho Tulum, behind thick stone walls, this low-level property is arranged around the pool (above). At one end, the main three-bedroom villa has an open-plan kitchen-dining-sitting room, which fuses modern and traditional design elements, and a glass wall facing the courtyard. At the other end, a two-bedroom guest house is ideal for those wanting a little more privacy, or families with teens. Lush living roofs and plenty of trees lend a jungle feel to the garden, where there are palm-print loungers and a table in the shade, a tennis court and a hot tub.
Casa Xolo sleeps up to 12 and costs from $950 a night through Onefinestay.
Peter Marston10/10Xinara House, Tinos, Cyclades, Greece
Tinos is one of those islands where Greeks themselves go on holiday, as it remains out of easy reach for most visitors – with no direct flights from the UK and no domestic airport, it is accessible only by ferry. Its breezy hills are dotted with 600 or so dovecotes, thought to have been introduced by the Venetians, who brought the breeding of doves to Tinos when they conquered the island in the 1200s. A scattering of white sugar-cube villages emerge from the golden-brown landscape, and beaches remain largely free of umbrellas and restaurants catering to tourists. The food is some of the best found on the Greek islands, served in traditional tavernas. Having chanced upon Tinos on the back of a holiday in Mykonos, London-based creatives Susan and Peter Marston knew they had found somewhere special. They have restored and converted an historic bishop’s house into two adjoining villas, which can be booked together or separately. Blue-and-white schemes typical of the Cyclades are enlivened by splashes of colour, with a mustard yellow and mint green kitchen, bright striped fabrics on furniture indoors and out, and artworks, textiles and rugs adding layers of pattern.
Xinara House sleeps up to 13 and costs from €3,015 for the entire property for three nights.
