Safe harbour

The timeless appeal of France’s bastides means they remain a popular choice with househunters – as Saskia Vlaskamp says, who doesn’t want a croissant with a view?

The department of Aude is bordered by the Mediterranean coast and the Pyrénées and, as Annaliza Davis explains, there are many reasons to buy a property here

In the Charente-Maritime, Marans and the Marais Poitevin wetlands combine the best of history, nature and living, says Laurent Blanchard

Carolyn Reynier explores Vétheuil in the north and St-Rémyde-Provence in the south of France, both with artistic links

Our selection of the finest French hotels ranges from town and country to seaside glamour on the Côte d’Azur

In the land of jamón , tapas, gazpacho and flamenco, Spanish cuisine–studded with its superlative seafood–fuels the furnace within, declares Tom Parker Bowles