Greece

Hole up at Hidden Cottage

Covered in pine forests and olive groves, the small Aegean island of Alonissos is as sleepy as it gets. Stay at the appropriately named Hidden Cottage, down a winding track on a hillside at Megali Ammos, on the secluded west coast. There are wonderful views over to Skopelos, and it's a five-minute walk down to the beach, which should be blissfully deserted.

· From £637pp per week with Greek Islands Club (020-8232 9780, greekislandsclub.com) including jeep hire and flights.

Island-hopping ... without ferries

Swimtrek's six-day swimming tour of the Cyclades islands takes you to places where few tourists go. Swim the Keros coastline where Luc Besson filmed The Big Blue, share the water with dolphins and turtles off Koufonissi and, at the end, climb Mount Zeus, on Naxos, to see just how far you swam (an average of 5km a day).

· May tours, including breakfast and lunch, from £695pp (020-8696 6220, swimtrek.com). Cheapflights.co.uk has flights to Athens from £150

Spain

Head for the hills

El Mundo newspaper ranks little-known Albarracín, a three-hour drive north-east of Valencia, as Spain's prettiest town. Straddling a ridge in the Universale mountains, it overlooks the Guadalaviar river. When you're not exploring its narrow streets and dining in its fine restaurants, you can try "bouldering" (short, ropeless climbs - see boulderalbarracin.com).

· Ryanair.com flies to Valencia. Car hire with holidayautos.co.uk from £11 per day. The charming Hotel Albarracín (0034 978 710 011, hotelalbarracinteruel.com) has doubles from €77.

Kayak the Costa Brava

On a guided tour with Kayaking Costa Brava you'll explore the coastline, paddling into caves, admiring soaring cliffs and spotting rare seabirds. Perfect for beginners, is the half-day tour from Tamariu to Cova de'n Gispert, the deepest and most spectacular cave.

· Half-day tours from €43pp (+972 77 3806, kayakingcostabrava.com). Ryanair flies to Girona. Girona's Hotel Historic (+972 223 583, hotelhistoric.com) has doubles from €114.

France

Cruise a crowd-free river

Hire a boat and explore the unspoilt Mayenne river, inland from Nantes. Visit stunning medieval villages such as St Suplice, the beautiful château at Laval and the Gallo-Roman baths at Entrammes, glugging the area's refreshing white wine en route.

· Brittany Ferries (0871 244 1400, brittanyferries.com) sails Portsmouth-St Malo from £96 return for a car and two adults. Anjou Navigation (0033 2 43 95 14 42, anjou-navigation.com) hires four-person cabin cruisers in June from £970 for five days.

Cycle through vineyards

Alsace is France's forgotten northeast corner. Discover its cherry orchards, gothic cathedrals, medieval castles and absurdly pretty, flowerbox-covered houses, on a self-guided tour cycling traffic-free riverside trails. Almost every village has a vintner showcasing the region's celebrated aromatic wines, and tastings are positively encouraged.

· Headwater (01606 720199, headwater.com) has eight-night half-board tours May-September, from £657pp including ferry crossing with a car.

Italy

Chill out, monastically

It doesn't get more out-of-the-way than Foresteria di San Leo agriturismo, a restored 13th-century Benedictine monastery in the Lucan Dolomites, a magnificent landscape of mountains and valleys near Potenza, a two-hour drive east of Naples. There are two apartments, four suites and a swimming pool.

· A week's half-board in May with Real Holidays (020-7359 3938, realholidays.co.uk) costs from £400pp including flights and car hire.

Get on your scooter

Hop on a Vespa 125 with a guided tour of Puglia. Scootering from Bari to Monopoli, you'll discover whitewashed villages, centuries-old chapels and monasteries, and fairytale towns such as Alberobello. Your guide will also introduce you to the best wineries, markets and restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Il Poeta Contadino.

· Six-day full-board tour with Scooter Bella (0039 051 695 7104, scooterbella.com) from €1,950pp. Ryanair.com flies to Bari.