Get away for a super villa holiday

The big hooray for Hispanophiles is that Spain has more availability this year than usual, as valueseekers decamp to Greece and Turkey. A shift towards small holiday groups has left larger properties on the Balearics up for grabs. At Majorca's Cala Sanau, Meon Villas (01730 268411; www.meonvillas.co.uk) has two weeks in the elegant Finca Sanau, with sculpted pool: for eight for £927pp, departing 29 July. Inland Andalucia still has bags of choice: The Real Spain (020 8686 3638; www.citalia.com) has seven nights in a villa for four at a well-designed watermill conversion outside Frigiliana, £535pp including car hire, departs 27 July or 3 August. Also with plenty of availability are: Simply Spain (020 8541 2277; www.simplytravel.co.uk), Travel Club of Upminster (01708 225000; www.travelclub.org.uk), Magic of Spain (020 8241 5019; www.magictravelgroup.co.uk) and Spain at Heart (01373 814222; www.spainatheart.co.uk).

PORTUGAL

Perennially popular, the best Algarve properties have been snapped up, with companies seeking out new ones mid-season. Affinity Villas (01428 727277; www.affinityvillas.com) has several, including an ex-royal residence with private beach sleeping 18 at Ferragudo: £4,750 full capacity, but reduces to £3,850 for eight people using just the ground floor. Alternatively, a newly completed villa with private pool for six, five minutes from buzzing Vale do Lobo, costs £1,465 per week. Flights extra. Availability in July and August. Also try CV Travel (0870 6060802) and First Choice (0870 7500001; www.firstchoice.co.uk).

FRANCE

This year's big seller to date, with family-sized villas snapped up before Christmas. In the south, availability lies in the Dordogne and Gascony. VFB (01242 240 340; www.vfbholidays.co.uk) has two weeks from 27 July at a 14thcentury farmhouse conversion for five in Gascony: £1,362 including Hoverspeed crossing. Provence and the CÙte d'Azur are typically chocker, but properties seen as extravagant are on offer at bargain prices: Balfour Villas (020 8878 9955; www.balfourfrance.com) has reduced the cost of a week at a converted olive mill with pool for 12 near Grasse from 27 July or 3 August from £5,545 to £4,995. Ferry crossings extra. Also try Allez France (01903 748155), Dominique's Villas (020 7738 8772; www.dominiquesvillas.co.uk), French Country Cottages (01282 445511) and Just France (020 8780 4488; www.justfrance.co.uk).

ITALY

Italian bookings have come late this year, but good Tuscan and Umbrian villas with pools are now thin on the ground. From 3 August and 10 August for a week, Tuscany Now (020 7272 5469;www.tuscan ynow.com) has Lungomonte, about 30km east of Pisa: a stately late-15th century villa sleeping up to 23 in 12 bedrooms; it has a ballroom, parkland and is impressively sited at the foot of the viaduct that took water to Pisa in Roman times; £7,767 including staff, flights extra. Alternatively, a week at a 15th century villa with pool for nine in the hills outside Florence costs £3,036 from 27 July or 3 August. Flights extra. There are still properties in peaceful neighbouring Lazio and Le Marche. Individual Travellers Italy (08700 772772; indiv-travellers.com) offers a week from 10 August at a converted 13th-century watermill with pool for six, close to Urbino, for £393pp, including two hire cars: flights extra. For a bargain jubilee getaway, Bridgewater Travel (0161 703 3000; www.bridgewatertravel.co.uk) is slashing 20 per cent off selected coastal Tuscan properties in June. Also try International Chapters (020 7722 0722; www. villarentals.com). Magic of Italy (020 8939 5453; www.themagictravelgroup.co.uk).

GREECE AND CYPRUS

Greek operators have coaxed in nervous travellers by refining standards and keeping prices steady, with Captain Corelli's Kefalonia still the big draw. Greek Islands Club (020 8232 9780) has two weeks for four at a small group of villas five minutes from a sandy turtle beach minutes from the airport, £722pp including car hire, departing 27 July. Paxos and Crete are fertile hunting grounds: Greek Islands Club (as before) has Petritis on Paxos, a two-bedroom villa ideal for romance, a 10-minute walk from Magazia, with a bakery, taverna and café bar. Key USP: its own clifftop pool with magic view of west coast; seven days £1,142pp (two sharing), including car hire departs on 5, 12 or 19 August. Freelance Holidays (01789 297705;www. freelanceholidays.co.uk) has a week on Crete at a traditional house for six with vegetable garden in a tiny abandoned coastal village near Spili: £345 regardless of numbers, , from 6 August. Flights extra. Fewer charter flights into mainland Greece could mean bargains on accommodation-only offers - if you're prepared to drive down. Tailor-made specialists Filoxenia (01422 371796; www.filoxenia.co.uk) will scan the possibilities for you.

By contrast, Cyprus is doing badly, with sales down around 25 per cent and bargains across the board outside the peak period. Inside it, Sunvil (020 8568 4499) has a scattering of availability, including a fortnight at a rural villa with pool for four, close to Coral Bay's sandy beach and tavernas, £931pp including car hire, departs 24 July.

TURKEY

Good-value Turkey has outstripped all expectations for this year, but availability increases as you move east. Tapestry Holidays (020 8235 7777; www.tapestryholidays.com) has a week in a mountain village villa for four or six above Patara, an 18km undeveloped sandy beach, for £550pp (£450 for six) including Jeep hire, from 28 July. On the Lycean Coast, Simply Turkey (020 8541 2277; www.simplytravel.co.uk) has an apartment for two at a converted ranch with riding stables near Kuzdere, £500pp including car hire, departs 10 August. Also try Anatolian Sky (0121 325 5500; www. anatoliansky.co.uk).