La Sablonnerie

‘On our umpteenth-plus-one visit, we found it as wonderful as ever,’ a devotee writes this year. When Elizabeth Perrée’s parents opened their guest house in a 16th-century farmhouse in 1948, it had just three bedrooms. Today, there are 22, some in nearby cottages, all individually styled, with a neat, rustic feel. The low, whitewashed main building is swagged with roses. The ‘helpful’ staff are ‘marvellous’. The whole is a picture of laid-back charm on this rugged, car-free ‘paradise’ island – ‘like stepping back into the past’. There is no TV (though Wi-Fi can be arranged); guests relax in front of the log fire in the beamed lounge or, in good weather, ‘on the many seats scattered’ in the flower-filled gardens. ‘I read lots of books, or write bits of books – which I could never do on a more hectic holiday.’ Days are devoted, the hostess confirms, to daydreaming, wandering, exploring. In the restaurant, chef Colin Day’s dinners are ‘superb’. Guests enjoy classics with a twist, each made with the freshest local produce – meat from the family’s farm, crab and lobster landed daily. Vegetarians are happily catered for. (John Barnes)