Top 10 holiday homes ideal for foodies

Combine the joys of food and travel on your next holiday and take a break with a culinary twist to get a true taste of the local culture. If you’re looking for an authentic gastro break, there's no better option than to self cater as it provides the flexibility to eat out, or experiment at ‘home’ with local produce.

HomeAway.co.uk, the UK’s number one holiday rentals website, lists thousands of properties worldwide ideal for cooking enthusiasts. From modern villas with comprehensive kitchen facilities and BBQs on site, to rural homes featuring their own olive groves, fruit trees, vineyards or veggie patch, the site has something for every taste and budget.

Test your cooking skills in an impressive Portuguese home with sumptuous outdoor dining areas and wine cellar, or choose a more exotic location and treat your friends to a fabulous feast in your own villa with gourmet colonial kitchen in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Or, if you don’t fancy plunging in and getting your hands dirty yourself, there are catered alternatives too, from luxury ski chalets offering full-board, to all-inclusive, fully-staffed Moroccan riads and Thai villas with their own gourmet chef. The Top 10 list below features a range of stunning properties ideal for a gastronomic getaway and available to rent on www.HomeAway.co.uk.

Get inspiration for your next foodie holiday with the HomeAway.co.uk Travel Cookbook featuring hundreds of dishes from over 20 countries submitted by holiday home owners and food bloggers, as well as celebrity chef and founder of Mexican restaurant Wahaca, Thomasina Miers.

Prices quoted are per property per week and correct at the time of going to press. Properties are arranged in order of price, from highest to lowest.

Top 10 holiday homes for foodies on HomeAway.co.uk:

THAILAND
Luxury villa with in-house gourmet chef & staff, Chaweng Beach
5 Bedrooms, Sleeps 10. From £5,980 per week
The only villa located on Chaweng Beach, Villa Mia is a sophisticated, plush property within walking distance of Chaweng’s plethora of restaurants, bars, shops, and entertainment venues. Luxuriously appointed, the villa provides every modern comfort, including air-con, satellite LCD/DVD/stereos in all rooms, a huge Jacuzzi, a gym, and an amazing pool surrounded by a sunken lounge, not to mention an in-villa wine selection, spa and massage treatments, plus a capable team of staff with a dedicated gourmet chef. There are both indoor and outdoor kitchen and dining areas, so if you do decide you want to try your hand at Thai food, you’ll have all the facilities you need to prepare and serve it in style.
www.HomeAway.co.uk/p495713

UNITED KINGDOM
High-end Victorian townhouse with stunning open-plan kitchen, London
7 Bedrooms, Sleeps 13. From £5,000 per week
Overlooking the pretty local park, this double-fronted Victorian townhouse has been featured in many interior design magazines, with good reason. The bright, predominantly white interior comprises six spacious bedrooms including a fabulous master suite with 20-foot bathroom and walk in shower area, plus separate dressing room. The enormous, open-plan kitchen extension with sitting area features a five metre island unit, perfect for catering, plus modern folding French doors so the space can be completed opened up to the garden. The formal dining room can sit 14 or more and also enjoys views over the park just outside. For the summer months there is an outdoor eating area, gas barbecue and patio heater.
www.HomeAway.co.uk/p415002

ITALY
Tuscan hilltop villa with large outdoor kitchen & pizza oven, Cortona
6 Bedrooms, Sleeps 12. From £4,500 per week
Villa Caprile, a traditional 18th century stone villa, with airy, spacious interiors, high, wood-beamed ceilings and all modern amenities is perfect for large groups, family holidays and special occasions. Newly renovated, the property is in a hilltop position set in 70 acres of beautiful grounds with olive groves and features an outdoor, covered dining area with kitchen, pizza oven, BBQ and cantina. The house is decorated with thoughtfully chosen antiques and custom-made furniture, and also boats a magnificent interior kitchen, a formal dining room, living room and library. Get a taste of traditional Italian living, in style.
www.HomeAway.co.uk/p407902

USA
Contemporary LA home in the heart of Hollywood Hills
3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 6. £4,264 per week
Located on one of the most exclusive streets in Hollywood Hills, this modern, architecturally stunning home is spread over two floors and features a gourmet kitchen equipped with Viking appliances and stocked with food, beverages and spirits on request. Daily maid service and freshly prepared breakfast can also be included for an additional fee. Each bedroom has its own private bathroom and the spacious master suite has a large private deck with stunning city views. The dining table holds a party of 12 and you can enjoy the lights of Los Angeles while dining with friends, looking out over the impressive skyline and some of the most expensive, award-winning homes in the area.
www.HomeAway.co.uk/p275729

FRANCE
Charming, catered ski chalet with professional chef & great views, Meribel
5 Bedrooms, Sleeps 10. From £3,098 per property per catered week
This is a lovely, cosy, but also spacious, wooden ski chalet located in the heart of the Three Valleys, one of the best resort in France. The owner of the property is a professional chef with over 20 years experience working in Australia, France and some of the best restaurants in London. The service at the chalet includes cooked and continental breakfast, afternoon tea with cakes, pre-dinner drinks with canapés followed by a three course evening meal with wine. The chalet has a large living/dining room with a log fire and comfy chairs and there is a good supply of books and games. The views from the living room, balcony and bedrooms are truly amazing, looking down over the valley and up at the mountains beyond.
www.HomeAway.co.uk/p60339

PORTUGAL
Exclusive villa estate with extensive entertaining facilities, Sintra
10 Bedrooms, Sleeps 20. From £2,679 per week
This ‘entertainer’s paradise’ is a quinta-style estate located in prestigious Malveira da Serra between the forest and the sea. Spread across four buildings comprising a main house, guest house, office-pool house, and a wood guest cottage. The property is surrounded by beautiful landscaped gardens with eucalyptus, pine, palm trees, peach, olive, citrus trees, bougainvillea, hydrangeas and grape vines. It also has a solar-heated swimming pool, tennis court with basketball net, sumptuous outdoor dining/BBQ area, badminton and boules courts, plus a fully-equipped kitchen with direct access to the BBQ area. Other features include a 100-inch screen cinema room, pool entertainment bar, 600-bottle wine cellar, outdoor shower, and a fully-stocked guest library.
www.HomeAway.co.uk/p803070

MEXICO
Palatial villa with colourful, gourmet, colonial kitchen, Playa del Carmen
4 Bedrooms, Sleeps 10. From £2,136 per week
True to the grand style of the best Mexican beach homes, ‘Villa La Golondrina’ (House of the Swallow) is a beautiful combination of colonial and modern architecture set in the warmth and tropical opulence of the azure Caribbean. From the sun baked Saltillo floors, jewelled with a traditional Mexican tile, to the dramatic and colourful colonial kitchen, this palatial villa has been lovingly designed by the owner and architect with respect paid to the classical design of the Mexican Hacienda. The villa opens through French doors on to a lush, private garden and full size, fresh water swimming pool, shaded by tropical fauna and tall palms.
www.HomeAway.co.uk/p172445

MOROCCO
Fully catered villa with ‘all-inclusive’ service, staff & tennis courts, Marrakech
3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 6. From £1,950 per week
Benefiting from an exceptional natural setting with breathtaking panoramic views of the Atlas Mountains, this stunning selection of riad-style villas on the ‘Domaine Akhdar’ feature three double bedrooms, private pool and gardens, plus access to an on-site tennis court. As well as beautiful accommodation, the Domaine offers an ‘all-inclusive’ service, so staff can prepare all your meals while you busy yourself with the task of relaxing by the pool or enjoying a treatment at the luxury on-site spa. Just 20 minutes away from Marrakech, the Domaine offers free transport to and from the city and is easy access to the nearby Marrakech Royal Golf Club.
www.HomeAway.co.uk/p419434

SPAIN
Large villa with extensive living areas, heated pool, BBQ & chill out area, Costa del Sol
5 Bedrooms, Sleeps 14. From £1,726 per week
This spectacular villa with heated pool and telescopic cover is located on the Costa del Sol and offers five bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, plus extensive living and entertaining areas. The villa provides a relaxing and private setting for a family or group holiday, due to its vegetation, fruit trees, pond, table tennis table, swings and slide, as well as its many other amenities. In terms of dining and cooking facilities, there is a large outdoor ‘chill-out’ area featuring a brick-built BBQ, cushioned seating area and dining table, plus a fully equipped indoor kitchen and dining room with a beautiful glass table with marble stands. For nights when you feel like eating out, there is a large selection of restaurants and bars to choose from in the nearby area.
www.HomeAway.co.uk/p77095

GREECE
Secluded villa with garden, pool, BBQ & covered outdoor dining area, Kefallonia
3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 8. From £665 per week
‘Villa Elena’ is situated in the quiet Kefallonian village of Sarlata and offers a peaceful, secluded retreat in luxurious surroundings. The villa comprises two double bedrooms and one twin bedroom with a large family bathroom upstairs. Downstairs there is a large living and dining room, a fully equipped kitchen with an island unit with breakfast stool seating, and a smaller shower room. Outside, there is an attractive, brick-built charcoal BBQ, plus plenty of space for al-fresco dining and a big swimming pool that is lit up at night. Kefallonia has a lot to offer and Villa Elena is situated in a central location not too far from the main town of Argostoli and a great starting point for different trips around the island.
www.HomeAway.co.uk/p458236