Learn how to farm or take a cycle tour

From tackling France’s Mont Ventoux on a bike to relaxing in a thatched treehouse in Devon, try one of our travel tips

New adults-only hotel in Lanzarote
It sounds too good to be true — no children, contemporary chic rooms with hot tubs, and prices from just £64 a night in the Canaries. Welcome to the new Barceló Teguise Beach hotel which opens on July 1 in Lanzarote, a makeover of Barceló’s old family-friendly hotel. On the seafront of Las Cucharas Beach, the hotel is ideal for lovers of water sports , with fishing, scuba diving, snorkelling and windsurfing available. Actually, the £64 a night room rate is only for the off season, but, still, at £90 a night in July, it’s not to be sneezed at. Details on barcelo.com.

Learn on a farm
For a farm stay with a difference, study the art of pig keeping, dog training, falconry or rough terrain driving on one of these new learning breaks from Farm Stay UK (farmstay.co.uk). For instance, pig keeping courses at Smallicombe Farm, east Devon, cost £65pp a day, with a four-night cottage stay from £125pp.

Cycle and stay
Tackle France’s Mont Ventoux on a bike, then relax in Provence’s luxurious Crillon le Brave, with its fine dining restaurant and spa (crillonlebrave.com). The hotel is holding a three-day cycling weekend from September 10-13 for all levels of rider, with visits to the antique markets in L’Isle sur la Sorgue among the activities for non-cycling guests. The highlight of the weekend is the 22km Mont Ventoux climb up 1,600m, with a post-cycle spa treatment. It costs £1,088 for two people for three nights on a half-board basis but excluding bike hire and flights.

Thatched treehouse in Devon
Cross a thatched cottage with a treehouse, and you get Devon’s first thatched treehouse, at the Deer Park Country House Hotel near Honiton. Handcrafted, with water-reed thatch and red cedar cladding, the one-bedroom retreat has a log burner and flatscreen TV, as well as a bathroom with underfloor heating and a roll-top bath. One night’s stay with dinner and breakfast in the hotel, as well as champagne on arrival and a choice of activity from fly fishing to archery, costs from £650 (01404 41266, deerparkcountryhotel.co.uk)