Best for adrenaline junkies The Plantation in Belmonte is a waterfront retreat on Brazil's celebrated Discovery Coast, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and nestled within the 'Mata Atlantica' rainforest. There are threeor four-bed villas available with optional private swimming pools. Buyers can also commission personal designs in conjunction with the resort's architects.

Belmonte's real attraction as a tourist destination is its varied array of sports facilities, from diving, biggame fishing and golf to rafting, canyoning, climbing, mountain biking and caving - all of which are ideal for the more adrenalin-driven active types. For those who also love nature eco-tours, pass through the Parque EcolA3gico do SantuA rio rainforest where there are trails, a suspension bridge, flying foxes, river swimming, chalana boat excursions and horseriding.

Just north is the Una Nature Reserve where you can trek through 28,500 acres of wild country or the Marine National Park of Abrolhos. You can also experience some of the best diving in Brazil and check out the reefs, coral formations and shipwrecks.

Nearby Salvador has regular direct flights from the UK and prices at The Plantation start from Euro22,010.

Contact Colliers CRE: 0044-20 7344 6601; www. collierscre. co. uk Best for families For family holidays, one inexpensive option is a mobile home in France, which has become popular with families for summer retreats. Siblu Exclusif is the biggest mobile-home retailer in France, with over 4,000 people owning a holiday home in one of its nine Siblu parcs across France.

According to Daniel Johnson, Siblu's PR manager, "The quality of mobile-home design has improved over the last few years. New models are like fully furnished flats - equipped with all mod cons, ready to use and requiring very little maintenance."

Families stay on 'parc' for an average of seven years and the average purchase price of a home is about Euro35,000, with prices for new mobile homes ranging from Euro25,000-plus. The parcs also offer a wide range of onsite facilities and family activities in a safe environment.

Contact Siblu Exclusif: 0044-1442 293 209;

www. sibluexclusif. com Best for retirees "Located on the western coast of India, Goa has been a favourite holiday destination for many years, particularly among retirees, " says Andrea Hill of Escapes2. com, who is selling properties at Betalbatim Beach in Southern Goa.

"Since Goa put an end to its flight restrictions the market has really opened.

Airfares have dropped and as visitor levels have increased so has the interest from property investors."

While Goa has a reputation as a party destination, it is in the quieter areas of the country where the property market is really taking off and the older generation are proving the most avid buyers.

A laidback lifestyle, affordable prices and the climate make the area popular with retirees.

Marshall Retreat is a new development of villas and apartments with private swimming pool and maintained gardens. Prices start from Euro36,441.

Contact Escapes2. com: 0044-161 351 2160; www. escapes2. com Best for skiers The Mountain View resort in Borovetz, Bulgaria is a flagship development of around 30 individual units set on pine-forested slopes overlooking Relyovo village.

Close to the heart of the recently approved Super Borovets scheme, most units at the resort come complete with a sauna and all come with underfloor heating and granite work surfaces as standard.

Mountain View is also near Bulgaria's biggest established ski resort, The King's Palace and Hunting Lodge and is five minutes from Samokov in the Rila Mountains. Skiers will also be delighted to know that Super Borovets is soon to have Europe's longest ski run, which will measure 14km in length.

Mountain View is less than an hour from Sofia and the airport and, according to the selling agents, up to 30% capital growth is anticipated before completion with rental yields starting from 13%. One-bed apartments start from Euro48,500.

Contact Property Growth Dynamics: 0044-845 054 7524;

www. mountainviewborovets. co. uk Best for city lovers Germany has one of the lowest home-ownership levels in Europe with statistics showing that nearly 50% of the population do not own their own property, therefore offering healthy rental opportunities.

In recent years many investors have been attracted to Berlin, Europe's second largest city, by rental yields of about 5.5%.

"Recent years have shown that many private equity funds have invested billions into the German property market. This is a strong indication that the market is going to rise significantly over the next few years.

These huge investments by private equity funds have also influenced individual investors who are jumping on the bandwagon at a tremendous rate due to the prospect of high rewards, " says Julien Lu, regional director for IMO Invest.

German banks are also now introducing investorfriendly mortgages and statistics from HolidayRentals. co. uk reported that last summer Germany was the most popular location for holiday rentals.

Berlin is Europe's third biggest tourist destination and is a vibrant cultural hub.

Its infrastructure is also improving as the city has received massive investment in recent years, including Euro75bn from the German government.

"Germany has a strong rental culture and tenants tend to live in a property for many years, " says Petra Gajdosikova, managing director of Alpha Real Estate Investments.

"Therefore, they treat rented property as if it was their own and this works to the advantages of the owner."

IMO Invest has properties in Berlin starting from Euro24,872 Contact IMO Invest: 0044-207 345 0700; www. imoinvest. com Best for the SSIA bargain hunters Bulgaria offers some interesting and affordable options for SSIA savers.

Located 100km from Varna, in rural northern Bulgaria, is a one-floor, 60sq m, two-bed, fully restored house with an asking price of just Euro16,000.

Varna is the largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and Bulgaria's third largest city. The city is primarily a tourist destination but it is also good for investment and in September 2004 the Financial Times' FDI magazine proclaimed Varna "Southeastern Europe City of the Future" because of its strategic location, fastgrowing economy, cultural heritage and higher education.

Contact FX Property: 0044-7005 931006; www. fxproperty. co. uk BES T F OR Best for seafarers Jordan is experiencing a healthy property boom and property prices are increasing at rates of up to 30% in some areas with many developers such as Mawared, the large state-owned construction company, and Emaar, the Dubai developer, announcing large multibillion euro projects.

On top of this, the number of foreigners owning property has risen by 10.3% and in 2005 the property market was valued at Euro3.7bn.

With Arabs currently enjoying increased riches from increasing oil prices, the market is experiencing a healthy dose of capital.

Aqaba on the coast is one of the main tourist attractions and also a focal point for development. At the end of 2006 Tala Bay Marina, where a new resort development has just begun construction, played host to an international collection of sailing yachts which toured the Red Sea from Aqaba to Goa in India. The marina will be an integral part of the Tala Bay project, the first resort of its kind in Jordan.

Built on a 2km strip of beach, the resort will consist of 1,500 residential units, five hotels, boutiques, restaurants, a golf course and an aqua park. Prices at Tala Bay start from Euro45,000.

Contact Tala Bay: 00962 (6) 5655700; www. talabay. jo Best for relaxation Phuket Island is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Asia. Patong Loft Condominiums are a collection of idyllic properties situated in a peaceful and relaxing location overlooking the island's Patong Beach.

Consisting of 79 spacious modern rooms the resort is designed for total relaxation and comfort. Although hit by the tsunami in 2005, the area is still popular with tourists.

The Phuket area is currently enjoying price growths of about 15%-20% per annum and prices at the Patong Loft Condominiums start at a very relaxing Euro35,385.

Contact Patong Loft Co Ltd: 0044-781 806 6613;

www. phuket-realestates. com Best for investors Located in the centre of the Cypriot town of Larnaca, studio apartments, within walking distance of the sea and with sea views, start from around Euro44,971. The island is the third-largest in the Mediterranean and the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

Cyprus is going to see increased development over the next few years. At present, capital appreciation is around 15%-20% per annum and rental yields about 6%-9%. At least four new international marinas and 10 golf courses are scheduled for development and in Larnaca, on the southeastern coast, there are also plans to increase passenger numbers at the international airport from three million to eight million by 2012. A 10-year plan has also been put in place to develop the marina area to make it accessible to cruise ships and improve the beach.

Contact BuySell Real Estate: 1800-555786; www. buysellcyprus. com