Capalbio Glamping Village

We expected a peaceful place to reconnect with nature, as advertised, but construction spoiled much of our stay. Work went on for five of the eight days, and it was incredibly loud and irritating even after we moved farther away. The beach was the only spot where we could escape it. It felt especially disappointing to pay for a family cabin with an outdoor shower, bathtub, and lovely terrace, then avoid spending time there. The pool was being built too, and nobody at reception told us it wouldn’t be finished during our stay, even though it had been advertised for July. The campground looked lovely at first, and the little house was great, but the website gave the wrong impression about the beach distance. It sounded as if the beach was right in front of the terrace. We arrived on a Sunday, when it was very quiet, but from Monday through Friday that changed. I spoke with staff and Valentina, the manager, who arranged for us to move cabins. She said she’d get back to me about a discount by the end of the week, but never did. I still feel scammed, and the service doesn’t match the price.

We had an enjoyable four-night stay, though several issues took away from the value and the quality the place claims to offer. Our lodge was by the entrance road, so we heard cars and the train across the valley, but not the sea. It’s certainly more than 50m from the water. You need a tent to be close to the sea. We also had no hot water for half our stay, despite three maintenance visits. The kitchen was well equipped in general, but had no dish towels, sieve, or ice trays. The e-bikes were poor quality with limited range, and we waited 40 minutes while one was made usable. The nature reserve description is misleading. The site may be on the reserve, but the nearby beach club has two large car parks right by the Glamping entrance, with farmland around it. General access to the WWF Reserve is limited to a short, unimpressive walk through reeds from the slightly run-down WWF Visitor Centre along the east side. Otherwise, you can only visit on a tour. There’s also a power station some distance to the south. The materials imply La Dogana and La Doganina belong to the Glamping site, but they’re separately owned and managed. Loungers cost €50+ per day at each, including the fee, and food and drinks must be paid for separately, though both places share a kitchen and bar. The eco claims for the wooden lodges are hard to square with three AC units in a two-bedroom property. The tents have AC too. They’re comfortable, but not eco friendly. There were good points. The organization and design were good, the garden and pool area looked attractive, and staff were friendly and generally helpful. Breakfast was good if you don’t mind wasps, and the pool’s age-six-plus rule wasn’t really enforced. The pool Bistrot menu was quite limited. Food and service at La Dogana were good, less so at La Doganina. There’s a nice area for dogs and some interesting birds, including a scops owl and cetti’s warblers. Capalbio and other interesting places are nearby.

We were happy with our stay at Terre di Sacra. Our safari tent had everything we needed, and the air conditioning was essential in the heat. Bushes around it gave us lots of privacy, while the beach was less than a minute away on foot. There was tasty pizza and other food on site, the staff were friendly and helpful, and there are lovely towns to see in the area. The kids were happy, and so were we.

Loved the tent, the views, and the service. The mosquitoes were annoying, though they can’t really help that. Bring some spray! :)