Fontemaggio

Just right for a laid-back holiday. It's a lovely agriturismo with a new pool that uses salt instead of chlorine.

The farm is such a peaceful place, and we loved having the pool. Best hosts!

The property itself is beautiful, and the pool deserves a special mention for its slightly salty, chlorine-free water. Angiolo, his wife, Luigi, and Felice all gave us a wonderful welcome. Our accommodation was comfortable and had everything we needed. We really didn't want to go, and we'd gladly come back!

The owners gave us a very warm welcome and looked after us well. They work hard, and the grounds are carefully kept. It's a quiet place with just two accommodations, the apartment and the small house, so it feels almost like having the property to yourself. Inside, everything has an antique style and a faint old-fashioned smell, but it's cozy. It feels like staying at Grandma's, except Grandma has a huge pool, foosball, covered parking, a built-in barbecue, an olive grove, and a little outdoor Land Rover museum tucked away for car fans. The whole property is fenced, with an automatic gate and remote, so it felt safe for our dog and for children around 8 and up. There's a sweet dog named Felice, kittens, and two chickens, all free to roam along with your own dog, provided it leaves the other pets alone. Flowers, olive trees, grass, and deciduous trees are everywhere. The large pool has plenty of loungers, and over Pentecost weekend the water stayed between 21.5 and 22 degrees Celsius. It's saltwater rather than chlorinated, which we found very pleasant. Pool towels are supplied in the apartment. The hot water failed once because of a faulty valve, but the owners fixed it promptly. WiFi is poor, so best to leave it alone and enjoy the holiday ;-) The kitchen is well equipped: the gas hob, electric oven, and fridge all worked properly, and there are traditional stovetop espresso makers. You can eat at the table indoors or outside under the pergola or by the pool, including when grilling. We keep ending up at places in Tuscany without paved access roads, and this is another one. Don't bring a low sports car or lowered sedan, as that could end badly. For trips, it's ideally placed for San Gimignano, Volterra, Siena, Florence, and the lovely Chianti area, especially if you take the smaller roads. For restaurants, I'd try the ones whose reviews are mostly in Italian. A few words of Italian help, though English is spoken too.