Appartamenti Alcantara e Damasco

We felt relaxed here, with lots of room to eat outdoors, sit in the shade and read, or cool off in the small, very clean garden pool. The apartments are well equipped, and if anything is missing, the host will arrange it quickly. Our friends recommended it, and it turned out to be a top choice for a family stay. There are plenty of animals around: Lola, a very friendly shepherd dog, a snow-white cat that wanders by, and Stella, a tiny dog who races over in the evening to greet you with a wagging tail. It’s the countryside, so a rooster may crow in the morning and a dog may bark now and then. In exchange, there’s none of the city noise or smell. Four kilometers away, we found amazing bread and delicious focaccia. It’s a good base if you want to visit lots of places and enjoy the countryside atmosphere. I’m pretty sure this won’t be our last stay here. Grazie Stani!

This is my fourth visit, and I stay because the location puts me in the middle of central Italia. Most places I want to go are about half an hour to an hour and a half away. It’s very close to the boarder of UMBRIA, with lots of top-rated vineyards, according to Decanter magazine, for wonderful wine tastings. The apartments are furnished and comfortably sleep four. They even provide things you’d rather not buy, like oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, coffee, and tea. Lola, the family dog, is super friendly and only barked when I first arrived. The fresh country air is great, with BBQs for cooking outdoors, lots of places to sit and eat, and chaise lounge chairs for sunning yourself. There are many terrific restaurants nearby in Montepulciano, Castiglione del lago, Cortona, Pienza, Siena, Montereggioni, Assisi, and other favorites like Orvieto and Puglia. In town there’s decent shopping, groceries, a hospital, and a Pharmacy. A highspeed train ten minutes away can get you to Roma in two hours or Milan in three. No need for expensive hotels. I’m lucky to have found this excellent goldmine, but book early because it fills up fast. I always stay for a couple of weeks. I’ll be back. Great host.

We loved this quiet place among the vineyards. There are a couple of dogs, chickens, and peacocks, and the room has a fully equipped kitchen, a sofa, and a jacuzzi. The host was really nice and helpful. Highly recommend.

The apartment matched the pictures: spacious, clean, and well equipped. We loved the lovely surroundings, the vineyard and hill views, and the nearby towns and sights in the Val d'Orcia valley. Montepulciano, Cortona, Pienza, Siena, Arezzo, and Perugia are close by, as are San Filippo, Bagno Vignoni, and Trasimeno Lake for a hot day. The supermarket, pharmacy, and playground are a three-minute drive away. Stani was kind and helpful from the start to the end, always happy to suggest places to visit and able to communicate with us easily in English. It was sad to leave, and we hope to return soon. The house sits among vineyards on a large area set up for guests, where you can really relax and feel at home without bothering one another. It’s child-friendly, with lots of space to run and only an access road nearby, no busy roads. The animals were a lovely surprise: birds and the owner’s very friendly dogs, who our two-year-old son stayed beside every chance he got. A wonderful holiday, and Stani was the best host!