Santa Margherita 25921

Best place ever ❤️

The valley and town of Pescia look wonderful from this beautiful spot. It’s interesting and worth recommending, though it won’t suit everyone. You need to enjoy the nature around you and be prepared for real rural isolation. Without a car, getting around is difficult. Pescia is about 3 km away, and the walk there and back is uphill. This is a place for people wanting peace and a glimpse of life in the harsher conditions of the Tuscan countryside.

We stayed in the apartment with the terrace facing the house, and it seemed the best of the four on the property. It has its own entrance and the plants along the railing screen it well, so we had plenty of privacy and could leave the door open. There was a large table, some tea lights for evenings and a covered area that kept off the sun and even occasional rain. A shaded parking spot about 60 meters away was included. Getting into town on foot takes effort, since you have to carry your shopping 1.5 km uphill. The property is high up on the approach path to Florence Airport, but the planes weren’t disruptive. It sits among a large olive grove, with a green, well kept garden and far reaching views, in places up to 50km. The rooms have rustic, charming ceilings with exposed beams and roof tiles. The large pool, about 10m from the house, is clean, unheated and has two depths. We mostly had it to ourselves, and it was a wonderful way to cool off. There are plenty of loungers, seats and parasols, though the pool light was broken. The kitchen was very well equipped: coffee maker, mini oven with convection, four burner gas stove, extractor hood, and pots and pans, though there was only one lid. We improvised a tower dish ;-). There were only a few juice and wine glasses. Dish soap, salt and a little vinegar were provided, but you need to shop in the village. There’s complete German satellite TV via Astra and a 60cm LED TV, but the cable connection was sometimes unreliable. The free Wi-Fi was very good in and around the house, all the way to the pool. The beds were comfortable, including the double bed and sofa bed, although the sofa bed squeaked a little. The duvet was just a sheet with a cover, as is common in the south, and we’re used to a duvet cover. Interior shutters made it easy to darken the windows. The fridge-freezer hummed too loudly at night beside the sofa bed. An ice container for the night would let the fridge be turned off. The bathroom locks, with a separate sliding door between the naturally lit shower and toilet area and the sink. There’s only a small shelf by the sink, but hot water was always available and toilet paper was supplied. There was no air conditioning or fan. In mid-September, with all the greenery around, we didn’t really need either. In high summer, an open window at night might let in mosquitoes and other insects, and the distant neighbors’ dogs can be bothersome too. They start up at dusk. Guests can use the shared washing machine. It was a thoroughly relaxing holiday with plenty going on, and much too short.

The staff were always ready to help with anything, and the food stood out for its authentic cooking. It’s a lovely place surrounded by greenery, with a wonderful sea view. My sincere compliments.