Villa Teresa

I felt very comfortable here. The room was lovely and had a kitchen, and the location made it easy to walk into town and to the beaches. There’s a big pool too. I even took Italian lessons at the Villa. It had everything I needed for a wonderful stay.

Sassika (I hope I’ve got the spelling right) was understanding and did her best to sort things out. The rest of our stay was a mess. We booked through Air BnB, spent one night, and left. Management wasn’t pleased: one person walked out of the room, while another complained in Italian. Nobody else tried to help. We eventually got our money back through Air BnB. The apartment felt badly neglected, as if it had been built in the 1980s and never updated. It was cramped for three people, even though it sleeps four, and there was no living room. The tap water was sandy, and management offered a filter we’d have to change every day. Shower pressure was so weak that showering was difficult. We got one small bar of soap for a week for three people. There were mosquitoes without nets, ants on the kitchen counter, and the stove made the whole apartment smell of gas. The AC and refrigerator were noisy, as was the place generally. There weren’t enough plates or glasses, the tables and chairs were plastic, and there was no dishwasher. For the price, it was terrible value and nowhere to relax on holiday. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Manuela knows her stuff, and the pool area looked lovely and well maintained. I’d forgotten my swim cap, so I didn’t try the pool. The town has a large market on Saturdays. We were also close to a bus stop, and the ride from Portferraio cost €2.60. Tickets are available at local tobacconists. CoOp is a 15-minute, 850 m walk by the direct route, or 950 m if you take the hilly but scenic one. WiFi was 18Mbp. The apartment had everything needed for self-catering, but we came for four nights hoping for some peace and quiet. Instead, noise from the prison access road just 5 m away, the gym hall 10 m away, and the municipal tip 30 m away carried on from 7am to 10pm. You could hear it from the main house too, just less loudly. The gardener lit a smoky fire for two whole days, and our damp laundry smelled of smoke afterward. The TV had almost no English-language channels, not even BBC World News. The pool looked nice, but overall it was noisy and smoky. Bring earplugs and mosquito spray.

A relaxing place to stay, with a lovely view of the surrounding hills and a beach about 500 m away. The apartments are great, the pool is fantastic, and Porto Azzuro is nearby.