Villa Carmelina

We loved this place during our one-night stop while traveling along the Italian coast. The view is spectacular, and Angelo, the owner, was especially sweet and helpful. His countryside B&B near Recco is homey, with quiet, clean rooms, breakfast by the pool, and very good WiFi, which we needed for remote work. If that sounds like what you're looking for, we highly recommend it.

The pool was the one good thing. The road to the property felt dangerous: it’s narrow despite being two-way, full of hairpin bends, and has no lighting at night. We parked on the street when we arrived, since the parking area seemed improvised. The path to the room was bumpy, and I wouldn’t suggest it for anyone with a stroller or small children. Our quadruple room had a double bed and a bunk bed, but the kitchenette was just a tiny induction hob. We told the manager we were disappointed and asked how four people were supposed to cook and eat with only a small table for two. He brought another table and two chairs, but they just made the room more cluttered without fixing the issue. We ended up going to Recco to find food. There’s nothing nearby at all, no bar, restaurant, or shops. For breakfast, the manager left a few biscuits and a little homemade cake on a small plate for the next day. The cake was delicious, but there was nothing else, no milk, fruit juice, coffee, tea, or jam. The place came across as set up more to make money than to host guests. If you can, avoid it.

The countryside around the property was gorgeous, but the stay itself was a letdown. We chose this place for the pool so the kids could enjoy it, and by the second day the water had turned green and was covered with algae. The owners kept saying it would be usable the following day, but it never was. We spent the holiday without a pool, dealing with swarms of aggressive tiger mosquitoes at a property that felt run-down.

Dinner by the pool was a lovely end to our bachelorette celebration. We started the afternoon swimming at the Villa, then had a meal of traditional dishes, including cheese focaccia and breaded anchovies, followed by divine cheesecake. The pool is roomy, with hills and woods spread out in the view, and the owners made us feel warmly welcome. Everything was clean and orderly but still relaxed, like being at a friend's home. It's a little paradise, and very affordable too. We couldn't have picked a better place to celebrate our friend's wedding. Thanks to the owners for such a wonderful day!