Annual Villa Guide Highlights the World’s Best

Each year, Conde Nast Traveler editor Wendy Perrin assembles a list of the world’s finest – and most affordable – villa vacations. It’s a tough job, but someone has to road-test the tucked-away sanctuaries and luxury hide-outs of Umbria, New Zealand, Hawaii, and far, far beyond. And Perrin’s team does excellent work.

Which is why we’re tickled that the Homebase Abroad property Villa di Anacapri — a legendary oasis on Italy’s Amalfi Coast — was highlighted in print with a stunning photo reflecting the property’s sun-bleached terraces and historic swimming pool.

Constructed in the early 19th century, this impeccable villa showcases the owner’s personal collection of artwork and antiques. It’s lavish interiors are contrasted by the jaw-dropping natural beauty of Capri and the sapphire jewel of its surrounding waters. Myriad spontaneous adventures await visitors to Villa di Anacapri – exceptional explorations arranged by the discerning agents at Homebase Abroad, who know Anacapri for more than its bustling piazza and world-class shopping.

With help from the Homebase Abroad staff, rent a private boat, explore the famed ‘Blue Grotto,’ or enjoy breathtaking views from the trails leading from Anacapri to Monte Solaro with a private tour guide leading you through a variety of terrains — from paved streets to the rims of sheer limestone cliffs.

For more information about Villa di Anacapri and more Homebase Abroad excursions, contact us here.

Villa di Anacapri is featured in Conde Nast Traveler's annual villa guide

Villa di Anacapri is featured in Conde Nast Traveler's annual villa guide

Posted on July 13, 2010 at 2:10 pm by Blogg3rAnni · Permalink · Leave a comment
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Conde Nast Traveler Defines Luxury Abroad

For the thousands of discriminating travelers who rent vacation villas each year, no resource compares to Conde Nast Traveler. Most notably, the magazine’s annual “Villa Vacations” issue has become a travel bible of sorts for villa vacationers seeking authenticity, luxury, and value.

Many clients working with Homebase Abroad call Conde Nast Traveler an indispensable guide for teaching them the right questions to ask when tracking down the villa rental and/or rental agent best suited to their vacation needs – and dreams. Of particular assistance is “Perrin’s People,” an annual list of villa rental agents personally vetted by editor Wendy Perrin (agents must answer a 47-page application designed to asses their competency, connections, and business practices) and deemed the “most qualified to match Conde Nast Traveler readers with properties.”

This year, Homebase Abroad is honored and excited to announce that founder Mara Solomon has been singled out in CNT as one of Italy’s most knowledgeable and creative villa rental agents. In her “Perrin’s People” profile, Perrin writes: “Solomon will get to know you and your tastes and sensibilities well enough to make the right match. And, thanks to her photographic memory and copious villa-inspection notes, she can tell you whether the trees surrounding the pool are pear, plum, or fig, and what kind of local wood the kitchen table is carved from.”

How do Solomon and the Homebase Abroad team match each client with such hand-tailored vacation activities? They know each property like a friend. On visits to each villa, Solomon completes a 14-page property profile including checklists and summaries designed to encapsulate each home and its surrounding amenities. She clocks distances on nearby roads, catches regional trains to Rome or Florence, stays overnight, and even totes along young travelers to road-test properties from a child’s point of view.

All of this leg work contributes to a more-than-thorough villa catalog and personalized excursion recommendations that Conde Nast Traveler singled out, saying: “Solomon will send gelato lovers to a farm that makes buffalo-milk ice cream and motorcycle buffs on a back-roads tour on antique Vespas (trailed by a mechanic).” Now that’s personal.

‘Cancellation’ Special: Tuscan Villa for 19% Off in July and August

Does the smell of garlic-roasted olive oil make your heart flutter? Have you ever fallen in love with a fresh, homemade gnocchi? Is a ripe, red tomato your Mona Lisa?

If so, then Tuscany’s Podere La Vetrichina is calling. A true culinary outpost, this villa in Val d’Orcia is owned by a naturally gifted cook with a deep affection for good food and the pleasure of generously sharing it. Anyone serious about food can find at Podere La Vetrichina hands-on instruction, companionship at the markets, and friendly guidance and suggestions.

And this summer, travelers can also find a real rarity at Podere La Vetrichina: 19% off standard season rates due to a last-minute rental cancellation. Their loss; your gain.

For a limited time, this restored Tuscan farmhouse – complete with homespun character, heated swimming pool, air conditioning, elegant gardens, and sweeping views – is available at the following discounted rates:

  • $10,075 USD for a one-week rental
  • $18,600 USD for a two-week rental
  • $26,350 USD for a three-week rental

This farmhouse is honest, personal, friendly and great for children. It’s also booking now, so contact Homebase Abroad now for more information about Podere La Vetrichina and other villa opportunities in Italy this summer or fall.

Now offering discounted summer rental rates, this restored Tuscan farmhouse is a dream villa for any lover of Italian food

Now offering discounted summer rental rates, this restored Tuscan farmhouse is a dream villa for any lover of Italian food

Our Favorite Things in Italy: Bagno Vignoni

Bubbling from its very heart was a volcanic water source – a mystical aquifer that many ancients believed to hold special healing powers.

No, we’re not describing the ‘heart of the island,’ from the epic television series Lost. We’re talking about Bagno Vignoni – an historic village located deep in Tuscany with a renowned thermal spring that entranced inhabitants and visitors in the time of the Etruscans and Romans. Nestled in the Val d’Orcia, Bagno Vignoni has been visited by popes, artists, and statesmen for centuries – and with good reason.

Today, all that remains of the hot spring is a sixteenth-century pool in the village center and the skeleton of a hillside mill replete with historical plaques and opportunities for exploration. But, still, this outpost in Val d’Orcia makes for a quaint stop – particularly at the end of a day trip touring the beautiful ridge road linking Montepulciano and Pienza. Besides its huge central pool (not for swimming), the town centers on a handful of enterprises that animate its ancient streets. The Erborista is a particularly atmospheric and interesting stop, but be on the look-out for several good women’s clothing boutiques as well.

The trip to Bagno Vignoni is equally charming and unique – hiking trails leading through small nearby villages take visitors on a colorful tour of Tuscany’s most vibrant vineyards and villas. The surrounding Valdacha region is also rich with biking trails, architecture tours, authentic dining, and some of the most breathtaking hot-air ballooning that Italy has to offer.

We often advocate day trips through the stunning Val d’Orcia from area villas, the closest of which is Podere Lucia. A true Tuscan farmhouse located in Val d’Orcia, this remarkable villa is simply heaven to any visitor who loves cooking, wine tasting, or lounging by the pool overlooking the broad open hills of gardens of Italy.

The Tuscany villa Podere Lucia is nestled in Val d'Orcia with sweeping hillside views and a professional-grade kitchen

The Tuscany villa Podere Lucia is nestled in Val d'Orcia with sweeping hillside views and a professional-grade kitchen

Rare Tuscany Villa Special: July 4 in Italy for 15% Off!

The lovely Casale d'Arbia villa in Tuscany has just opened up for the July 4 holiday week at a reduced rate

The lovely Casale d'Arbia villa in Tuscany has just opened up for the July 4 holiday week at a reduced rate

The July 4 holiday week at Tuscany’s Casale d’Arbia has just unexpectedly opened up for booking — and at a reduced rate!

This captivating farmhouse villa, located just 10 minutes outside of Siena, sleeps up to 10 guests in 5 double rooms. Complete with a swimming pool, WiFi, and an English-speaking caretaker, this luxury villa rental is a great homebase for exploring Tuscany as a family or group. Kids love visiting the animals, especially the chianina, just up the road; and adults love visiting the local wineries and farmers markets.

The 600-square-meter restored farmhouse normally rents for $15,200 USD per week during the peak summer season, but is now available for $12,900 – a 15% price reduction! This lowered rate, coupled with the Euro’s historic slide makes Italy affordable for American travelers in 2010.

Find the complete vacation villa description of Casale d’Arbia here, and book your reservation here.

Our Favorite Things in Italy: Tarot Garden at Capalbio

“Il Giardino dei Tarocchi” – the Tarot Garden – is a magical work of artistic whimsy that rises out of the Tuscan landscape in a bright tangle of mosaic mirrors, glass and tile, vibrant paint, and fantastic shimmering shapes. A collection of giant, Gaudi-esque sculptures – some measuring up to 15 meters tall – the Tarot Garden depicts the 22 Major Arcana of the Tarot cards, including The Devil, The Magician, and The Wheel of Fortune.

Maremma's Tarot Garden is a wonderland of larger-than-life, whimsical art perfect for a family day trip in Tuscany

Maremma's Tarot Garden is a wonderland of larger-than-life, whimsical art perfect for a family day trip in Tuscany

The Empress, an evocative sphinx character covered in shimmering stars and moons, towers over the olive trees around it and offers refuge to all imaginations that wander inside. The Tree of Life sports branches of snakes and a trunk covered in designs made by artist Niki de Saint de Phalle, who dedicated nearly two decades to the garden.

Many modern Italian artists have contributed to the Tarot Garden, which makes for a perfect afternoon of exploration and fantasy while traveling through Tuscany with children. Located in the heart of Tuscany’s unspoiled, diverse and engaging Maremma and very near the village of Capalbio, this stunning wonderland of art is just one of many enchanting day trips that we recommend to our Homebase Abroad guests in Tuscany.

While experiencing the finest of Maremma, we also recommend a stay at Villa Campocane, a spectacular home with sweeping views of the countryside and sea. Large enough to accommodate 13 guests, it is nirvana for large families with children, who enjoy the swimming pool, luscious gardens, and nearby Medieval village.

Villa Campocane is a Homebase Abroad showcase home in Tuscany's Maremma region - one of Italy's finest vacation destinations

Villa Campocane is a Homebase Abroad showcase home in Tuscany's Maremma region - one of Italy's finest vacation destinations

Our Favorite Things in Italy: Certaldo Alto

Perched atop Siena’s wine region, this entrancing medieval town hosts a fall culinary festival highly recommended for foodies and locavores and others with an appreciation for Italy’s fine culinary tradition.

The Italian landscape is littered with quaint villages and hillside outposts with names like Montecatini Alto, Fagnano Alto, and San Nicola dell’Alto. ‘Alto’ literally translates into ‘tall’ or ‘high,’ but in Italy the term has truly come to signify the unspoiled, Old World beauty of medieval towns neither ruined by war nor changed by time.

Certaldo Alto is the quintessential example of just such a pre-Roman settlement. Surrounded by stone walls, this tucked-away town of narrow roads and walking trails is perched atop a lovely hill overlooking the vineyards of Tuscany. It is charming and fascinating any time of year, but Certaldo Alto is particularly delightful in mid-October during its annual Festivale Boccaccesca.

A festival designed for Italian food and wine lovers, the Boccaccesca celebrates the intoxicating tastes and smells unique to Tuscany: chocolate tartufo, decadent salumi, marmellata cipolla made from the famous Certaldo onions and, of course, chianti. Lots of chianti. Locals describe the festival as a large public dinner; visitors describe it as simply unforgettable.

Certaldo Alto is accessible by train on the Florence to Siena line that departs hourly. While drinking in the region, Homebase Abroad recommends a stay at Casale al Cancello, an ancient farmhouse stocked boasting modern amenities galore and an unbeatable location outside Florence; or Villa di Renali, a refined and luxurious vacation estate with al fresco dining, a swimming pool and unparalleled hilltop views. Call Homebase Abroad now to inquire about rental availability during the Festivale Boccaccesca in mid-October.

The Villa di Renai, located in Chianti, is conveniently close to Certaldo Alto and its intoxicating Festivale Boccaccesca

The Villa di Renai, located in Chianti, is conveniently close to Certaldo Alto and its intoxicating Festivale Boccaccesca

Our Favorite Things in Italy: Walk of the Gods

There is a reason they call it the Walk of the Gods.

This renowned hike along Italy’s Amalfi Coast is divine – even heavenly. Many of the tourists and locals who travel by foot from the small village of Bomerano (sandwiched between Sorrento and Amalfi) to Arienzo di Positano even call the “Sentiero degli Dei” a religious experience. And that is why the cliff-hanging, awe-inspiring Walk of the Gods – a foot path still used by farmers and shepherds today – is one of our favorite things about Italy.

Begin your journey in Bomerano and follow the signs for Furore, which quickly lead you off of paved roads and onto perilous rocky cliffs overlooking the stunning Bay of Naples and island of Capri in the distance. From there, the path leads up, down and around again – leading hikers past farmhouses, through a valley floor, between vineyards, and up more steep cliffs until you reach the charming, tucked-away village of Nocelle.

The hike can take all day if you do it right, stopping to soak in the scenery along the way. At the end of the journey, you’ll find yourself in the mesmerizing Positano, home to two unparalleled luxury villas: Palazzo Santa Croce and Torre di Clavel.

Palazzo Santa Croce is a living work of art perched on the cliffs; it’s world-class architecture and sweeping views are simply beyond compare. Torre di Clavel is a piece of Positano itself. Built into the sheer stone cliff, the villa looks part lighthouse, part castle, all private retreat.

Torre di Clavel is a staggering villa located in the Amalfi Coast's famous Positano

Torre di Clavel is a staggering villa located in the Amalfi Coast's famous Positano

Italy Done Right: Tuscany Travel by Train

Thomas the Tank Engine is a multi-million dollar powerhouse of children’s television, toys, apparel and events. And there’s one good reason why: Kids love trains. Whether toddlers, grade-schoolers, or children in grown-ups bodies, kids love trains – it’s just a fact.

So why not delight the youngest members of your family by incorporating train travel into your next Italian holiday? Rail travel in Italy can be quite luxurious – and relaxing – if done right. And for train lovers, nothing is better – or more relaxing, awe-inspiring and invigorating – than a ride through Tuscany by rail.

While enjoying sweeping vistas, vacationers can travel by rail from a Homebase Abroad villa in the delightful Val d’Orcia to either Rome or Florence in just over an hour. Villas such as Podere I Troscioni, a renovated farmhouse located near the Val d’Orcia train station, serve as ideal launching pads for amazing rail trips throughout Italy. If you’ve ever driven in Rome – or been nearly sideswiped by a racing Vespa – then you know that train travel is smart travel.

But if you simply must drive, we strongly recommend using a GPS. Yes, most roads in Italy are marked, but we like to use our GPS to chart unusual and unexpected paths through the glorious countryside.

Tuscany's Podere I Troscini villa is located just an hour from Rome or Florence by train

Tuscany's Podere I Troscini villa is located just an hour from Rome or Florence by train

Favorite Things in Italy: The Drive from Artimino to Malmantile

If you Google ‘Artimino, Italy’ you’ll find a sparse results page with more links to bedding collections than to tourist reviews of this tucked-away Tuscan village. And that’s just how the locals like it.

Located just 20 kilometers from Florence, Artimino is a panoramic hamlet still surrounded by medieval walls. It also serves as an ideal starting point for one of our favorite, unspoiled drives through Tuscany. Begin in Artimino and drive – or bike – along country roads, passing vineyards, ancient ruins, and the 16th-century Villa Caruso. Stop for lunch at San Vito, a lovely organic farm located directly in the middle of nowhere.

Then continue along shaded roads to Malmantile, a small, fortified village dating back to the early 1400s. The towering walls surrounding Malmantile remain a cherished and rare reminder of the area’s history as an important stronghold between Pisa and Florence.

Looking for the perfect place to stay while visiting Artimino and Malmantile? Casale al Cancello is an easy drive from Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa and Lucca, the beach town of Forte dei Marmi and the hill towns of Chianti. This newly restored farmhouse offers a truly rare mix of antique charm and contemporary comforts, including a pool with alfresco dining area. It doesn’t get more authentic – or luxurious – than this 300-year-old villa and its sweeping Tuscan views.

Casale al Cancello - located in the heart of Tuscany - offers 18th-century charm and 21st-century luxury.

Casale al Cancello - located in the heart of Tuscany - offers 18th-century charm and 21st-century luxury.

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