Charming Tuscan House with Pool, Stunning Views & 10 Minute Walk to Pretty Town

I never write these reviews, but felt compelled to post given our expeierence. Podere Ortone is exactly what one would think of when creating an ideal Tuscan experience. Large country farmhouse, large pool, wonderfully equipped kitchen, impeccably clean and enough space for either a single family or large gathering. All set overlooking a valley featuring beautiful vistas and the occasional sheep. What more do you want? The place is perfect.

We rented Neale and Elaine’s villa for almost 3 weeks with family and friends and had an amazing experience! The setting is incredible, all the pictures and descriptions are true to form! The village was charming as well. The hosts provided a really solid list of places to eat in nearby towns, and we tried almost all of them with few disappointments. La Pergola at sunset is a must! We cooked, went swimming, and explored and couldn’t have had a nicer stay!

7 of us (ages ranging from 13 to 76) stayed at Ortone for two weeks in August and had a wonderfully relaxing holiday.

The house has modern amenities but is beautifully decorated and retains its charm and character. The air conditioning in the bedrooms is very welcome but the main areas of the house stay relatively cool even on the hottest of days. We spent a lot of time in the loggia - dining, reading, painting and relaxing - it is a perfect space.The view from the well-equipped pool area is stunning and the more active among us had pool races, table tennis tournaments and visited the gym.

The house is in a very secluded location (it is difficult to see it from any vantage point in the area) approximately 1km below Radicondoli. It is a challenging uphill walk into town but we did it many times as we were never in a hurry and the scenery was breathtaking. Radicondoli is a charming place and we made daily use of the bakery, small shops, bar and restaurants.

We also visited Siena, San Gimignano and Monteriggioni which were all very impressive but we didn't feel the need to travel too far as we had everything we wanted at Ortone.

The owners could not have been more helpful and genuinely do everything they can to ensure you have a great holiday. We received a lovely welcome pack (including olive oil from Ortone's grove which surrounds the house), suggestions of places to visit (along with the best times to go) and they even booked the best table at their favourite restaurant in Radicondoli for us on arrival. Their attention to detail was very much appreciated. Ortone is a wonderful property and has left us with some precious memories.

Our family group, two couples, four children ranging from 9 to 16 sent a blissful 3 weeks at Ortone this summer. We have stayed in many villas over the years, but this was definitely the best ever.

The house is beautifully decorated with every necessary amenity. The bedrooms are large and airy, with the option of air conditioning when the heat gets too much. The pergola outside is perfect for dining al fresco, with beautiful views over the valley. The pool is large, with plenty of sun beds, umbrellas and loads of games should the need take you to move! We had table tennis and badminton tournaments and the really active visited the gym.

The owners provided us with a fantasy welcome pack outlining the best in local restaurants and lots of suggestions for day trips and sightseeing too. The problem is that Ortone is so glorious, it's almost impossible to leave!

The caretaker, Pierluigi, maintains the grounds perfectly and his wife comes in one a week to clean. It was immaculate and nothing we asked was too much.

While in this area we would recommend trips to Siena, Volterra and if going further afield, up to Florence and the coast. There are three restaurants in the village that Neale recommends, we tried and loved all of them.

Ten of us (two families with grown-up children) stayed at Ortone for a week in early July and had the most wonderful holiday. The house, grounds and pool lived up to expectations in every respect – private, spacious, pristinely kept, exquisite views, lovely pool, just outside a village. The main bedrooms upstairs are beautifully furnished, with contemporary en-suite shower rooms. They were all very comfortable, including the ones in “the apartment” downstairs. The living room, dining room and kitchen (well-equipped) are well laid out (top class TV in the small upstairs lounge for watching some Wimbledon and the Euros + great selection of books and DVDs) although, because of perfect weather, we spent the vast majority of our time down by the pool or in the wonderful outdoor loggia, where there is a big table where we could all sit together and comfy chairs to read and play games.

The pristine swimming pool has an exquisite view over the valley across and below the house, the evening light being particularly stunning. We all enjoyed the fire flies as dusk fell – having none of us ever seen them before, they compounded the magic of the place. We particularly enjoyed cooking in the kitchen, eating in the loggia, sunbathing on the loungers and dipping into the pool to cool off!

We would also recommend Radicondole as a pretty & friendly Italian hill village (more heavenly views) – several times some of us walked up - slowly! as the drive and lane are very steep - to the village in the morning for bread & bits & bobs from the little Co-op, or in the evening for a drink at one of the three bar/restaurants. We all had an excellent meal at La Pergola – delicious food and breathtaking sunset from the terrace (we pre-booked our table for 10), and we also enjoyed a day trip to Siena and shorter trips to some of the nearby hill villages. The driving was easy as the local roads were good and seemed quite empty in early July. The owners gave us very helpful notes and instructions. They were very responsive and it felt that they had carefully and kindly thought of everything we might need to know and to make us feel welcome in their exquisite property. We would love to come back and enjoy the magic of Ortone again one day!