Archive for 'Localities'

If you are planning an early summer vacation in Florence and are going to be wandering around the city, we recommend making the most of the green spaces of the Birthplace of the Renaissance while they are in full bloom. Time spent in the famously beautiful and elaborate gardens of historic palaces that are now open to the public for visits, hanging out in one of the large public parks with a picnic, or simply taking a little breather in one of the charming flower gardens run by the city, offers visitors a chance to pause and relax in peaceful and pretty surroundings. It’s very easy to book a vacation rental in Florence and then spend your entire trip dashing around in a mad effort to see and do it all but it is also important to take a moment, enjoy the atmosphere and the good looks of the city, and to stop and smell the roses...

The best place to do just that is the Rose Garden in Florence. A place where extraordinary blooms, interesting artwork, and stunning views over the city’s skyline all come together, it is a must-see for those who are staying in a holiday rental in Florence in May or June. 

If you are a someone who loves the finer things in life and particularly those that one can eat or drink, then a villa in Tuscany, is always going to be a good idea. Of course, most are already at least somewhat familiar with this idea, as many of the most famous and beloved Italian dishes and specialities come from the region, and the wines of Tuscany are among the best-known around the globe. However, there is something for pretty much every type of foodie who might be planning a vacation in Tuscany. So, if you are looking to spend your next getaway eating, and eating well, then check out the kinds of culinary preferences catered to by different destinations within the region…

For those who want to plan a special getaway and who are looking for a villa in Tuscany that offers wonderful accommodation in addition to some amazing amenities, extra services, and incredible hosts – basically, a vacation experience that goes above and beyond – we like to think that booking with us at Tuscany Villas is the best way to go. However, if you’re really after a place that leaves people singing its praises and remembering a holiday among the best they’ve ever had, then you can use our guest reviews to find properties that really do offer something special.

To get you started on your journey to find that special vacation rental in Tuscany, we have compiled a list of just some of our properties that have gotten rave reviews...

Cortona is one of Tuscany’s famous medieval towns with Etruscan origins and a preserved historic centre that seems to almost have gone entirely untouched by time. It is the kind of destination where one could easily spend their entire vacation visiting local museums, admiring gorgeous churches stuffed full of incredible artworks and lovely architectural gems, wandering the winding cobbled streets and picturesque little alleys, strolling to a restaurant for long meals and glasses of wine enjoyed sitting out in a piazza, grabbing fresh pastries and delicious Italian coffee from nearby coffee shops and bakeries in the morning, and generally soaking up the wonders of Tuscan life. For those who want to visit other parts of the region, it is also a great base from which to explore Tuscany as a whole. The best way to really make the most of your time in Cortona, then? To find a vacation rental in Cortona, right smack-bang in its historic core, such as the lovely Appartamento Zefferini.

We often discuss the Tuscan Coast as a perfect holiday destination that many international visitors might be less familiar with than some of the other, more famous coastal regions of the country. A major benefit of booking a villa on the Tuscan Coast is that it allows guests to enjoy all of the cultural and foodie delights for which the region is more famous while also getting to make the most of the sun, fun, and incredible beaches that are on offer. And there are some truly gorgeous beaches, indeed, that can be enjoyed while staying in one of our vacation rentals on the Tuscan Coast. Among them, the lovely Cala Violina is one of the most famous and beloved.

Why It Is Special

Cala Violina, known as the, “musical beach,” is located in the Maremma, halfway between Follonica and Punta Ala, in the municipal territory of Scarlino. Set within the Bandite di Scarlino Nature Reserve, the little beach is made up of white sand lapped by the emerald waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Amongst the white sand, there are tiny quartz crystals that make a unique sound at a particular frequency – between 500 and 2,500 hertz – that sounds somewhat like a violin when people walk on the sand or the water washes over it. Due to the enclosed shape of the cove in which the beach is found and its remote location, this sound is more prominent and obvious than it might be elsewhere. As a result, the beach gained its poetic name, the so-called, “violin cove.”