Imagine a hill side covered with oak and olive trees that ramble down to the sea, and a 180 degree view of these rolling, lolling hills that fade into the distance to that thin, silvery sliver of water on the horizon.
This is what you see when you step out of the door at Il Baciarino, a beautiful hideaway of four very private, very lovely hand-built cottages (hand-built, yes, because modern tractors and machinery have no way of getting here!) set onto the hillside. It is as romantic as it sounds.
They are perched on the slopes right under the town of Vetulonia, an ancient Etruscan site in the heart of Tuscany’s Maremma area, where ruins can be found scattered around the current town. The warm and generous owners, Clelia and Andrea, let us come for lunch one day and within seconds we were immediately seduced by the peace, the beautiful surroundings and that view.
Then came Andrea’s food. Andrea grew up on his family’s fishing boat in nearby Castiglione della Pescaia, so it’s no surprise then that handling fresh seafood is his specialty. What is surprising is what he does with it — some of the most beautiful seafood I’ve seen and tasted.
Red mullet tartare, red mullet carpaccio with leek, sea bass with prickly pear passata and a giant tortellone (think of ravioli the size of a novel) filled with prawns — just some of the beautiful things that were presented on our table. A soft Tuscan apple cake to finish. Flowing wine. And that view.
I’m going back. Next time to stay the night or few and rock in a hammock or soak in the private hot tub perched over the hills. The cottages are beautiful — small and essential, with outdoor kitchens and minimal, earthy furnishings made with drift wood collected from the nearby beach.
Not far away are Maremma’s beautiful beaches and coastline (Castiglione della Pescaia is 20 kilometers away and Monte Argentario is an hour’s drive away), ancient towns for exploring, rustic wineries and pretty farms where you can go horseback riding or taste freshly made cheese. But you may not be able to drag yourself away from the peace of the hammock or Andrea’s moreish food, especially if you find out he prepares private dinners and can do cooking classes too.
Il Baciarino: www.baciarino.com
Comments
Buongiorno!
e grazie del post e delle belle foto! Mamma mia, la Toscana, vorrei vivere lì, e poi, anche morire…
Che bel posto, io mi sento a casa in Toscana, ma proprio e veramente a casa. Da due anni non vengo in Italia (vivo a Buenos Aires) e ormai mi manca tantissimo, magari possa venire presto e farti una visita.
Un salutone argentino!
Marisa
Grazie Marisa, e’ vero, la Toscana e’ molto bella, ma la parte bassa della Maremma ancora di piu’! Consiglio con tutto il cuore una visita in questa zona!
another great idea you shared with us ! will try to pay them a visit in May or October 🙂
A presto and thank you !
corinne
Lovely times to visit this part of Tuscany — not too hot or busy and not too cold, and good seasons for enjoying lots of beautiful local produce, you will love it!
thank you so much Emiko.
We look forward to your stay overhere in june.
Ciao
Clelia & Andrea
Grazie a voi! I cannot wait for my next visit!
Just catching up with your blog and spotting our happy place 🙂
A random detour into the Maremma three years ago turned into a wonderful friendship and the place we keep returning to …
See you there in June, Julia x
Can’t wait to see you there Julia! And thanks for putting us in touch! 😉
This looks just beautiful! I am planning a trip to Italy this September and just stumbled accross the Maremma area – hoping to pay it (and Il Baciarino) a visit x
Perche’ c’e’ scritto che non e’ adatto per “seniors”? Io ho 81 anni. Non posso venire ? Com’e’ la strada?
Non so dove hai letto non e’ adatto per seniors? Comunque e’ vero che per arrivare a le cassette, ce da fare un po’ di trekking, e’ un po’ difficile per chi ha problemi camminare, anche per bambini non e’ molto adatto.