An agriturismo cannot be beat. Rural locations, owners whose main business is farming, plus food and drink produced on site all contribute to a charming, informal stay. There is rarely a reception and there are dogs and crowing roosters, but they offer excellent food and a friendly welcome. And they are not all buried in the countryside; there are many agriturismos around Italy’s 8,000 kilometer coastline. Here are 10 within walking or cycling distance of the beach.
Barrani, Liguria
The Cinque Terre is one of Italy’s top destinations and can bring crowds and prizes, but this family farm’s five hectares of vineyards and olives are in the quieter village of Corniglia. It is a 15-minute walk from the station (there is also a shuttle bus) and has six en suite rooms. Dinner may include pansotti (triangular ravioli) with borage-walnut sauce, followed by stuffed mussels. The rocky bay of Corniglia is a seven minute walk away and there are walking routes to other villages from the doorstep.
Double from €75 pp half board; barrani.it
Gli Agrumeti sul Mare, Sicily
Guests can help themselves from the lemon, clementine and orange trees surrounding this old farmhouse between Etna and the sea. Dogs are welcome in all four apartments, one of which is adapted for wheelchair users. The sandy and pebble beach is 200 meters away, while bustling Catania, chic Taormina and baroque Acireale are all less than an hour’s drive away. Owner Giovanni Russo takes guests on a tour of the Galeano Mazzullo distillery, founded by his great-grandfather.
Double from €60 for a room only; agriturismorussorocca.it
L’Acacia, Tuscany
Located a mile from the Tyrrhenian coast, opposite Elba, this farm offers five apartments, from a cute studio with a four-poster bed to a studio for six people, plus home-cooked breakfast and dinner. There is a tennis court, football pitch, swimming pool, playground and bicycles to hire for the short ride through the Rimigliano Natural Park to the coast. Kilometers of undeveloped sandy beach include a naturist section and a “dog beach” (four-legged guests are welcome at the agriturismo). Pisa is an hour away by car, Siena and Florence a little further.
Studio from €65 per night self-service; lacacia.it
Tenuta Vigna Corallo, Apulia
Otranto, on Puglia’s Adriatic coast, is a pretty port with a castle and beautiful 12th-century mosaics in the cathedral. This vineyard, a few kilometers north, offers 18 stylish apartments for two to six people, with terraces and a shared swimming pool. The fine white sandy beach is a 300 meter walk through a private gate through oak forests. Guests can participate in wine tastings, spend a day in the vegetable gardens (special events for children) or help with the grape harvest.
Studio from €134 per night self-catering; tenutacorallo.it
Podere Giulio, Lazio
This terracotta farmhouse 800 meters from the Maremma coast features 11 spacious suites, all with furnished verandas and access to the garden, some with kitchenettes. Guests can also use the Podere del Gesso swimming pool, 200 meters away. The restaurant uses home-grown meat and vegetables and also serves wood-fired pizzas, homemade jams and juices for breakfast. Tarquinia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is 16 km away and has 3,000 year old Etruscan ruins. Rome and Vatican City are an hour away by train.
Double from €110 B&B; poderegiulio.it
Torre Cangiani, Campania
The Amalfi Coast is rightly popular for its colorful villages, steep cliffs and chic villas. West of Sorrento, this organic farm, built around a 17th-century pirate tower, is set among olive and lemon groves, with four elegant rooms and a two-bedroom apartment, all with beautiful views. Home-grown olive oil, tomatoes, honey, preserved vegetables and jam are used for breakfast and dinner. Parking and driving is difficult here, but there are buses to Sorrento (for hydrofoils to Capri) and Positano. The beach of Marina di Puolo is about a mile away.
Double from €110 breakfast; torrecangiani.com/it
Zio Cristoforo, Cilento
South of the Amalfi Coast, the less flashy Cilento area offers rugged hills, quiet beaches, lower prices and a slower pace. On an olive-tree-covered hill above Casal Velino Marina, this farmhouse has rooms and four apartments, and the restaurant was a finalist in Sky TV’s 4 Restaurants series. The round, palm-shaded pool looks particularly inviting after a day trip on one of ten signposted routes, the beach is half an hour’s walk or five minutes’ cycle (more on the way back!) and the amazing Greek ruins of Paestum are within easy reach reach. accessible by car.
Double from €110 B&B; agriturismoziocristoforo.com,
Acqua di Friso, Calabria
Dedicated to sun, sand and food lovers, this farm on Italy’s Ionian coast is named after an ancient Greek well. The 17 hectares that extend to the sea were saved from desertification in 1990 by the planting of 12,000 trees and an organic vegetable garden. The wild, white sandy beach, a site of scientific interest, is accessible via a remote-controlled gate and is therefore never crowded. There is also a swimming pool, wellbeing weekends, cookery courses, art exhibitions and an award-winning restaurant.
Doubles from €85 guest rooms; acquadifriso.it
Fiori del Conero, Le Marche
The Conero Regional Park is a beautiful stretch of Adriatic coast with white bays under high cliffs. Located on the northern edge, this farm is a bus ride from Ancona’s cathedral, harbor and Roman ruins. The nine rooms and apartments have terraces with sea views, and the smiley host Silvano will recommend places to visit, book restaurants and show guests around his citrus and olive groves and fields of delicious Paccasassi (samphire). Wild Spiaggia del Baffo is a 10-minute bike ride away.
Double by €73 rooms only, booking.com
La Casa di Spinosella, Sardinia
Sardinia’s north coast, opposite Corsica, features long sandy beaches and secluded coves, and just half a kilometer inland this family farm has converted an old shepherd’s house into rooms and apartments with beautiful sea views. The silvery sands of La Ciaccia beach can be reached in about 15 minutes via a secluded footpath. Breakfast can include salami and ham from the farm’s pigs, plus ricotta and hard cheeses from their own sheep. Alghero is just over an hour away by car.
Doubles from €68 guest rooms; agriturismofinagliosuit.it.