Blending The Bucolic: Italys Top Agriturismo Adventures

When agriculture meets tourism, the perfect match is made. Peppering the patch-worked pastures of Perugia; the lush lakeside banks of Marche; the parched foothills of Mount Etna; the cobalt coastline of Lecce; and the snow-capped alps of Piedmont, Italy has an agriturismo (tourist farm) in every corner of its kaleidoscopic landscape. Here are five of its best.

1. Perugia Farmhouse

Bed and Breakfast, Hostel

Perugia Farmhouse

Placed on the Umbrian peak of Perugia, in the green heart of Italy, Perugia Farmhouse is a back-packer friendly bed and breakfast hostel situated in a 200 year old farmhouse. Along with a selection of recently refurbished rooms, this organic farm also offers a rustic campsite, and a little wood house in the garden, for outdoor enthusiasts. All guests have access to the communal kitchen, a fienile (barn) for mingling, and a laundry room. For searing summer climes, lavender-fringed pathways will lead you to the sparkling turquoise waters of the swimming pool; which provides picturesque panorama of Perugia and the surrounding landscape.
Perugia Farmhouse, Via Settevalli, 760, Perugia, Italy, +39 075 528 8373

Lake Como | © heymanSLOWDOWN/Flickr

2. Agriturismo Zertin

Agriturismo Zertin

Perched 800 meters above sea level, on the mountainside of Peglio, Agriturismo Zertin is set in the region of Lombardy, in Italy’s north-west. Bound by the Alps, and overlooking Lake Como – one of the deepest lakes in Europe – this farm also has a pool with a perfect view. Along with hiking, mountain biking, and climbing; you will also be able to explore the area by sailing, wind-surfing, and kite-surfing it. From home-made pastries to fresh-water fish, cheese, and cold meats; the seasonal menu is inspired by the traditions of Lake Como and the neighbouring valley of Valtellina.
Agriturismo Zertin Via Ai Monti, 22010 Peglio CO, Italy, +39 331 650 5822

Morgan Kite School, Via Case Sparse, Domaso CO, Italy, +39 338 367 0446

Wassersportcenter Domaso, Via Case Sparse, 24, 22013 Domaso CO, Italy, +39 380 700 0010

Fondo Cipollate, Sicily | Courtesy of Sven Burbott

3. Fondo Cipollate

Lodge

Fondo Cipollate

Sitting among the foothills of Mount Etna, in the municipality of Castiglione di Sicilia, Fondo Cipollate, on the east coast of Sicily, is an agriturismo in the valley of the River Alcantara. Dedicated to agritourism, this farmhouse overlooking the sea, has eleven lodging houses, all surrounded by organic citrus and olive trees. Although each lodge is furnished with a private bathroom and air conditioning, the original features have been kept; and there is a sizeable swimming pool and a solarium within the orange-scented paradisiacal garden.
Fondo Cipollate, Contrada Cipollate, 14, 95012 Mitogio, Castiglione di Sicilia CT, Italy, +39 389 157 1912

Campsite, Alliste | Courtesy of Macaria Accampamento Rurale

4. Macaria Accampamento Rurale

Macaria Accampamento Rurale

Alternatively, the rural campsite of Macaria Accampamento Rurale, offers twelve fully furnished 20m² tents. Situated in the municipality of Alliste, on the Ionian coast of Salento, this site is a part of the ecological tourism project, driven by local Salentini, encouraging sustainable tourism, and biodiverse methods of agriculture. Mounted on red earth, and surrounded by myrtles, almonds, and caper bushes, each large tent sits under centenarian olive trees. Although temperatures soar during the summer months, the white-sanded coastal stretch of Salento is not far away.
Macaria Accampamento Rurale, Via Malaspina, 57-59, 73040 Alliste LE, Italy, +39 388 487 0672

Pragelato | © Clas80/WikiCommons

5. Rivet d’Or

Rivet d’Or

Rivet d’Or is a family-run holiday home in the Province of Turin. Hidden away in the valley of Val Chisone, in the Italian region of Piedmont, this 17th-century farmhouse, bordered by the fragrant pine-cloaked mountains of the Cottian Alps, contains six recently-renovated flats. Intent on pushing their culinary boundaries, this agriturismo not only produces cheese, honey, and other traditional mountain products; but it also makes full use of its surroundings by catching fish from the Chisone river, and foraging for herbs and fruits from the nearby mountain fields, and woods.
Rivet d’Or, Via San Giovanni, 1, Frazione Rivets, Pragelato TO, Italy, +39 348 363 5123
By Gemma Roxanne Lake

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