Agriturismo Fattoria San Donato

With spectacular views of San Gimignano, Tuscany, this lovely traditional farm stay has pet friendly B&B rooms and self-catering accommodation on an organic family farm and vineyard. It’s a homely, friendly place which produces quality wine and extra virgin olive oil, and keeps farm animals too.

The food though is the real highlight at Fattoria San Donato, they have a traditional, organic, Tuscan restaurant which serves up some of the best fresh food around, much of which comes from their own farm. If you are impressed with the cooking, as you undoubtedly will, you can also arrange some excellent cooking classes with chef and owner, Federica.

THE ACCOMMODATION:

They have some nice self catering apartments, and B&B double rooms with private bathroom. All of them are spacious and decorated with a rustic, traditional, Tuscan style. The apartments have two double bedrooms, but there is also a sofa bed in the lounge that can be converted into another double for two extra guests. The lounge is large and comes with a kitchenette too.

You can enjoy some really fantastic food and wine at the farm restaurant including a lavish buffet breakfast in the mornings and various meals throughout the day. And, as mentioned above, cooking classes can be arranged too.

Outside you’ll find a swimming pool in the large gardens where you can also play table tennis and the kids can enjoy the playground. And all of this with really stunning views of the surrounding countryside, including those iconic towers of San Gimignano.

There’s a lot going on in their busy organic farm, it has farm animals; goats, pigs, hens and ducks, and grows vegetables, herbs and fruits including olives and of course grapes. Around the edges of the farm there are patches of woodland that lead on into the Castelvecchio Nature Reserve which has some rugged scenery and lots of local wildlife.

The family are always happy to show guests around the farm and the cellars, and to show them how they make their wines, oils and various other food products. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to enjoy some tasting sessions too.

THE LOCATION:

The family are also always happy to advise on where to visit in the local area including hiking and cycling routes, of which there are many. They can organize bike hire from the farm too and horse riding trips.

As mentioned before the Castelvecchio nature reserve is a terrific place for nature lovers and just a few minutes walk from the agriturismo.

The famous town of San Gimignano with its medieval towers is just a few kilometers down the road and can be a nice early morning hike or cycle, as long as you don’t mind negotiating the fairly steep hill on entry to the town.

It is a gorgeous place, and steeped in history, but gets overran with tourists in summer, the best advice you’ll hear about San Gimignano is to get there early in the morning, or linger on late in the evening after the tour buses disappear.

There are many more towns and villages worth visiting in the area, and many excellent trails to be followed on foot or by bike.

Via Francigena is one such trail that runs through the area, it served as a footpath to Rome for pilgrims in medieval times, running all the way from Canterbury in England, and on through France, Switzerland and Italy.  Around San Gimignano pilgrims used to stop on their way at the Sanctuary of Madonna di Pancole and the Pieve of S. Maria Assunta in Cellole, both of which are still there to be seen.

WHAT OTHER GUESTS SAY:

“The staff are unbelievably welcoming and helpful. Gorgeous, perfect Italian getaway…..”

“Awesome location and beautiful surroundings. Very helpful hosts. Would definitely stay again….”

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