PlanningWhere to Stay
Where to stay in Tuscany.
Planning
The short
version.
Tuscany is not one place, and where you base yourself shapes the week more than which house you pick. This is the short version of a decision we help with daily; each area has a full hub with the villas, the towns and the field notes.
The quick map: Chianti for a first, wine-led week with easy city days; the Val d'Orcia for the grandest estates and the postcard landscape; the Maremma and Argentario for the wild south and the summer coast; the Crete Senesi for emptiness and light; Lucca and the Garfagnana for the coolest summers and a proper walled city.
In short
- Chianti — the easiest first base; wine, Florence and Siena close
- Val d'Orcia — the grandest estates and the cinematic landscape
- Maremma & Argentario — the wild south and the summer coast
- Crete Senesi — the emptiest, most photogenic country
- Lucca & Garfagnana — coolest in high summer, a walled city
If It Is Your First Time: Chianti
Chianti Classico is the most practical base in Tuscany and the hardest to get wrong: wine villages half an hour from Florence, a villa among working vineyards, and both Florence and Siena within easy reach for a city day. It is where our collection is densest. Start here unless you have a specific reason not to.
For the Grandest Estates: the Val d'Orcia
South of Siena, the Val d'Orcia is the UNESCO landscape of single cypresses and clay hills, and the home of the collection's largest estates — the right choice for a multi-generational gathering or a serious Brunello week, at a slower, emptier rhythm than Chianti.
For the Coast and the Heat: the Maremma & Argentario
When July and August inland turn severe, the wild Maremma and the Argentario peninsula come into their own — sea every day, cooler breezes, quiet coves and working harbour towns. This is the summer answer.
For Quiet and Cool: the Crete Senesi & Lucca
The Crete Senesi, east of Siena, is the emptiest and most photogenic country — for photographers and quiet weeks. Lucca and the Garfagnana, in the northwest, are the coolest part of Tuscany in summer, with a walled city and the Versilia coast twenty minutes away.
Frequently asked
- What is the best area to stay in Tuscany?
- For a first villa holiday, Chianti — the most practical base, wine country, with Florence and Siena close. For grand estates and the iconic landscape, the Val d'Orcia.
- Which area is best for families?
- Chianti for villages and easy day trips; the Val d'Orcia for the largest estates with space. We match the area to the ages in the party.
- Where should I stay for the beach?
- The Argentario peninsula and the Maremma coast in the south; the Versilia near Lucca in the northwest.
- Which area is coolest in summer?
- Lucca and the Garfagnana in the northwest run several degrees cooler than the inland hills.
Enquire