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The green heart of Italy

January 19, 2022 | Michael Turtle | 10 Comments

RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

Agritourism in Italy

For the Italians, it’s no secret. In the past five years they have embraced a new way to see their country.

It’s about getting closer to nature, closer to tradition and closer to peace of mind. For foreigners, it’s a mystery. But there’s only one thing stopping them from having the same connection with the country as the Italians – and that’s awareness.

I’m talking about a trend called agritourism (or agriturismo, as they call it here).

If you think about the name, it kind of speaks for itself. It’s all about staying on a farm, eating the food grown on the farm, and using the location to either relax or to explore the nearby cities during the day.

Agritourism in Umbria, Italy

Donatella Cavicchi is the owner of an agritourism hotel called Il Mandoleto near the Umbrian town of Solomeo. She describes it like this:

“This is not the house in the country, this is the house in the farm – this is different. We have the garden for all products, we offer my guests my potato, my salad, we have everything. We even cook fish we have in the lake.”

And her guests? “They’re normally people looking for quiet and a holiday close to nature, to relax,” she says.

Agritourism in Umbria, Italy

Dressed in a black waistcoat and sporting a thick grey moustache, a rotund waiter slices prosciutto and pours sparkling white wine for us on the terrace of Il Mandoleto.

The fava beans and tomatoes I put onto my plate all come from the property’s garden. The meat and cheese, I’m told, come from a shop in the nearby town.

The emphasis here is on the local… and on the beauty which surrounds us.

Agritourism in Umbria, Italy
Agritourism in Umbria, Italy

“Umbria is the green heart of Italy,” Donatella Cavicchi tells me.

“And for this reason in effect people arrive in Umbria, there is no big town, it’s little villages, and the people arrive here to live in the country not in the town or the village.”

Agritourism for foreign tourists

Driving the narrow winding streets of regions like Umbria and Tuscany, you can see the small signs pointing to various agritourism hotels.

Through the roadside hedges, up on hillsides, the stone buildings sit invitingly. But if you don’t know they’re there, or don’t understand what they are, it’s unlikely you’ll try one out.

That’s the challenge facing the business owners here in Italy – and the reason so many foreigners are missing out on the opportunity.

Agritourism in Umbria, Italy
Agritourism in Umbria, Italy

“That is difficult for foreign people,” Cavicchi explains, “because normally in Italy all people know agritourism but outside Italy people imagine country house but this is different”.

The other thing foreign tourists often don’t realise is that this can actually be a very affordable way to visit Italy. The prices are not extremely cheap but they’re often less than a hotel (and can include a meal or two).

You can easily find plenty of agritourism options that cost about 40 euro per person. Particularly if you have a car, this is a great way to explore the region and have a comfortable place to crash in the evenings (with a delicious home-cooked meal).

Agritourism in Umbria, Italy

Give Donatella Cavicchi a call – and tell her I sent you…

>> More info here about Il Mandoleto Agritourism <<

…Or you can have a look at this useful directory of agritourism in Italy.

Time Travel Turtle was a guest of the Umbria Regional Tourism Board but the opinions, over-written descriptions and bad jokes are his own.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. Michela - Rockytravel Blog |

    May 2, 2012 at 2:52 am

    Reply

    That place was outstanding! Agritourism is a great way of discovering the countryside and to immerse yourself in the local tradition and culture of fascinating italian rural villages and farms. It was lovely meeting you, Michael, at the Blog Trip in Umbria! 🙂

    • Michael Turtle |

      May 5, 2012 at 5:54 am

      Reply

      Thanks Michela, lovely meeting you too!
      And you’re right, agritourism is a fantastic way to experience Italy. Even if it’s just for the food, it’s worth it… let alone everything else 🙂

  2. Simon |

    May 2, 2012 at 3:59 am

    Reply

    Oooh… Now I’m jealous! Did you sleep there? The room and the house look gorgeous!

    Agritourism is indeed an wonderful way to discover off-beaten places in Italy, usual in beautiful sceneries as in Umbria, and an opportunity to eat great food, locally produced.

    I hope that more and more people will chose this kind of experience!

    • Michael Turtle |

      May 5, 2012 at 5:55 am

      Reply

      No, I didn’t sleep there (sadly). Next time I will definitely find somewhere like this to spend a couple of nights. It would be so relaxing!

  3. Umbria on the Blog |

    May 25, 2012 at 11:34 pm

    Reply

    So happy to see bloggers talking about the wonderful agriturismo farm holidays available to travelers in Umbria. Too long overlooked!

    • Michael Turtle |

      May 26, 2012 at 5:50 pm

      Reply

      Thanks! It was a really interesting experience and something I knew nothing about previously – so it was really nice to find out some more.

  4. Deepak Khanal |

    June 5, 2013 at 2:26 am

    Reply

    I am really hurry up to visit this lovely please which i m dreaming to Visit.Thank you very much for informative blog to blogger….Nepal also have lots of greenery with natural beauty.

    • Michael Turtle |

      June 23, 2013 at 12:43 am

      Reply

      I would love to go to Nepal soon. One day… I hope.

  5. Martina Gomez |

    May 9, 2017 at 9:46 pm

    Reply

    You wants to spend some time in a releasable place so you can visit Italy there are very high class services to book the best room for holidays.
    Dorpen in de bloemenriviera

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This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

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