Our week at Cretaiole was sandwiched between a few days in Rome and a brief stay at Varenna and Milan. We planned and booked this trip ourselves for our 15th wedding anniversary and were really looking forward to our week in Tuscany. Cretaiole and its caring family, Luciano, Carlo, Isabella and Carlotta did not disappoint! We stayed in, La Caciaia, a cozy two bedroom apartment with a full kitchen and sitting area between the bedrooms. If you stay here, we highly recommend the Dolce Vita package. It not only includes some unique experiences during your stay, it also includes some incredible foods and snacks mostly produced directly on the Agriturismo. Our kitchen was stocked with fresh olive oils, breads, pastries, cured meats, fresh eggs, pasta and vegetables, fruit and a bottle of wine produced from their own vineyards. It was enough for us to prepare a number of dinners and breakfasts in our apartment. Each day provided opportunities for experiences that one would never have access to through a travel agent or booking your own activities. The guided tours and hikes across the Tuscany countryside were outstanding. But the dinners were unforgettable. We had a Tuscan chef prepare a traditional 4 course Tuscan dinner for us and two other couples right in our apartment one night. And the next night we were dinner guests in a 16th century home inside a local walled town where Vittorio and Lorenza treated us to another 4 course Tuscan dinner complete with wine to perfectly complement each course. Luciano's hospitality was very touching. Each morning he would be circulating among the apartments with fresh eggs, cheese and meats produced on the farm to ensure the guests had enough to eat. And each evening, there was the invitation to join him in the Veranda for a glass of his homemade Vincento, or Grappa. If you can, try and learn a little Italian before your trip. That's the only regret we had is that we hadn't learned enough Italian to be able to converse comfortably with Luciano and others as much as we would have liked, but the IPad and Google Translation app solved that problem for us. Luciano has so many incredible stories and is so warm, you don't want to miss the opportunity to visit with him. Our stay at Cretaiole was a unique experience whose memories will stay with us for a lifetime. Or more accurately, until our next visit as we will definitely be back for another stay here! Happy travels and Ciao!
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8125 posts
I've been reading others staying at Agriturismo Cretaiole saying the nicest things about their stays. Nice to hear another.
What's so staggering is the number of agriturismos throughout Tuscany. We were staying in one between Certaldo and San Gimignano in an area where farms averaged 20 acres. Virtually every farm has apartments and/or rooms for rent. Just our little area had a hundred places to stay. I recommend them greatly as a place you can relax.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
I agree! We had never stayed in an Agriturismo before. During our 15 days in Italy, we used Airbnb in Rome, booked a small boutique hotel in Varenna that Rick Steves recommends, and stayed at the 5 star Boscolo Milano in Milan. And while all venues were very nice and met our needs, Agriturismo Cretaiole was by far the best value, had the most comfortable accommodations, and the best, friendliest service and attention to detail. For one week, we became part of an Italian family. One of the most unique travel experiences I have ever had.