A secluded Tuscany Villa with swimming pool

Podere dei Venti is in southern Tuscany about 20km south of the town of Grosseto. The nearest village is Montiano, which is about 3km distant and has basic shops and one good restaurant, while about 8km away is Magliano-in-Toscana, which has more extensive shops and 3 good restaurants. The nearest supermarket is also about 8km distant at Fonteblanda.

Local sightseeing opportunities include the medieval hilltop villages of Montiano, Magliano, Capalbio and Pitigliano, while in Monte Argentario Orbetello, Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole are worth a visit. Many local vineyards offer conducted tours with wine-tasting and buying opportunities. There is a wide variety of local restaurants.

For beaches, there is a beautiful sandy bay probably about 30km long, with sand dunes stretching from Talamone to Monte Argentario. You can reach this by car in about 15 minutes, but the best spots, towards Monte Argentario on the Giannella, take about 25 minutes to reach. There are both public stretches of beach, which are free, and more organised stretches where you can rent a sun-lounger and buy food and drinks. There are scuba diving and boat trips running out of Talamone and Porto Santo Stefano including diving and snorkelling on the underwater reef of the nautical Parco National dell’Arcipelago Toscana.

For culture, Podere dei Venti is 1 hour’s driving time from Siena, 2 hour’s driving time from Florence, and 2 hour’s driving time from central Rome. There is an excellent train service from Grosseto to Rome (south) or Pisa (north) which cuts out the experience of driving and parking in Rome ! Train or car, our advice is to go as early as you can to see the sights before the tour groups and the midday heat.

Walkers will find extensive walks, including guided walks, in the Parco Naturale della Maremma, which is completely wild with native flora and fauna and where access is strictly limited by ticket. The Parco is about 20 minutes drive from Podere dei Venti. Golfers can get a game on a 9 hole well-cared-for private course which is literally just over the next hill from the house. Nearby there is also a stocked fishing lake.

Airports: Pisa and Rome – Fiumicino are both about 1½ hours driving time while Rome - Ciampino takes about 2 hours.