Italy
Winning tip: Torre Cangiani, nr Sorrento, Italy
The real deal: a gorgeous place with enthusiastic hosts in an organic lemon grove looking out to Capri. Aldo’s the farmer who bakes fresh bread for breakfast while you sit round the big kitchen table. His wife Matilde cooks dinner - plenty of fish and homegrown veg. The farmhouse is an old stone Saracen watchtower with rambling extensions: stay in the tower or in a separate cottage with its own lawn looking out to the Bay of Naples. There is splendid isolation at the Torre, but with nearby buses to the nature reserves of the Punta Campanella and the Amalfi coast. When we left, Aldo gave us a rucksack of his lemons.
0039 081 5339849, torrecangiani.com. Doubles €70.
Jarvman
Da Domenico, Arezzo, Tuscany
On a sunny afternoon driving around Tuscany, we were lost and desperate to find somewhere to stay. We were about to give up and opt for a motel when we came across Agriturismo da Domenico near Cortona. We were greeted by Domenico’s family who welcomed us as if we were lost relatives. The rooms were rustic and beautifully decorated, and the farmhouse out of this world. Our wonderful dinner, full of regional ingredients including veal and vegetables, was served with local wine and spirits.
0039 575-616024, agriturismodadomenico.com From €35pp per night.
chicachick
Santa Lorica, Livorno, Tuscany
Surrounded by wooded hills and vine covered slopes, this rural agri’ is perfect for foodies and families. Breakfast on homemade preserves, tarts and local cheeses while taking in the views across to the wonderful medieval town of Sassetto. The evening meal was our daily highlight, the friendly owner and his family served delicious and unusual regional dishes, always with an equally tasty veggie option. We chatted over plentiful supplies of the local wine at communal tables under the stars while the kids hunted in the grounds for wild boar and fireflies.
+0565 794335, agriturismo.it/santalorica. €65pp half-board, €45 B&B.
dawnhove
Ai Casali, Cividale del Friuli, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Nestled in the foothills of the Julian Alps, surrounded by forest, vineyards and cornfields, you get a feeling of seclusion and isolation at Ai Casali. The rooms are light, airy, rustic but modern, and breakfast sets you up for a day’s relaxation, be it by the pool or using the wellness area. The town of Cividale is a two-mile walk away with restaurants and bars serving delicious Italian and Friulian food and wine. You feel like you are a million miles away, however, as you sit by the pool or drink in the views from your balcony.
+0432701498, aicasali.it. €30pp B&B, two-person apartments from €70.
MexicanWrestler
Oasi Verde Mengara, Gubbio, Umbria
Agriturismos are the trend of the moment in Italy, popping up everywhere, which makes it more difficult to find the good ones like Oasi Verde Mengara. It has lovely rooms (some with wooden four-poster beds) in an old casa colonica, with private pool. What makes it very special though is the food: opt for the half board and you’ll taste the best Italian food ever. And you can even eat a la carte. Pick the amazing antipasto oasi verde for two, which is a whole meal of traditional recipes. Between Gubbio and Perugia, two of Umbria’s stunning medieval towns.
+075 9227004, oasiverdemengara.it. Doubles from €70 B&B
milamila
Azienda Agrituristica Fiorano, Marche
This place gives you a glimpse of the perfect life. Paolo and Paola are the best hosts, the olive trees are magnificent and the wine from the vineyard superb. We went for Easter weekend and were astonished by the hospitality; we had the most amazing Easter breakfast and traditional Pranzo meal. I went to visit an olive tree that had been “adopted” for me and arrived to find a bottle of the farm’s wine waiting for us to enjoy at the base of its trunk!
+0735 98446, agrifiorano.it. Doubles from €70 B&B.
madcrazybird
France
La Ferme Paulianne, Luc-en-Diois, La Drome
An organic farm run on an ethical basis, it also does agritourisme. Parts of the house date back centuries and it’s beautifully situated in the Drome valley on the edge of the Alps. We had a wonderful family holiday years ago and our daughter has since returned to work and holiday there. The people who run it are great and will collect you from the local station.
0033 475 21 3972, paulianne@free.fr.
PhillipAu
Spain
Can Marti, Ibiza
A wonderfully quiet eco-farm in the north of the island where the only sounds are donkeys padding up and down paddocks in the early morning or frogs croaking in the bullrushes. The rooms are beautifully decorated with local materials and natural paints, and the farm is surrounded by orchards and vegetable patches. If you feel daring you can help to fertilise them by using the special sawdust toilets. Set in a peaceful valley that you’ll never want to leave, its farm shop gives you the chance to buy delicious homemade olive oil, bread, cheese and wine.
0034 971 33 35 00, canmarti.com. Two-person cottage €910 per week. Short stays on request from €145 per day.
geriblake
Send us a tip and win a camera!
Each week the best reader’s tip will win a digital camera. This week we are giving away a sleek Nikon S225 worth £149, plus 100 free prints, courtesy of Jessops. Post your tips and photos of wild swimming in Europe (lakes and rivers) and affordable châteaux on our Been there site theguardian.com/beenthere.
The Nikon S225 comes with 10 megapixels, 3x optical zoom, face detection, smile mode and blink proof mode. For more details visit jessops.com or call 0800 083 3113.
Terms and conditions The closing date is 20 May for wild swimming and 27 May for châteaux. Entrants must be aged 16 or over. For full terms and conditions go to ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/jessops.jsp