Monterchi holiday farmhouse

We have visited Italy for the past 6 summers, and have stayed at Le Terrine for the two most recent trips. The setting is lovely, not remote and yet very private and the views are wonderful. The house is very well equipped and has a generous-spirited, family feel about it - the furniture is attractive and the bathrooms are very nicely done with great showers. The pool is a good size with plenty of sunbeds positioned on the stone surround plus a very nice wood-framed gazebo for shade. Also, the house is always beautifully clean - and the gardens are well maintained.

Monterchi (within cycling distance) is a great hill top town with a central square with nice bar and the local supermarket sells the owner's amazing home-made salami and sausages; everybody is very friendly. We hired the local tennis court and discovered good ice cream in the bar where you book.

This area of Italy is one of our favourites - near to Siena - and there is plenty to see and do but also enough to keep you happily closer to home.

Having had many holidays in Italy and 4 at Le Terrine, I can honestly say it is my favourite holiday destination in all of Italy. We are a family of five, mix of 1 pre-teen and 2 teenagers and we have stayed there on our own and also sharing with friends and family with younger children.

The location is truly stunning and private with fantastic views all around that relax you in an instance. The farmhouse has been renovated to a really high standard with more than enough space - we had 14 there once and there was plenty of room for all. Highlights are the very large kitchen and dining room, high quality bath and shower rooms and lots of terrace space for eating outside and looking out for shooting stars! The converted attic is a great children's den with its own bathroom - thus giving parents plenty of their own space. The living room is cool and an ideal spot for the children to escape the sun and play a game / watch a DVD.

The true feature of Le Terrine is the excellent swimming pool - it comes with high quality loungers and it is not overlooked. It is large and deep enough for diving and proper swimming/messing about with a safe shallow end and steps for younger ones. The difficulty can be getting people away from the pool to explore the local area.

Monterchi, the local village, is a couple of mins away in the car or a great cycle ride or walk. The local supermarket has everything you will need and is run by a couple of characters who are worth getting to know - their home made pesto is to die for! The older part of the village has a small square right at the top with a bar/restaurant where we have listened to open air concerts working our way through the extensive wine list.There are many other restaurants close by to choose from close by - the difficulty can be deciding which one.

When we have felt more adventurous we have visited Sienna, Florence, Pisa, Perugia, Assisi, the beach on the east coast. We have played tennis and gone horse riding too. We have also spent whole days by the pool and in my opinion there is nothing better than sitting on the terrace at the large table in the shade reading a book occasionally looking up to check that the fantastic view is still there!

I guess you can tell I am a fan - it truly is a little bit of heaven on earth run by caring and thoughtful owners who have not cut any corners in providing top quality accommodation in an unforgettable location.