Dolcedo holiday house: Dolcedo

Our family wanted to find a quiet "homelike" place to stay near the Italian Rivera. Casa Fontana in Dolcedo was the perfect place for us. We stayed only four full days & wished we could have stayed longer. The house was wonderful, lots of space, very clean & situated with a view of the sea. We greatly appreciated the location map, the notebook filled with brochures & information about the area, and of course, the bottle of Italian wine on the family table with fresh flowers in several places. We ate our meals on the private terrace overlooking the sea, although there was a huge kitchen and family room also available. We greatly appreciated basic condiments also being made available. The caretaker was very helpful, giving us his cell number should we need to make reservations or need his assistance in finding a recommended restaurant. We finally got to eat a wonderful meal at the "horse stable restaurant". Eating at a couple of the smaller family restaurants was also a great experience, especially knowing that the salad ingredients came from the owner's garden. Exploring Dolcedo was a highlight. A quiet little town with some impressive historical buildings, churches, bridges & meandering walkways. Not surprising, we even found a big olive oil business which was closed. But the one we really enjoyed was Pietrantica's little olive shop, just down from the city offices and across from the bank. Pietrantica has his own olive grove, presses his own oil & exports some to the USA. From Casa Fontana we took a daytrip up the west side of the valley & returned on the east side. We visited each of the picturesque towns, including Valloria, which is a must if you come to this area. We also took another day trip south along the sea to France. We found some wonderful Italian porceline grottos in Albissola Marina on the way back. Our only challenge on this trip was negotiating the narrow, windy roads. The drive up to Casa Fontana is such a road, but well worth the effort. From there it is an enjoyable walk to the main part of town. If you come to this area, this is the place to stay. Although we spent a lot of time away from Casa Fontana, it was the perfect place to return for the afternoon siesta & evenings together. It was our "home away from home" where we had absolutely quiet evenings & experienced a unique sense of history just from being there. It will definitely be our first choice on any return visit & we highly recommend it for your consideration.

I would have to rate my time in this apartment as a 5 for excellent. Right from the beginning, upon requesting information, I immediately contacted and was very happy with the way Herr Bormann answered my questions and showed an interest in the needs of me and my family. The care taker of the vacation home was also very friendly and answered all of our questions, even recommending great restaurants in the area. We were, however, surprised at the drive up to the vacation home. Very steep, windy, and steep. But, it was worth it! The view from the top floor balcony is splendid. We ate breakfast there every morning. Dolcedo is in itself, in my opinion, the most beautiful village in the valley. We made a driving loop up the valley and down the other visiting the many small villages and admiring the breathtaking view of the mountains and the sea. Our favorite was Valloria, where the doors are painted by artists and where one can get lost roaming on the windy, narrow pathways through the town. It was a great experience and I would definately recommend this vacation home and it's surroundings to anyone looking for a peaceful, romantic, and memorable holiday.

We spent 1 week at Casa Fontana in Dolcedo and had a wonderful time! The house is very spacious and incredibly comfortable. The property was very clean and well maintained...the house-keeper even had a fire in the firepace going when we arrived in case we were chilly.We were there with 2 couples and had so much room and privacy, but there is also room for 3 or 4 couples or a large family comfortably. The house has 2 lovely fireplaces and the bathrooms were beautiful...3 bathrooms in the house and 2 showers.The terrace was private and we enjoyed the fantastic views and the sunshine. There is so much to do in the immediate area, and we recommend a visit any time. Our experience with this house rental and the owners was perfect for us and we were thrilled......it surpassed all of our expectations.........we had a terrific holiday!!!!
P.S. The village of Valloria is a place we visited during our week...it is an AMAZING village up in the mountains...only a 15 minute drive from the house.....the town is magical...every door has been painted by a known artist and it is quite a spectacular adventure to seek them all out...also...we ate what we all agreed was the absolute best meal of our lives at a tiny local restaurant in Valloria called "La Porta Dei Sapori". A MUST if you are visiting the area.

CARA FROM CANADA