Holiday villas in Apricale
The Hillside Cottage
Amarin is a stone built, two double bedroom (sleeps 4) cottage. It is typical of the Liguria region. Because it is built into the hillside it is cool in summer and cosy warm in winter. It sits in an acre of terraced olive grove and fruit orchard in an entirely rural setting. The views of the valley Nervia and Mount Tarraggio from the house and garden are breathtaking. The house is a mile or so from two lively medieval villages Apricale and Isolabona both with good food and cafes. The people you will meet are predominantly local Italians. The house and garden are entirely secluded close to an early ruined monastery which gives it’s name to the hillside, San Pietro.
One of the great pleasures of Italian life is outside dining. Amarin has a dining terrace with a fixed table, pizza oven and barbeque. The house has a log fire and full central heating for frosty nights. Linen and central heating are included in the price. There are fresh vegetables, fruit and herbs available most of the year in the garden. Cot and high chair are available on request.
All-inclusive £390 per week (for 2010)
The Hill-top Village House
Via Angeli 60 is a five hundred year old, two double bedroom, hill-top village house. It is only an hour or so away from Nice in an unspoilt corner of rural Italy. Via Angeli is built of stone and is perched high up on the edge of a medieval village. Its vaulted ceilings, steep stone staircase, balcony and covered roof terrace, catch the breeze, making it cool in summer but cosy in winter. The house is arranged on three floors within the historic core of Apricale: one of the 10 very different medieval villages on La Strada del Olio.
The house has a comfortable sitting room, log fire and full central heating. The sunny dining kitchen is equipped for a dozen people. The covered roof terrace is a delightful dining space with breathtaking all round views of the village and surrounding countryside. The upstairs bedroom has a balcony overlooking the valley: ideal for sitting out with an evening glass of wine as the sun sets, or simply to view the world go by. The ancient stone walls keeps the house cool on sultry summer nights and a surprisingly cosy place to relax in the winter, in front of a log fire, after a long walk in the hills.
All-inclusive £490 per week (for 2010)
The Hill-top Village
Apricale is the prettiest of the 10 very different medieval villages on La Strada del Olio. It has the sunniest piazza — the name comes from the Latin Apricus, meaning open to the sun. It is one of only seven villages in Italy with most beautiful status.
Apricale's shops, cafes and good restaurants are open all year round, which make it the perfect base from which to explore the wider area, but the village has a lot to offer in its own right. Surrounding the piazza are the medieval castle, the museum, several lovely churches and an old town hall. The school, shops and houses all cling together on a knife-edge of hillside, linked by narrow tunnels, alleyways, bridges and terraces. The whole village is impenetrable to modern transport although there are plenty of parking spaces on the periphery.
Close by, in summer, there is river swimming in the sparkling water that tumbles off the mountains, and the beaches of the French and Italian Riviera are a short drive away. In winter you may enjoy lunch in the open air, walking or cycling in the Riviera sunshine. If you are looking for something more strenuous there are some serious mountains to climb.
Contact: kate@apricale.info or Kate and Dave Phillips +44 141 946 6192 for further details.