Charming Farmhouse with Views & Pool in the National Park

This property is fabulous. It really has everything, fabulous views, great facilities and welcoming hosts Marco and Sally. The main house is light and spacious with 3 doubles bedrooms and one twin. It also has a good sized bathroom upstairs and a shower room downstairs. The cottage is cosy with 2 double bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The pool is a good size. The property is private and extremely quiet with only local families in the hamlet. The views from the grounds and the main villa are amazing. We did experience a 6.2 magnitude Earthquake whilst staying in this property with the epicentre some 20 miles distant. The property appeared to suffer no effects from the quake. Marco and Sally have renovated the properties to the highest standards making sure that they comply with all regulations regarding buildings in Earthquake zones.

There are many historic hill towns, markets and festivals in the local region as well as opportunities to go in extended walks and enjoy the great outdoors.

As an extended family of brorhers, sisters and their partners we general rent a large property for an annual break. This property was certainly one of the best that our extended family has stayed in.

This is a first class property in almost every way, so let's get the downsides out of the way upfront.

Villa Gelso is not walking distance to the local towns of Amandola and Sarnano. These are a 15 min drive away, so no strolling down to the village for that morning cappuccino or evening aperativo.

And Le Marche does not have a museum, art gallery or Michelin listed restaurant in every village, nor does it offer an 'all hours' nightlife.

It is, in that sense, relatively rural, remote and decidedly not Rome or Milan.

However, that was exactly what we wanted.

A private and comfortable establishment where a large extended family could hang out around the pool or garden, do many of the excellent walks ( or, for the cyclists among us, rides) in the surrounding mountains, or explore Le Marche villages, cafes and restaurants without sharing these with the large numbers of fellow tourists that have now taken the pleasure from many other places in Italy.

Villa Gelso is spacious & well equipped, the wifi works very well, and few home comforts are missing. Some of our tribe complained about the odd insect, but most thought that the biodiversity was entirely manageable, with or without chemicals. We didn't do the Le Marche outlets, but heard others had enjoyed a day doing some of these.

Owners Marco and Sally could not have been more friendly & helpful.

Overall, a very attractive value proposition.

Sally and Marco are exceptional hosts which was reflected in every aspect of our stay. From the outset, even before we arrived at Villa Gelso, Sally and Marco did everything to make our trip a complete success. They advised on the best ways to travel, organised a food parcel for our first night and ensured the kitchen was stocked with condiments. Communication at all times was easy and immediate.

We will always treasure memories of Sally and Marco's generosity and thoughtfulness. They left a library of guidebooks and information leaflets, and gave freely of their time advising us on the best places to go.

The villa is in an area of outstanding unspoilt natural beauty. The villa itself is spacious and comfortable, with a striking brightness of natural light in all the rooms. The bathrooms were luxurious and the generosity of our hosts was reflected in the plentiful provision of towels, toiletries and sundries. The spacious and tastefully decorated bedrooms had extremely comfortable beds and plenty of storage. The kitchen was our dream kitchen, well-designed for cooking and entertaining - with all the equipment you'd want and more! The WiFi is excellent, and all in all, the villa is equipped to a very high standard with no expense spared.

A car is necessary, and the following is a list of places we would recommend: The medieval towns of Amandola, San Ginesio, Sarnarno and the medieval abbey of Abbadia Di Fiastra. The Thursday morning market in Sarnano is worth a visit, especially if you'd like to come home with a souvenir of a leather bag or pair of shoes:) Take time to read the walking guides in the Villa, as there are some wondrous walks in the mountains. We had fabulous mountain days exploring glacial lakes, hermits' caves and canyons. On sunny days we went to the beaches for a dip at the superb Riveria de Conero and the more touristy Porto San Georgia. From the time of our arrival we were overwhelmed with the beauty of the area and we never ceased to be in awe of the stunning scenery and the secret treasures nature revealed every so often. One night a porcupine family lumbered across the road lit up by the car headlights, and on another dark evening a large litter of baby wild boars and their parents ran all round the roadway in disarray! It was lovely to be in such a private space, and we felt like we were the only people on top of the world, sharing our space with unspoilt nature !

Highly recommend this property. Hosts, villa & area superb!

This is a fantastic house and we really enjoyed our stay. Having the extra rooms in the cottage was particularly helpful. The whole family really enjoyed the pool.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Villa Gelso. It was a perfect family retreat for both our Italian and American families to meet and take advantage of the serenity and beautiful surroundings. We were able to accommodate everyone comfortably from small children to grandparents. There was plenty to do just at the house, between swimming, hiking, cooking, and just relaxing. We loved that it was so quiet you could just listen to the breeze and birds singing. We were surrounded by blooming flowers, trees and the literally every view was breath-taking. We would drive the short distance to Amandola or Sarnano for shopping and restaurants and took advantage of the local flavors and ingredients to make some amazing meals at the house. We would highly recommend staying at this Villa if you are looking for a clean, spacious stone farmhouse to accommodate multiple families, have a large kitchen and eating area, want to take advantage of the mountain air and enjoy outdoor activities, and most of all tranquility.