Over the summer, I decided to explore the coast of Italy, with a stop in the stunning Tuscan countryside.
My love for travel and adventure has never wavered as I strive to share the world with my three small children. I have travelled extensively with them from seven weeks old, and I have no plans to slow down. Travelling looks different every year, from having just one, then two and now three little ones under seven years old. It can come with its own logistical challenges, but it's very much worth it for the experience on the other side.
Showing the children different ways of living, experiencing new languages and cultures, is very important to me, and as the only adult, I find that these moments away in a new place bring me a new sense of calm and renewed energy.
This beautiful trip around Italy really made our precious time together slow down, away from the daily routine, and left us all invigorated, reflective, and excited for more adventures together.
We flew two hours from London to Pisa, and as the children love the beach, I wanted to experience the Italian bagno, which is a spectacle in itself. You pay to enter the different beach clubs, which often include loungers, cabins to change, and some have swimming pools, which are great for little ones. The cost ranges from 30 euros to up to 450 euros, so please enquire at your hotel or in advance. Even though we love the surf, I didn’t stress about pre-booking as our hotels all had pools.
We made two stops near the exquisite Forte de Marmi but settled further down the coast, where we were lucky enough to experience the magnificent Principe Di Piemonte in Viareggio for 2 nights, enjoying the view from our rooftop pool of the 7000 sun loungers that belong to this stretch of the golden coastline.
The opulent hotel, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World portfolio, captures the spirit of this modern, upmarket section of the coastline. Great for families, with its panoramic view, it is positioned right near a beautiful pine forest, a cute mini playground, and a train track.
The breakfast buffet is a holiday in itself, with wagyu beef and oysters on offer as well as a flaming flambe trolley which adds to the spectacle. We were so spoilt for choice. The children were really looked after, and there was even a small children’s buffet for a takeaway on the way out.
Upon our arrival, the children were lucky to receive their own colouring books, cute slippers and robes and cuddly toys. They felt so grown up and considered, which is so lovely for them to feel included.
The pedestrianised walkway next to the beach is filled with palm tree fringed cute cafes, gelateria peppered in between the famous beach clubs, it is so easy to meander taking in the fun and spectacle of the Italian families enjoying the beach, especially with a pram. Cycling is the easiest way to navigate the area, as there are bicycle lanes, bikes for hire for the whole family, as taxis are very expensive, especially in August.
Italians often take the beach loungers with cabins for the summer months; this makes accommodating children so much easier. They often have swimming pools plus play areas too, with cafes overlooking, which was novel to me. I sipped my Cafe Freddo whilst watching the children live their best lives. I felt really safe and welcome throughout my trip.
I then travelled further inland to Tuscany, where we stayed for three nights at the majestic Castelfalfi estate, which is set in 2700 acres of Tuscan countryside situated between Pisa, Florence and Siena, perfect for short transfer times with little ones in tow.
Castelfalfi is one of the most magical places that I have ever had the privilege of experiencing, as a mother to three small children, it spoke to us all. The details from the incredibly attentive staff who made me and the children so welcome to the achingly cool aesthetic, which is seamless throughout, from reception to the rooms that were modern yet sympathetically traditional. The combination of these two factors is rare.
The larger estate includes three restaurants, a medieval village and castle, a church, a stunning garden, a beautiful deli and most excitingly a gelateria. You can walk to the other parts of the estate, but the children took the exciting opportunity to be transported on the buggies, which was so much fun.
There is something very unique about Castelfalfi, and trying to describe the overall experience is quite difficult as there is so much to say and more important to feel. The vast, stunning Tuscan grounds go on for miles, the view and sunsets make your mind and energy levels shift a gear, and the expanse of open space really did leave more room for being in the present and enjoying the little moments that summer holidays are made for.
It was certainly a unique way to holiday with the children. It kind of blew my mind that the activities that are most definitely centred around the children were such a pleasure for me.
Being by the water is our happy place, and whilst we were very firmly in the countryside, the two achingly beautiful swimming pools catered so well for us. We had a choice of two, one a cooler natural pool and a warmer option, which was great for younger swimmers as it provided a shallow platform so that my two-year-old could happily splash around. Both provided endless fun as well as the staff who also provided extra swimming floats, milkshakes and fruit platters to us as well as extra suncream when we appeared to be running low. Nothing was too much effort and that is invaluable to me as a solo parent travelling.
There are over 40 nature-led activities on offer, with more planned for next year. The children and I got to experience a pizza and pasta making course, where we were shown how to knead our own dough, we also got to hear from the experts on how to make it, whilst we also got to eat our endeavours.
The children’s adventure area has been lovingly and thoughtfully crafted to sit within the ambient setting. It was almost invisible, every detail has been considered, this is such a far cry from the usual children’s activities we have experienced. We even got to feed the resident falcon, which was such an unusual activity for us all. The only challenge is how to spend the day to experience as much as possible.
Castelfalfi offers an extensive Kids Club for children aged five and above, as well as a babysitting service for babies from 5 months old. We went to check it out as another activity for a change of scenery and to get out of the sun. The children adored making erupting volcanoes and playing mini golf.
One of the most enjoyable elements of our stay was the food. There are 6 restaurants and bars to choose from and I can confirm that every one was a taste sensation rich in flavour of traditional Italian food with contemporary settings. From the expansive breakfast buffet, which the children adored, to the lunch and dinner options, we were made super welcome, and we dined whilst watching the sunset every night, a truly unforgettable experience.
Castelfalfi’s breathtaking, vast and stunning surroundings offered me a level of peace and reflection that I didn’t even know I needed this summer, and I would urge anyone looking for a reset and some time for reflection, this is a very special place to do so.
It was an unforgettable experience and one that I will always cherish, now back in the full swing of Autumn, I reach back to these memories with longing to go again.
