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Owner/Property
Manager: Luisa Riddiford
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Overview
Description
WELCOME TO LA LUCERTOLAWe offer two spacious and well-appointed farmhouses near Pisa and Lucca, Tuscany, which can either be rented individually or together. They are adjacent and are known as Farmhouse 1 and Farmhouse 2. They are very similar and each can accommodate up to 6 people and up to 12 people when rented together. They are located on the beautiful southern slopes of the Monti Pisani – an environmentally protected area of outstanding natural beauty and tranquility. La Lucertola is just a 20 minute drive from both Pisa and Lucca, 30 minutes from the coast, and an hour from Florence – the perfect combination of a countryside location yet also close to the sea and to the major art and cultural cities of Tuscany. La Lucertola is set amidst ancient and lovingly tended olive trees, which produce the most delicious and wholly organic, extra virgin olive oil, available for tasting and sale direct from us.
Farmhouse 1 offers spectacular panoramic views over olive grove, forest, field, Pisa, The Leaning Tower and the Mediterranean Sea. Fitted outside the farmhouse is a solid wood shade pergola with light curtains. It offers a wonderfully cool place under which one can dine, read, lounge or simply look out and muse over the amazing views. Under the pergola is a beautiful hand-built wooden table, 6 comfortable chairs and high quality sun loungers. WI-Fi is freely available throughout the property both inside and outside the farmhouses as well as down by the pool.
Farmhouse 1, on the ground floor, consists of a good-sized and very well-equipped kitchen with table and 6 chairs and a sitting room with a SmartTV, DVD player, library and CD player. In the colder months there is a fireplace in the kitchen and central heating throughout the house. Both the wood and the cost of the heating are included in the rental price. On the first floor there are two spacious and airy bedrooms, each with their own balcony and decorated with stunning hand-painted Tuscan design murals with a relaxing and harmonious colour-scheme. The bedrooms can be made up as either singles or doubles and both of which can easily accommodate extra foldaway beds. Travel cots, (cot linen provided if required) high chairs and a stair-gate are also available. There are two bathrooms, both on the first floor, one of which is ensuite,
The Swimming Pool offers views to infinity and is quite simply fabulous. It is set in an elegant and spacious split level teak decking area and stone capped sun terrace and is in its own secure and dedicated area, complete with unique and fantastic olive tree shower! It is filled with fresh spring water direct from a source which springs from the hill above the houses and is salt treated, so no chlorine and fantastic on your skin. There are plenty of sun loungers, a shade pergola, chairs and a table. The pool is illuminated at night and wonderful for those who like a dip under the stars!
Wood Fired Oven - Fantastic for all kinds of cooking, including, but not only, pizzas! Really great fun for everybody, regardless of age or cooking ability and topped with a huge sense of satisfaction at the end! Free access to wood.
Good sized barbeques on wheels for ‘al fresco’ grilling where you want.
Wireless Internet & Smart TV - Wi-fi internet access is available at no extra charge and is suitable for live streaming. There is a SmartTV in the Lounge with an HDMI cable into which you can plug your iPads, Tablets and /or Laptops (you may have to bring your own adaptors).
Cots (including cot linen) high chairs, stair gates and extra foldaway beds can be provided upon request at no extra charge. Toys and kids books are available in the farmhouse for younger chlidren.
La Lucertola is perfectly located to make the most of the glories of Tuscany, both the universally famous and the lesser known jewels.
The Coast with wonderful wide sandy beaches with bars and restaurants is less than 30 minutes away. There are wonderful restaurants in the immediate vicinity to suit every occasion from the simple pizza and trattoria to Tuscan dining at its best and all at truly fair and honest prices.
PISA - with her world famous Leaning Tower is just 15 minutes away and can be clearly seen from the Farmhouse.
LUCCA - with her immaculate medieval centre and exquisite boutiques is also just a 15 minute drive away.
FLORENCE - with its wealth of art treasures and unique beauty is just an hour away.
LE CINQUE TERRE - Wonderful for walking and nature trails as well as great boat trips to each of the '5 Fingers' of this very particular and impressive coastline is only an hour and a half away
Walking/Running - There are a number of beautiful and varied walking trails all around La Lucertola, all accessible directly from the houses and through the olive grove.
Beaches - The beautiful sandy and wide beach of Marina di Vecchiano, set in the stunning National Park of San Rossore is only 10 kilometres (7 miles) away with safe and lifeguard-monitored bathing, ideal and great fun for kids. There are bars, restaurants, showers, sun loungers and easy parking, all sympathetically wood-built and in keeping with the feel of the National Park. More rocky beaches, ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving are just south of Livorno, at La Calafuria, less than an hour away. Horse-Riding in he National Park is also available.
Cycling & Scooters - Bikes and scooters can be easily hired at reasonable rates from Lucca. There are wonderful and well maintained riverside cycle paths just below La Lucertola
Paragliding - The Pisa Paragliding Club run by Walter Bardi is no more than a 15 minute drive, with ‘take-off’ being from the next hill towards San Giuliano Terme. The club caters for both experienced paragliders and inexperienced adventurers (tandem paragliding with an experienced and certified instructor or pilot). For more information please visit.
Torre del Lago - Ideal for bird watching and also home of the internationally renowned open air summer Puccini Opera Festival is only 7 miles away.
Rafting - Our good friend, Stefano is a fully qualified rafting and canoeing instructor who regularly takes people out rafting at various levels of difficulty and ages on the beautiful and nearby River Serchio and her tributaries.
Cooking Lessons - Our friend, Erika offers an excellent and fun service which involves them coming to you with ingredients and wisdom. She’ll teach you the tricks of the trade and later on you sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labours.
Restaurant at Home - Our great friends Massimiliano and Enver come and cook dinner for you at the house. They arrive, prepare the food, you may watch and participate should you wish, and then they serve you at your table. This is a banquet and, as such, one would expect it to be of 2 hours or more at table. It is the essence of slow cooking and typically Tuscan.
Wine tasting - The nearby excellent wineries of Montecarlo di Lucca offer wine tasting opportunities and lunch
Olive picking - Should you happen to be here in the autumn and you fancy helping out picking olives, your help is most welcome! We can also organise for you to come to the local olive press and watch the fresh new oil being pressed.
Bedroom Details
Bedroom 1
3 x Single Beds
1 x Double Bed
1 x Cot Bed
1 x Sofa Bed
1 x Toddler Bed
Beautiful and spacious bedroom with ensuite bathroom. Beds can be organised as singles or doubles
Bedroom 2
3 x Single Beds
1 x Double Bed
1 x Cot Bed
1 x Toddler Bed
Fabulous spacious bedroom. Beds can be organised as singles or doubles
13 Reviews
Leave ReviewAll I can say is what an experience!
By Mandi on 29-Apr-2025All I can say is what an experience! The views are indescribable and no camera can quite capture the grandeur. Committing it to memory is your best bet! And to have the most kind and gracious hosts that greet you more like old friends returning than simply guests. Luisa and Colin thank you for sharing your view with us. I’d also like to add that the drive up is fun! It’s a special ride up that adds to the mystique and charm of a villa so stunning!
An Amazing Holiday!
By Julie on 13-May-2025We had an amazing holiday Colin & Luisa were absolutely fantastic hosts - friendly helpful & gave great advice They went above & beyond any host I’ve experienced before - even giving us a lift on departure We enjoyed the outdoor pool real sun trap & eating outside enjoying the incredible views of the valley below & across to Pisa It was possible to get to nearby Pisa by bus as well as Lucca & Cinque Terre with combination of bus then train from Riprafatta & Pisa .The bus stops are at bottom of long steep drive - walkable if you’re fit !! We did get a taxi from airport on arrival but some are not keen - dropped off instead at local restaurant Villa Poschi We had a lovely meal there too. Car hire is preferable though. Colin & Luisa have developed a wonderful place to stay - we enjoyed every moment We can’t express our appreciation enough to them. We definitely recommend La Lucertola to stay & will stay again
La Lucertola is a little paradise
By Jasper on 22-Aug-2025La Lucertola is a little paradise, beautifully located, overlooking Pisa. The apartment and the whole grounds were very tastefully laid out and furnished. Thank you - we had a wonderful stay with the whole family and would love to come back again!
As a family of 4, we had a perfect stay at La Lucertola
By Christopher on 25-Apr-2025As a family of 4, we had a perfect stay at La Lucertola. Luisa and Colin were friendly, attentive and helpful from the minute we arrived to when we left. They were available on the phone throughout, if needed. The music studio was an incredible addition - we felt very lucky to have access to it throughout our stay. The accommodation is located up a narrow track, but this meant we had access to stunning views and wildlife all around. Although the pool was cold, due to the time of year we visited, it didn’t stop us using it a couple of times. The pool is perfectly located - overlooking Pisa. There was plenty of seating around the pool and, although other families were staying in the house next door, it didn’t once feel like we couldn’t use any of the facilities. Other great facilities worth mentioning - the pizza oven is such an experience - to make pizzas overlooking the tower of Pisa, in Italy, was incredible. We also had all the cleaning items and linen we needed too. Grazie.
A Real Italian Experience
By Kerry T. on 20-Aug-2016We have just returned from a very relaxing 2 week stay at La Lucertola. Hosts, Luisa, Colin and Max were so welcoming and friendly and were on hand next door at the farmhouse if we needed anything. We found the villa to be very well equipped for all our needs and the fridge was ready stocked with a selection of drinks which was a nice touch. The pool was just bliss to cool off as there was a heatwave during our stay. The villa is nestled upon a steep hill. The road is rather daunting at first, but the trade off is the magnificent view over Pisa and surrounding countryside. We took a few trips out to nearby Pisa and Lucca, and also to Pistoia, Montecatini Terme and Viareggio. It’s also well worth making the trip to Florence by taking the train from nearby San Giuliano Terme (approx 1.5 hrs). Many evenings were spent eating outside on the terrace, cooking on the BBQ (and pizza oven) and watching the sun setting over Pisa. We would definitely recommend you experience the option for “Restaurant at Home”. We chose the fish banquet which was simply stunning, freshly caught that morning. Served with wonderful wines, dessert and coffee. A perfect end to a wonderful holiday!” Kerry Tarrant and family Frome, England
We felt that we made a very good choice!
By Judith F. on 10-Sep-2016The four of us rented the house for our first vacation in Tuscany. The house was exactly what we had expected – from the owners’ description as well as the reviews. The drive up was a little steep, but totally worth it once you arrive. The view is to die for – absolutely amazing! Luisa and Colin are very friendly hosts. We felt absolute privacy while staying at their guest house. The house was very clean and well equipped. We had everything we needed. It is about 20 minutes drive from the Leaning Tower in Pisa, 20 minutes drive to the center of Lucca and 30 minutes drive to the beach (marina di Vecchiano). We felt that we made a very good choice by staying at this property and will definitely recommend it to our friends. It was an amazing vacation and we hope that one day we will go back. Thanks Luisa and Colin!”