We absolutely loved staying in one of Salvatore's apartments on his olive farm. They are in a stunning and peaceful location - right at the foot of the mountains, with beautiful views of the olive groves, palms and lemon trees.
Salvatore was very welcoming and helpful - his English is excellent! Nonna even popped in on our first evening with gifts of home-made sweet pastries and eggs from the chickens!
The ground floor apartment was very clean and had (nearly) everything we needed. The bedroom was a good size. The bed was comfortable, with two single mattresses to make one king sized bed (so no rolling together in the night!). There was a spare single bed next to it and a big cupboard with plenty of hangers for clothes. You can close the shutters for almost complete darkness, and the silence means you get a good night's sleep :-)
The bathroom was also a good size, very clean and the shower had good pressure. Salvatore provides a large number of towels, though they were a little thin and "crunchy", so if you like thin and fluffy towels then bring your own. You need to bring your own beach towels too.
The kitchen/diner/lounge was reasonably well equipped with a dining table which seated 6 and a small TV. There's a 4 ring gas hob (no oven or microwave), large fridge, freezer and enough plates, cutlery, glasses etc for 4/5 people. There is a very basic set of utensils a few serving dishes and a good selection of pots and pans. We found a selection of basic food items in the cupboards, including olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar and coffee. The sofa bed is in the kitchen - request sheets etc in advance for this and the single bed.
Outside there is a good-size, covered patio, garden furniture for 4 people and those amazing views! Even in the cool May evenings we ate outside as the moon and stars were twinkling at us! Salvatore can give you access to a BBQ, though it doesn't come with the apartment as standard. Note: there is no grass for kids to play out on.
There are 3 apartments in all, with a high wall between each patio. We were very lucky to have no one staying either side, so we had complete privacy and seclusion.
The farm is at the end of a small road off the main street in Castelluzzo. There's a butcher, fishmonger, small grocery/fruit/veg shop, two bakeries and a pharmacy within easy walking distance. Supermarkets can be found a short drive away in Sperone.
There are plenty of restaurants to choose from (Al Ritrovo and Oasis, both v good) plus the #1 Pizza (handily a few doors down from the farm) for a takeaway or eat in. We'd have loved to have tried Agritourismo Don Bartolo as the food looked great (rustic and very local), though it wasn't open until mid-May for the season.
The beach is 30 mins walk with plenty of parking (there's a little tourist train which runs from the village and back during the summer months). Sand is a little limited as most of the coastline is rocky (great for snorkling) though there are a couple of small beaches along the stretch.
We had a fabulous time at Salvatore's apartment and found it to be exceptional value for money. Highly recommended.
Thanks Salvatore!