Fodor's Expert Review Fattoria di Maiano

Just a short five kilometer ride north of the city, you’ll find Fattoria Maiano, part bed & breakfast, part organic farm, part adventure retreat, and part historic landmark. This family friendly spot sits on 700 acres that are filled with hiking and biking trails, a kids camp, olive groves, a safari tour, a quarry used by Michelangelo, and even a tower visited by the Queen of England in 1893. Needless to say, there’s a lot to see and do here, and you may never want to leave.

Photo: Waking up to the best view at @fattoriadimaiano ???????????? #fattoriadimaiano #fiesole #firenze #italy #holiday #summer #vanessawedsdavid #whataview

room

The are 12 apartments on the property that can sleep anywhere from 2 to 11 people. All the apartments come with welcome baskets with wine, olive oil, coffee, and biscuits. The apartments are intended for longer term stays with full kitchens and are traditionally designed cottage style accommodations. Additionally, there are 8 bed & breakfast rooms in the hotel’s garden area that inspire shorter term commitments and feature simple brick floors and stone walls with majestic views of Florence and some bunk beds for kids.

Perhaps the greatest room in all of Florence, the Lakehouse is a standalone tower that has three stories of isolated and romantic space that is the honeymoon spot of your dreams.

Photo: Waking up to the best view at @fattoriadimaiano ???????????? #fattoriadimaiano #fiesole #firenze #italy #holiday #summer #vanessawedsdavid #whataview

bathroom

In the B&B rooms, there are modern bathrooms with showers, bidets, towel heaters, and their own branded bath products. The apartments have a more rustic feel, but the bathrooms are in great condition and you won’t have any complaints – or at least you shouldn’t.

lobby

The property is spread out and there’s a check-in area in one of the main buildings. Beyond that, there’s a main courtyard that was once a 13^th Century convent and still has some original frescoes that have faded with time.

pool

The summer only pool is in the property’s main garden and has epic views of the countryside.

gym

There isn’t a gym at the property, but that certainly doesn’t mean you can’t get in shape here. There are more than 12 kilometers of hiking trails including night hike tours. There are also ample biking trails and the hotel often partners with local biking groups to lead, teach, and play throughout the property.

Ask the owners about the Land Rover Experience. You can learn to ride in the roughest terrain at incredibly high speeds through the back woods of the property. It’s really fun.

dining

One of the (many) gems of the property is the restaurant, Lo Spaccio. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this highly reputed spot grows most of their food on site and is known for hearty Tuscan cuisine that’s a step above. They also have their award-winning olive oil on the table, so make sure to dip your bread.

YOU SHOULD KNOW The restaurant is closed on Mondays.

Photo: Wedding Favours - Limoncello - Fattoria di Maiano #limoncello #weddingfavours #homemade #fattoriadimaiano

Photo: 2nd Stop —> FIESOLE. Tuscany and WINE! What else? ????????????

Photo: Gorgeous lunch in a gorgeous location! We love our little house on the olive farm at @fattoriadimaiano and I hate to leave tomorrow! It always feels like home! ???? #fattoriadimaiano #tuscanlunch #castellovincigliata #lavanda #fiesole #apricots #pears #peaches #prosciutto #salame #parmesan #pecorino #eatlocal

gardens

The entire property is a botanic garden with wild animals, dozens upon dozens of trails with intricately labeled plant and flower varieties, and more. If you come here, make it a point of touring the entire property as there are endless things to see.