Argentario Golf Resort & Spa ★★★★★

After spending too many holidays sitting in a cold tent listening to the rain in our lovely but not very exotic Britain, we decided it was time to treat ourselves to something a bit more luxurious. This came about on a Friday evening when we were dining in our favourite Italian restaurant, celebrating my husband’s birthday. Inspired by the authentic flavours and friendly Italian staff, we couldn’t think of a better place to go than Italy… and more specifically Tuscany, where time seems to stand still and the rolling green hills are brimming with cultural wonders and a fascinating history.

We were looking for a place within an easy drive from a major airport, where we could play golf, relax at the pool or beach and be pampered at the Spa. And so it was that we came across the Argentario Resort Golf & Spa, the perfect place to drink in all the romance, beauty and charm of Tuscany, with the added advantage of the Mediterranean being just a stone’s throw away.

Thanks to its mild climate, the Argentario region can be enjoyed not only during the summer, but throughout most of the year. So a few weeks later we packed our passports, sun-cream and Italian phrasebook and jetted off to indulge in a little bella vita. We knew we’d struck gold before we’d even arrived at the hotel. Driving past vineyards and fields of bright red poppies and cypress trees, dotted with the terracotta roofs of churches and sandstone buildings was like driving through a palette of artist colours, in one of the few places in the world where art and life intermingle so effortlessly.

We arrived at the luxurious resort where we were shown to our room (VeryChic had upgraded us to the Junior Suite!) which had a sophisticated and comfortable design with modern black furnishings and a stone bathtub contrasting with the pale oak floor. The private terrace boasted panoramic views of the golf course, making us drop our bags and race each other over there immediately! Located in a protected natural area, the 18 holes of the eco-friendly course dominate the sea, the lagoon and the Mediterranean vegetation, creating a microclimate that allows it to be played by professionals or beginners at any time of the year.

After a few hours of beating my husband, I decided to leave on a high and celebrate my success in the Spa. With my VeryChic free access, I let myself completely unwind in the bio-sauna with chromo-therapy, followed by a dip in the heated saline water pool, finished off nicely with a massage to get rid of any knots that were still lingering after my stressful week at work.

Still in a dreamlike state from all the pampering, I drifted down to the Dama Dama Restaurant to tantalise my taste buds and see how the food compared to our favourite Italian place at home… and I was impressed! The cuisine is based on the flavours and colours of the local territory, using genuine products from carefully selected local farms. My fresh homemade pasta with cherry tomatoes and basil was accompanied with a glass of fine Tuscan wine from the cellar, which we toasted to a week of discovering the hidden treasures of enchanting Tuscany…