Castellare di Tonda : Accommodation

Castellare di Tonda is spread over around 900 acres with lots of accommodation options.  As I didn’t have a car, I was happy to be placed in the Fornace complex which is located within very comfortable walk (or stagger, depending on your wine intake) distance from the bar/restaurant and lobby.  There is ample parking outside Fornace if you are bringing a car.

Fornace provides plenty of shaded outside seating areas, a big communal BBQ and a large pool with loungers, and a few childrens play equipment items on the mown grass alongside.  There is also a gorgeous old pony, Baloo, who has free rein around the property, so don’t be surprised if you turn a corner and bump into an old grey pony who is looking for an ear scratch or an apple cut up into small pieces that he can slowly munch with his old teeth.

Baloo, the old pony, having a snooze out the front of the Castellare church.

I was originally checked into room 1101, a gorgeous apartment containing a large bedroom (king sized bed), combined sitting/dining, kitchen and decent bathroom (though very tiny shower).  Most windows had grilles and insect screens so it was safe to leave them open to get a breeze without getting bitten.

There was a welcoming bottle of Castellare’s own white wine waiting for me on the table and I popped it straight into the fridge to cool down.  We opened it the next night after a fair bit of exertion (the bottle opener provided was a bit flimsy and we had to try a few times to get it right).  After all that effort we discovered that the wine wasn’t really to our taste, but we drank it anyway – we don’t like waste!

I stayed there for two nights, but in the end, the noise from the other apartments just got to me.  I’m not a good sleeper, and all of the Fornace apartments are lovely, but they’re renovated farm buildings and they’re a bit loud.  After having two bad nights sleep, I asked to be moved either to a free-standing apartment (there are a few) or to an upstairs apartment. 

The Fornace complex pool - gorgeous!

This was no problem for the staff as I was staying early in the season, so they weren’t full.  I happily moved into 1104, an upstairs corner apartment in the same building I was in previously.  It had two bedrooms, one was a single, and a big master bedroom, combined sitting/dining/kitchen and a fab big bathroom with a brilliant shower – it even had a window in it.  It did flood the floor every single time I used it, but it was worth it!

Castellare is a pet friendly resort, and lots of people were holidaying with their lovely big dogs, and even a few lovely little ones.  Dogs are also welcome in the restaurant and bar.

The view from my shower cubicle - fab!