Villa was out of this world...Property beautiful, nice to stroll the grounds and view the mountains in the background. Lots of fruit trees on property along with a golf green. Pool, deck and pergola, hot tub and spa were wonderful.

We travelled with our children and grandchildren (13 to be exact) and found the accommodations more then adequate. Everthing was perfect.

Having spent a lot of time reading reviews and chosing a villa for our extended family holiday, I decided Villa Carda met all our criteria. We were not disappointed! Our group consisted of 'children' aged 18 months to 18 years, their parents and grandparents. Everyone loved the villa and the area. The rooms are beautiful and private, all with en-suites, so it works well to share with other families. The lounge was also beautiful, but we had such lovely weather that we didn't need to use it.

We spent a lot of time by the lovely pool, enjoying the spectacular views and garden. There was plenty of space for ball games and the golf and ping pong proved popular. We used the mountain bikes to explore the surrounding area and walked down to Castel Focognano one evening for dinner. It took approximately 20 minutes where we ate very reasonably priced and tasty pizzas.

We had some great meals on the terrace in the evenings and Andrea, Antonio and Francesca prepared a fantastic Tuscan meal for us one evening! There was so much food and all of it was great with plenty of leftovers.

Andrea was very helpful with all our questions and requests. He recommended places to visit and we managed to fit in trips to Poppi, Bibbiena, Arezzo and Cortona, all of which were very nice. He mentioned there was wild boar in the area and my brother was keen to buy some meat so we could try it. When we mentioned this to Andrea, he arranged for us to have a casserole made up and all we had to do was heat it and boil some rice. It was magnificent!

We liked the fact that this villa is in a quiet area and that it was easy to visit the more touristy places. We flew to Pisa and spent a little time there and a night in Florence on the way to the villa. This meant we could spend more time at the villa for the week we were there.

We can't think of any negative comments. The owners are genuinely nice people and the villa is magnificent!

We were a group of 12 adults (ranging in age from 36-82) there to celebrate my 40th birthday. We are all well travelled, seasoned and sophisticated travelers who are well qualified to write a travel review. We were all impressed with Villa Carda, and I think you will be too.

The pictures and brochures do not do this villa justice. The villa is beautifully restored/ renovated and carefully curated in keeping with the style of the region. Everything feels very authentic and very luxurious. The rooms are all spacious, beautiful and well appointed so that no one felt like they got the short end of the stick, although some of the baths are a bit small by American standards. The view and gardens are incredible. The pool area is gorgeous, so make sure you plan at least 2 days just relaxing at the villa and taking in this piece of heaven. My only complaint was that the pool furniture isn't too comfortable but Andrea said he would fix that soon. (Hammocks would be great too if you are reading this Andrea :-)). The wellness center is a nice touch and everyone in our group used either the exercise equipment or hot tub during some point of their stay.
For meals, we had gourmet cooks in our group, so we enjoyed picking up fresh ingredients in the markets and preparing feasts. But one night we had Andrea and his wife Francesca prepare us a wonderful meal and it made the evening very special. Andrea and his father Antonio stopped by each day and were lovely and helpful. Very gracious wonderful hosts.
Between the pool, walking the grounds, ping pong, biking, walking, hitting golf balls, cooking, stargazing, etc, there is plenty to do. Even my review is not conveying how fantastic this trip really was....no one wanted to leave. One couple from our group has already booked it for next year to go with their family.

Some practical advice if you go:
- Stop by a market in Arezzo to pick up food for the first night or arrange for Andrea to pick something up for you and have it at the villa. You will not want to go out after dark to figure out where to eat the first night.
- Arrive in daylight. It is a very dark, windy road and the villa is difficult to find the first time.
- The markets are open unusual hours/days. So every time you happen to be in a place with an open market, pick up something for your meal that night. The food is wonderfully fresh, inexpensive and good. Also, the table wine and even jug wine in the markets is dirt cheap and surprisingly very good.
- Treat yourselves to a dinner by Andrea and Francesca at least 1 night. You will have plenty of leftovers for the next day.
- If you must be connected to wi/fi at all times, choose a room closest to the computer room with the router. Wifi can be spotty on other parts of the property. (But who cares.... you are on vacation!)
- The area is very hilly. You are unlikely to want to walk to the nearest town or restaurant. Make sure you have a car, especially if you have older travelers with you.

We definitely hope to be back sometime soon. If you have any other questions, feel free to email me at lauragill99@gmail.com. ENJOY!

We were thrilled with our stay at Villa Carda. We traveled to Italy with another family, with nine in our party and children ranging from age 10-16yrs. The house, grounds and location exceeded our expectations. The rooms were all ensuite, well appointed and lovely, and provided privacy and a place to retreat. The pool and landscaping were pristine, with cherry, olive and chestnut trees, and the quintessential herbs and flowers. The house overlooks the beautiful Casentino Valley -- breathtaking again and again. The house has a lovely new spa, with steam shower, hot tub and exercise bikes, a driving range, an outdoor ping pong table, and a little garden to which we could help ourselves (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, lettuce were). Antonio and Andrea, the villa owners, were delightful and so hospitable. They were attentive and kind. We hired Andrea and his lovely wife Francesca to cook a Tuscan meal for us one night that was truly fantastic. We explored the nearby old town of Arrezzo, which was fantastic. We took the train into Florence one day. We also explored nearby Cortona, Poppi and Bibbiena, each very worthwhile. We were sad to leave and will savor this experience!

Our stay at Villa Carda was everything our family had hoped for in our Italian vacation..Our party consisted of grandparents and three grandchildren 8,10 and 12 with 8 people total. There was more than adequate space for everyone to enjoy the villa, pool, spa and the lovely grounds surrounding the property.. The owners were very accommodating and are readily available to offer recommendations on restaurants and sights within the area.
This is not your typical Tuscan vacation spot (IE Siena) with traffic, large crowds of tourists and scores of cheap souvenir shops but if you are looking for a true Italian experience this is it.
Recommended day trips include the monastery at LaVerna, Arezzo and Cortona. The owners are also available to prepare dinner at the villa which was the #1 highlight our stay. Francesca, the owner's wife is a trained chef and allowed our grandchildren to "assist" in the preparation of the meal. Warning !!! bring your appetite... the dinner was fabulous with sufficient leftovers for dinner the next day. Our only regret was that we had only planned a one week stay rather than 2 weeks.

10 of us stayed at Villa Carda for our family reunion.We couldn't have picked a better place to celebrate our get together. Very well equipped villa, very clean, fantastic breathtaking mountain views, very spacious grounds,sauna, bicycles,games, there was something for everyone. Highly recommended.