Tuscany offers a variety of liquids: We enjoyed thermal water, wine and olive oil. Now we’re heading back to the sea. We have chosen Porto Ercole in the south of Tuscany as our next destination. To be precise: The Argentario Golf Resort & Spa, an eco-friendly resort located in a verdant valley and a member of the Design Hotels family.

Off the golf course there is a lot to see and to discover. In the rooms we are impressed by beautiful design pieces and wonderful views. The panoramic terrace invites you to let the gaze wander: Over the huge golf course, the lush green forest and the sprouting trees. Let your spirits calm just for a bit.

The expanded lobby elicits us an awestruck “Wooow!”. The bright white, imposing staircase magically attracts every guest. Spacious rooms, peppered with architecture and design details, wide windows with a view … Where should we even start? Maybe on the golf course? Or rather with breakfast? One can enjoy the rich buffet all chilled out on very comfy designer armchairs. We could do this all morning. Cakes, fruits, cereals and organic yoghurt are so exquisitely prepared. The chef cooks egg dishes of all kinds directly in the show kitchen, also used for cooking classes. Either there or in the gourmet hotel restaurant Dama Dama everything is homemade from local and organic ingredients. No matter how the weather is outside, we start our day with joy and energy. 🙂

The hotel is centrally located and offers a variety of popular destinations in the area. Some of them will certainly be mentioned in a separate blog post. For once, here’s a selection:

  • Il Giardino dei Tarocchi by Niki de Saint Phalle
  • The sensual town of Capalbio
  • World-famous village of Pittigliano or the little sister Sorano
  • Hot springs of Saturnia (our tip: Cascate del Mulino)
  • Castiglione della Pescaia
  • Porto Ercole and Orbetello

So much to do

In the hotel itself we’re discovering the large spa area. The Espace Wellness Center offers a bio-sauna, a beauty center, a large swimming pool (indoor and outdoor), a very large modern gym and further amenities. The hotel also offers pool tables, tennis courts and jogging tracks. We can join yoga, horse-riding, cooking classes, wine tastings and, most importantly, we can play golf. Yay! The Argentario Golf Club features 18 panoramic holes and is awarded with the “BioAgriCert” certification for its eco-compatibility.

The spacious hotel room also features a private terrace and other amenities. From the bed you can even operate the automatic night curtain. In warm summer nights the electric fly screens are a guarantee to wake up without stitches.

In Porto Ercole we discover a small but lively spot: The Bar Baraka, run by Matteo. He recommends exploring his hometown from the highest point of the Argentario Peninsula. The view is supposed to be breathtaking. Unfortunately, the next day storm clouds are so low that we cannot even see the mountain itself. So, we’re off inland to the Saturnia hot springs. After a heavy thunderstorm breaking right over the Etruscan town of Pittigliano we recover in hot water. What an experience!

Back in the Argentario Resort our Tesla is in pole position at the Destination Charger and is pleased by nice company: All the golf buggies charge here as well in order to be ready for the next day. Wait a minute – was it Espace or E-space 🙂

No matter if you decide to pamper yourself in the spa or to spend your day on the golf course, one thing is for sure, your own batteries will also be fully charged by the end.

Yours

Mr & Mrs T

1. Welcome to the Argentario Golf Resort & Spa

Entrance of Argentario Golf Resort and Spa

2. The Golf course is wonderful …

Golf course at Argentario

3. … and fully integrated into nature

Golf course at Argentario

4. The panoramic terrace invites you to let the gaze wander:

Terrace at Argentario

5. Over the huge golf course, the lush green forest and the sprouting trees.

Pool area of Argentario

6. Also the bar area has some interesting design to offer

Lounge with funny tables

7. The bright white, imposing staircase …

Lobbby of the Argentario Design Hotel

8. … leads directly …

Stair to the spa

9. …  to the spa area …

Espace at Argentario

10. … with its indoor pool

Argentario indoor pool

11. This is espace – or is it e-space 🙂

espace or e-space

12. We visited the Tarrot Garden …

Giardino dei Tarocchi

13. … and even found a Space X rocket 🙂

The rocket at Giardino dei Tarocchi

14. We faced heavy rain, ….

Pittigliano thunderstorm

15. … saw Pittigliano in clouds …

Pittigliano covered on clouds

16. … and Sorano as the sun came back

Sorano

17. We discovered the thermal springs of Saturnia …

Thermal spring of Saturnia

… and made new friends at baraka bar

Mr T and Massimo at baraka bar

18. We had a fantastic breakfast the next morning …

Croissants at the Argentario

19. … and made more friends when we left the hotel (the Carabinieri loved our Model S)

The carabinieri liked Mr T and our Model S

20. Let’s see where those Italian roads will bring us next

Steep walls and tiny streets