The Marenna hills, and what is in them
A region of ridges, terraces and stone villages, between a pebble coast and a chestnut forest. You do not need a list of sights, but we have one.
The Marenna hills are not famous, which is part of the appeal. There is no single attraction to queue for. There are eight villages that each have a fountain, a bar and an opinion, a coast road with the sea always a little further than you think, and a calendar of small events: a market on Thursday, a feast of the olive in November, a procession in August nobody can quite explain.
Everything below is within an hour of every villa, and most of it within twenty minutes. The numbers on the map match the list.
- 1 Village Borgo Sant'Elia The market town of the hills: a church square, two bakers, a Thursday market and the best coffee within forty minutes.
- 2 Village Pietrafonte and its spring A hamlet built around a spring that has never run dry, with one trattoria and a fountain where the village still meets.
- 3 Walk The Valmora ridge walks Four marked paths over open ridges and through chestnut wood, from a gentle three kilometres to a full day with a view of the sea.
- 4 Coast The coast at Porto Lena A small harbour, a long pebble beach and a row of fish restaurants a little too good to be true.
- 5 Food and drink Oil, bread and the cooperative The valley's olive mill still presses every autumn. You can watch, taste, and carry home a litre that tastes of grass and pepper.
- 6 Culture The chapel of San Giacomo A twelfth-century chapel on a bare hill with a fresco cycle, no ticket office and a key kept at the bar.
Four seasons, honestly
Spring
April to June
Green hills, 22 degrees, wild flowers on every path. The pool is cold until mid-May, the roads are empty, and the Valmora walks are at their best.
Summer
June to September
Long evenings, 32 degrees at three, the sea warm enough to stay in. Lunch is late, dinner later, and the market starts at seven to beat the heat.
Autumn
October to November
The grape harvest, then the olives. Soft light, the first fires, and a mill running day and night in the valley.
Winter
December to March
Quiet, bright, sometimes wet. Fires, long lunches, a scattering of snow on the ridge in a good year.
Getting here
By air
The nearest airport is 60 to 90 minutes from the villas, depending on which one you choose. Direct flights from most large European cities, with a daily connection to the nearest hub. We can send a driver.
By car
A small hire car is the right size: lanes are narrow and the last stretch to some villas is gravel. We send a precise route, with a pin you can open on your phone, before you leave.
Once here
Casa del Fico and Casa Cisterna are in villages and can be enjoyed on foot. For the others, you will want a car for groceries, the coast and one good dinner a week.