Stay in Magliano in Toscana

Staying in Magliano in Toscana means sleeping behind pale stone ramparts, with rows of vines and olive trees climbing all around. The village isn't trying to entertain you. It offers you a charming base, an end-of-day silence and simple tables, then lets you head off to the sea or the wineries. Here is the verdict: who it suits, where to put your suitcase and how to organize the days around the car.

Is Magliano a good base for a charming Maremma?

Yes, as long as you ask it what it does well: ramparts, olive groves, vineyards and local tables. It doesn't replace a beach resort or a place to go out at night. The shops can be counted quickly.

Its location is what makes it interesting. Magliano sits halfway between the sea and the thermal baths, in the heart of a wine-growing countryside away from the crowds. You radiate out from there and return to sleep in peace.

In the evening, the sound of the cicadas fades out, and then nothing remains except a dog barking in the distance between the walls. It's the opposite of an art city at nightfall.

Who it works for, who it doesn't

It works if you like walking through the vineyards, tasting an oil before buying it and ending the evening in an almost empty square. It works poorly if you want the beach when you wake up or a lively street under your window.

Can you do without a car? Not really. It's practically essential to reach the countryside and the wineries. Without it, you stay within the walls, which is a different kind of stay.

If the sea matters more to you, look instead at Fonteblandawhich is closer to the coast.

Village or countryside: where to put your suitcase

The in-town offer is very limited, so you need to book early, especially in spring and early autumn, when the few rooms go first. Locanda Delle Mura Anna De Croy is a small charming guesthouse nestled against the ramparts, the only one in the village. You step out of your room and the stone is right there, warm in the afternoon, cool as soon as the sun turns.

For more seclusion, Casa Romantica Pereta has the feel of a hamlet. Pereta has no crowds, and a night there pairs well with a stroll through the surroundings.

The countryside offers more choice, but requires the car for every outing. The area has many agriturismi, many of them around Fonteblanda. Podere Cavone Villa la Vigna has vineyards and olive trees in the middle of the hills, and Agriturismo Casa Ricci serves as a night's stay on the seaside, in peace and quiet.

To sleep differently, Glamping Podere Angiotto LODGE MONTIANO takes you into the hinterland.

My verdict: village if you want to walk in the evening and leave the car in the car park, countryside if you want mornings on a terrace between the rows of vines.

How many nights, and in which season?

One night is enough for the village, but too short for the countryside. Three nights let you alternate between village, winery and a day by the sea, without rushing.

I recommend spring and early autumn. The light on the vines and olive trees is lovely, and the countryside is pleasant on foot. In the height of summer, the heat is intense, days must start early and the middle of the afternoon is spent in the shade.

Out of season, confirm that the tables and estates are open before building your program around a specific winery.

Eating and drinking without leaving the area

In the village, you eat simply and earthy. Agripizzeria Agriristoro Cupido is an affordable pizzeria, with Maremma on the plate. La Cantina di Cecco serves Italian cuisine, wines and dishes. La Torre Del Gusto offers Tuscan cuisine.

If you're sleeping in the countryside, Antica Fattoria La Parrina has its table on site. It's convenient for sleeping and dining without getting back behind the wheel, which matters when the roads are poorly lit.

At Purovino, the winegrower's brunch takes place between vineyards and the sea. Tasting and a cellar visit follow one another, and you stay at the table with greenery in sight. It's a half-day that replaces lunch.

A tasting of Morellino di Scansano and extra virgin olive oils structures another half-day. You compare the red, then taste the oil on bread: both come from the same landscape. In Fonteblanda, you also find wine and local flavor tastings.

Getting around in three half-days

The car is your hub: group your trips rather than multiplying the back-and-forths.

For the sea, go through Fonteblanda. For the hills, aim for Montiano late in the afternoon: it's a hinterland excursion, when the light softens on the rooftops. Save it for your last half-day, and schedule the longest outings, sea or cellar, for the morning. Pereta lends itself to a small, quiet stop.

For wine, head toward Purovino and then Scansano, on the Morellino side, where you'll find Fattoria Di Magliano Winery and Agriturismo Poggio Ceraso. One address in Magliano, the Tenuta Agricola dell’Uccellina, is clearly less well regarded than the others in the area: you can skip it.

The three choices that decide your booking

Village or countryside, sea or wine, one night or three: you book according to these choices, in this order. Start with the length of your stay, because it tells you whether you have room for two bases, then lock in the ramparts of Magliano, where rooms go fastest.