Il Pellicano

In a way, Il Pellicano’s location is notable for its lack of attractions. Most of Italy has been done to death, with a villa on every outcropping, an artistic treasure in every town, and every café beset by tourists in shorts begging for a cup of drip coffee. It’s the price a region pays, one supposes, for having been the cradle of European civilization — the developers have been at it for millennia.

Not so Il Pellicano. The surrounding region of southern Tuscany, La Maremma, is virtually the mirror image of its northern half, the Tuscany of Florence, Siena, and the above paragraph. For centuries it was a blighted and benighted place, and is even today overlooked by the tourism industry (and even the motorway builders). The result is one of the last relatively unspoiled places in Italy, blessed by a gorgeous (if rocky) coastline, some of the sunniest weather in the Mediterranean, and best of all, open space.

Il Pellicano, then, is a destination hotel. This is not a place to crash while out on a fresco-spotting holiday — Il Pellicano is the holiday. This is one of the most elegant and luxurious hotels in the world, a favorite of smart (and yes, wealthy) travelers the world over, and for its devotees, its relative isolation is half of its charm.

The other half, of course, is in the richness of the experience itself. Guest rooms are classic in style and well-appointed, though no décor could compete with the views: each has a terrace or balcony with a spectacular cliff-edge view of the Tyrrenhian Sea. Winding pathways negotiate terraced gardens all the way down to the private beach, though many guests prefer the pool with its own dramatic cliff view. The best view may be the one from the restaurant’s terrace — and as it’s the only game in town, you’ll find the atmosphere more familial than most high-gloss resorts. As far as the tour operators are concerned, this place is back of beyond — make the effort to get here, though, and you won’t be disappointed.

How to get there:
From Rome-Fiumicino International Airport the drive to Il Pellicano takes approx. 1 hour 35 min. Take Motorway A12 to Civitavechia, continue North on Aurelia road to Orbetello, here you will find signs indicating Porto Ercole. Upon arriving at Porto Ercole, there are signs indicating the way to the hotel. Il Pellicano is also located 15 km. from Orbetello train station.