The first sight of this villa and its setting generated an overwhelming level of excitement among all 10 adults who shared a one week stay in September 2016. Sometimes it happens that the promise of the promotion is exceeded by the reality; for us, this was one such experience. The adventure of accessing this villa was as enjoyable and intriguing as travel through a rural Italian countryside could be, and well worth the exclusivity, privacy, and privilege of experiencing such an exceptional destination and lodging. We engaged in many wonderful day trips from this location, including St. Moritz, Milan, Orta San Giulio, and others. We bought day passes on the Lake Como ferry system which enabled us to visit many communities such as Varenna and Bellagio. Had we spent our entire stay at the Villa, however, no one would have felt deprived: hiking through the local forest to a nearby village for the sole purpose of buying gelato on a softly warm afternoon is as beguiling a way to while away a day as can be imagined. We had some exceptional meals in local restaurants, and we visited the large Iperal hypermarket that was both nearby and a world away, in order to create our own dining extravaganzas which were enjoyed either on the patio or in the cellar, matching the mood of the location to the meal itself. For Americans, the inexpensive cost of remarkably wonderful Italian wines was a topic of wonderment. As our evenings wore on and we grew contemplative and quiet, we were rewarded with visits of badgers, owls, deer, and other wildlife, all under a star filled sky that was undiminished by the sparkling golden glow of villages across the lake. The beds were all comfortable and the soft breeze through the open windows soothing and restive. Morning coffee out on the lawn with locally baked breads, local cheeses and charcuterie and fresh fruit made for an energizing start of each day. The property managers saw to our comfort with attentiveness and discretion. The combination of history, natural setting, comfort, privacy and space made for an experience that we felt would be difficult to replicate anywhere in the region. We felt privileged to enjoy a home that must certainly be a full expression of the owner's sensitivities. Oh, if only we can return again and again! But there is so much in the world to see and experience! What a delightful torment to face. We are all grateful for having the opportunity to revel in Villa Rustica.

We had a lovely relaxing holiday at Villa Rustica. Fantastic location with great views over Lake. Only challenge was path down to lake. Villa lovely and well provided for. Great outside covered eating area. Good walks from villa when feeling energetic. Only addition that would have been useful was ideas and contacts for local trips, as not an area covered by General guide books. Nicola

We stayed at Villa Rustica with a work group for 4 nights as a work retreat. We unanimously agreed that Villa Rustica was the perfect place to stay, providing lots of space for all of us (8 people) to work, eat, sleep, and socialise. The kitchen was sufficient to store all our food, cook, and had a dishwasher (always helps in large groups). We used the outside grill on two evenings (wood was provided which is great), and lit up the indoor fire place as the evening cooled down. We enjoyed the private swimming area just a short stroll down from the house. Villa Rustica is really a great destination for anyone who wishes to enjoy a bit of space in a stunning setting. We never got bored of the incredible views. The villa is situated some distance from shops and restaurants, but does have some places to eat out within walking distance. Overall, a highly recommended place to stay that we will probably visit again. Unless you are after the village or urban lifestyle, you won't find a better place to stay.

What a place! I promise you will struggle to get a property or even surrounding area that comes anywhere close to the secluded and beautiful Villa Rustica. We arrived at the foot of the mountain after our journey from the airport and were met with a small track and some very tight bends, after almost each of these bends was another opportunity to stop and take a photo of the breathtaking scenery that is practically everywhere you go around the lake. After about a 10 minute drive up the mountain you will arrive at the stunningly beautiful Villa Rustica. Once again, the views from the bedrooms in particular, will take your breath away. My partner and I took our two young girls and we could not have dreamed of what we would get, yes the pictures look nice but to actually be there is something else. Our two children loved playing in the rather large grounds and collecting logs for the cosy fire, which we enjoyed of an evening. Everything you need is in the villa but to be honest a 15 minute drive gets you to some lovely restaurants, bars, bakers, there is also a supermarket, basically all you need. You can also have a walk along the lake side and stop off for lovely Italian ice cream or a 3 course meal, have a drink and enjoy the views. We could not fault the locals either, everybody was so nice and helpful. And to top it all off, I was told to be careful as it was dear in Italy, well we were eating out 3 times a day and at prices like 6 euros for the best pizza I have had and steak at 11 euros, do you blame us? Basically, since we have returned from our stay in Villa Rustica we just want to go back!!!

We stayed in Villa Rustica for a week in April 2015 and enjoyed our stay, the views were superb and the hose was lovely. It is ideal if you want peace and quiet and just to chill out in stunning surroundings. The only downsides were the rather narrow access road (we had a big minibus) and the fact that the house is not very suitable for small children.

I went to Villa Rustica this September with 5 adult friends for my birthday, looking forward to a week of relaxation and good eating. What a fabulous place! We were totally over excited by the views on arrival, scampering straight down to the lake which was slightly difficult terrain but well worth the end result; an expanse of sun warmed rock on the edge of the nature reserve lake, full of swans and wildlife with a waterfall just round the corner which you could swim to on a warm day, or canoe to with a little picnic, which we did on about day 4. We very much enjoyed the local trattoria, pizzeria and the restaurants by the lake in Colico, but mostly we plundered the local supermarkets for fresh Italian ingredients and spent time whipping up tasty morsels in the big, well equipped kitchen or cooking up a storm on the stone BBQ in the garden. We ate outside most days, in the kitchen for snacks and in the original stone clad basement, surrounded by candlelight for one slap up meal and game of Trivial Pursuit. There was plenty to do in the local area, we hired a boat for the day to go exploring down to Como. We drove up to St Moritz for the day and wished we had taken some woollens – the hot hot hot September weather lulling us into a false sense of summer. We got the ferry over to Bellagio for the day and hiked up the narrow lanes for shopping delights and gourmet gelatoria treats, we got the funicular from Como and relaxed by the river watching the boats come and go and enjoying some excellent vongole. All in all, we had a fabulous time. We were completely spoilt by the hot weather, unexpected in late September and luxuriated in the isolated location, the unspoilt natural surroundings and friendly neighbours and helpful managers made the stay easy. We are all hoping to visit again during the winter for the easy access to great skiing, though in the winter I think we’ll be getting a 4x4 to tackle the access roads!

We were 2 families - 5 people each- to rent the house. The house easily sleeps 10. We liked the location, the lake view, the personal access to the lake (the water is a bit cold dough), the nice garden. Actually we were most impressed by the overall quality of the house. It is nicely renovated with high-quality materials and it was extremely clean. Some rooms were a bit small in size, but one can hardly consider this as a minor point. The only minor point I recall is that the only outside table was located in the grass at some distance from the kitchen. But, I understood from the owner that a new table was on order that would be placed on the terrace.