Olive Tree Hill

A nice almost rural stay in a rustic finnish cabin amongst an olive grove. Kind Hosts with helpful advise in what to do while there. If you come by car be aware the road in, is in fact a road and not a driveway. They offer to drop you off and pick you up at train station which is especially handy if you venture into Rome. Thank you Ivano and Terhi for your hospitality. We wish the hosts well for getting council to fix the roads sometime soon.

We stayed with Ivano and Terhi for a few days after completing a tour of southern Italy ending in Napoli. We felt like family right at the start. Ivano picked us up from the Zagarolo train station, an easy journey on the Italian train system. The cottages on their peaceful pastoral property are simple and charming. We had a classic Italian homecooked meal (Ivano makes an awesome Spaghetti carbonara) with homemade wine and delicious olive oil that he had just pressed on the morning of our arrival. Ivano’s tour of the Castelli Romani area is exceptional. His knowledge of the history, culture and food of the region is matched only by his wonderful story telling style. We have enjoyed several trips to Italy, but this was an authentic and unique experience of a region of Italy without swarms of sightseers, queues or frenzied tour guides. Unfortunately, rain prevented us from his walking tour of Rome at night, but we hope to return in the future.

Great B&B, great company, great advice and ask Ivano to make you his chicken specialty dish. If you want a space away from the bustle of Rome but close enough to travel daily ;after a great breakfast gets you started), then this is the place! Thank you Ivano and Terle! Amazing stay.

This is a rustic gem in the heart of the Roman country side and yet only 20 minutes by train to Rome central. Zagarola center and the train station are both a ramble from the premises for those of us who like a walk. Getting a lift to and from the station is never a problem. I had a double room which was simple but very clean and comfortable. Although I was sick for my stay, chopped and changed things accordingly, Ivano and Terhi were so patient and kind. The tour and lunch we did was local and amazing. Different to an experience of Rome and the joy here is being able to have both, pop into Rome in 20 mins and live like a local in the beautiful countryside, overlooking Rome. Even the train out is a joy, scenerywise. But it’s the kind hospitality that makes Olive Tree Hill different. Warm and gentle hospitality in abundance. Amazing food and lovely company, with other guests or with Terhi and Ivano, it is always full of comradery and fun. As a solo traveller, it was serenity when I needed and fun company when I needed that too. I learned loads cookingwise. If you book the excursions with Ivano, they are not just interesting and knowable but they are passionate, local and sometimes places where you would otherwise never have found yourself. It was a joy. I was only sorry I couldn’t participate more and so I have to go back for my night tour of Rome and my big cooking class. Ivano, the list of cooking wishes can only get longer with time! Marco, couldn’t write this without saying what a pleasure it was and how kind of you to facilitate our tour at a moment’s notice. Just a lovely, warm family extending their unique hospitality in their idyllic country setting.