Agriturismo la Derta

We stayed here as two couples . A double room and a family room. The rooms are basic , but very clean with towels provided. There is Wi-Fi , but no TV , which was actually lovely! There is no aircon, but we opened the windows which was fine as we were staying in June. It may get a bit hot in the summer. Breakfast was good, fresh fruit , toast, cake, cheese and yoghurt, and fruit juice. Thr best coffee we had the whole trip. I will be honest, when we arrived we were a little unsure if the simplicity, but by the end of the stay we loved it. A 15 minute walk into town which is a bit hilly on the way back, but you have free access to VillaMelzi gardens which is a must to get into town, they are beautiful and right next to the lake. A much easier walk than using the road.

I see no reviews since 2019 and I believe the agriturismo deserves a fresh review. I loved the place. It’s a farm in one of Italys most sought after towns, astonishing that, and a short distance from “tourist central” Bellagio, a busy, hyped up, glitzy town. It’s up a quaint cobbled street and has its own little spring fountain to drink from. It’s in a beautiful vegetable garden setting, just happens the building is vast and historic, the owner is a hands on farmer of veggies, fruit and bees for honey and produces it all locally, all of which is for sale. The design of the accomodation is carefully considered with lots of attention to detail. There is good air con, the switch is behind the bathroom door. The main building is a restored and renovated farm building using lots of beautiful wood. Herein may lie the problem for some, there is limited soundproofing and it can be noisy. Footsteps overhead and kitchen noise is possible. We had a spacious double room en-suite and were woken around breakfast prep time. HOWEVER we were not there to sleep late so it was not a problem for us. Breakfast is lovely, we enjoyed it served outside. Fresh fruit salad, homemade tarts and cakes, good moka coffee (espresso pot), nice cheese (one type) , bread and honey, and frittata using farm produce. No meats, no problem. The fruit juices were served at room temp, and given recent unprecedented searing heat we feel these should have been served cold. At least in mid summer they should be. We did not ask for ice, our mistake. Entry to Villa Melzi is for free, just get a note from reception or show your room key, it’s the most amazing lake side walk through magical gardens to town. Bellagio town is mayhem, you may turn right back, or get on a traghetto ferry and escape elsewhere or return to the quiet of the area that is Agriturismo la Derta. It’s what I did and on the walk home I filled my water bottles from the spring. Added plus, there is excellent free parking, the location is not overly touristy, there is a sweet nearby hamlet San Giovanni to walk to. The accomodation is easy to find and it’s a haven of tranquility. Yes, I would return.