Glamping in Lazio: Eat and Sleep Under the Stars

Glamping in Lazio. Nature, clean air, but also comfort with a touch of luxury. Glamping, a term that combines the concepts of "glamor" and "camping," is the new frontier of open-air tourism, reimagining the concept of traditional camping by offering stays in eco-chic retreats.

According to a 2022 survey by the website Risposte Turismo, Tuscany is the Italian region with the most glamping facilities, followed by Piedmont and Veneto. Lazio, which ranks 11th, also offers ideal spots for an eco-friendly experience without sacrificing comfort. Tents are often set up within larger campsites or resorts, which also have restaurants. In other cases, you only need to travel a few kilometers to find places that satisfy your palate.

Below, we highlight several glamping options in Lazio, with a special focus on food, which is an integral part of any trip, even a short one.

Terme di Vulci Glamping & Spa

Nestled in the wild nature of the Maremma region of Lazio, Glamping Terme di Vulci is the ideal place for those seeking a relaxing, open-air environment during the summer and early autumn, without sacrificing the comforts of a next-generation resort. The property's highlights are its four thermal pools, with four different temperatures, as well as its spa, which also offers body treatments. Choose between Aminta, a superior tent with a private veranda among the olive trees, Isveita, a suite with a private thermal bath, or Lautnita, which can accommodate up to four people.

In the La Punta restaurant, inside the glamping site, the gastronomic offering focuses on the land and the seasonality of the products. Local meats and cheeses, fresh fish from the sea and the lake. Among the first courses are the homemade pici with white ragù (14), the ravioli filled with wild boar “a bujone” with homemade butter and black truffle (15 euros) or the linguine with Orbetello bottarga (18). Among the second courses, the Florentine steak from Maremma from the Mariotti Organic Farm or the crispy lamb chops. A vegetarian menu is also available which includes first courses such as red lentil and rice dahl (12) or sheep's ricotta pancakes (13).

Terme di Vulci Glamping and Spa. Via delle Terme, Riminino (VT). Tel. 0761 438574. Website. Facebook. Instagram.

The Planted

In Arlena di Castro, just a few kilometers from Lake Bolsena, lies the La Piantata farmhouse, ideal for a truly relaxing stay. Guests can choose from four double bedrooms, three apartments, two tree houses 8 meters above the ground, one spa apartment, and two glamping suites in the olive grove. This is the ideal place for lavender lovers, as lavender is grown in the surrounding fields, at the foot of which are the beehives that produce the house honey.

From breakfasts to aperitifs, lunches, and dinners served in the clubhouse, Piantana's cuisine is entrusted to chef Andrea Pasquali, helming the Il Trebbo restaurant, which moved from Tuscania to the agriturismo this year. There are three menus: meat, seafood, and vegetarian, all priced at €45, including drinks. Meat-based first courses include cacio e pepe ravioli with truffle, while second courses include beef, prosciutto, and buffalo mozzarella strudel.

La Piantata. Provincial Road 113 Arlenese, Arlena di Castro (VT). Tel. 327 2126916. Website. Facebook. Instagram.

Pomegranate Bubble Glamping

In Vasanello, near Viterbo, within the Tenuta Il Melograno estate, dedicated to growing and processing red fruit since 2014, you can experience bubble glamping, sleeping in a bubble-shaped geodesic dome (the term geodesic refers to the semi-spherical geometric structure whose intersecting lines form triangular elements). This eco-friendly solution allows you to sleep outdoors while still enjoying all the comforts of a hotel room. The panoramic room, furnished with a king-size bed and a private bathroom, is suitable for all seasons. Guests can enjoy a spa complete with a hot tub and Finnish sauna just a few meters away from the bubble.

Between one moment of relaxation and another, staying in Vasanello, there is also time for a lunch or dinner in the village, perhaps at La Pecora Ladra, a restaurant and grill, which is located inside a cave entirely dug out of the tuff. The menu changes every 45 days, but there are some constants such as the platter of cured meats and cheeses (15) or the lombrichelli cacio e pepe (14).

Melograno Bubble Glamping. Via Enrico Fermi, Vasanello (VT). Tel. 391 1057201. Website. Facebook. Instagram. La Pecora Ladra. Via Corte 18, Vasanello (VT). Tel. 0761 095196. Facebook. Instagram.

Underdome

In the heart of the Tuscia Viterbese region, between Lazio and Tuscany, lies the Bio Resort Parco dei Cimini, which also offers a glamping experience. Inside the astronomical observatory, you can sleep under the stars and immersed in nature, inside geodesic domes. The structures are surrounded by an outdoor relaxation area, equipped with a hot tub heated to 40°C (104°F). An immersive experience, perfect for those who want to escape the chaos of the city.

In the private outdoor area, you can order and taste local products from morning until evening. Given its proximity to the city of Viterbo, here are some suggestions for where to eat in the city of the Popes.

Underdome Glamping. Str. Romana SP57 km 4, Soriano nel Cimino (VT). Tel. 379 1519222/389 2385919. Website. Facebook. Instagram.

Montedoro Hill

Agriresort & Spa Poggio di Montedoro offers its guests glamping just steps from Lake Bolsena. Available tents include La Rimessa and La Cava, identical in size and features, as well as Capanna di Toto, an air-conditioned cabin on two levels: a ground floor with a double bed and a mezzanine with a futon bed. By choosing the Glam Spa Escape Relax package, you can enjoy the spa, which includes a sauna, hot tub, sensory shower, relaxation chaise longue, and herbal tea corner.

A few kilometers from the resort is the Da Pancino pizzeria and restaurant in Montefiascone. The restaurant's menu includes first courses based on eggs, flour, or potatoes, all strictly homemade, such as tagliatelle with meat sauce (9 euros) or grandma Lucia's pappardelle, topped with smoked bacon and parmesan (10). The meat or lake fish such as whitefish (14) are cooked in the fireplace equipped with a large grill. All accompanied by seasonal vegetables prepared daily. For further advice on where to eat on Lake Bolsena, you will find numerous suggestions here.

Poggio di Montedoro. Verentana provincial road, Montedoro, Montefiascone (VT). Tel. 346 058 8898. Website. Facebook. Instagram. Da Pancino. Via Alighieri 3/5, Montefiascone (VT). Tel. 0761 826137. Website. Facebook.

The Perseids Bubble Glamping

Still near Lake Bolsena, in San Lorenzo Nuovo, there's a location entirely dedicated to Bubble Glamping: Le Perseidi. The name refers to the shooting stars that can be seen on the night of August 10th, also known as the "tears of San Lorenzo," a clear reference to the location where it was built. One of the most exclusive and expensive stays is in the Luxury Bubble Suite Luna, equipped with a heated outdoor hydromassage mini-pool and an indoor hot tub with chromotherapy. From here, you can also observe the starry sky through a telescope.

Among the extra options for your stay are an aperitif in your room with sparkling wine or champagne and a pizza dinner for two. Not far from the glamping site, on the Grotte di Castro beach, in the Borghetto area, the lake view restaurant Il Capriccio opened its doors last April and is a must-see. Among the lake fish specialities are pici all'aglione, burrata cream, lake sardines and crunchy breadcrumbs (16), eel glazed with fennel, mashed potatoes and beetroot (20) or the whitefish hamburger, miso mayonnaise, sweet and sour onion and multicoloured chips (19).

Le Perseidi Bubble Glamping. Via Torano, San Lorenzo Nuovo (VT). Tel. 334 9429858. Website. Facebook. Instagram. Il Capriccio. Loc. Borghetto, Grotte di Castro (VT). Tel. 0763 612737. Website. Facebook. Instagram.

StarsBOX

Rome also has its own little glamping spot, thanks to the innovative StarsBOXes designed by Officina82, these habitable boxes offer a warm, wooden shell where you can stay in direct contact with nature. Bicycl-e, which rents electric and traditional bikes, offers a StarsBOX experience among its packages, located on the Regina Viarum farm in the Appia Antica Regional Park. Available options include a limited-edition dinner featuring supplì, a platter of Lazio cured meats and cheeses, Roman focaccia, cacio e pepe chips, and tonnarelli all'amatriciana.

Considering we're in Rome, and the city center is just over ten kilometers from the park, the gastronomic offerings extend throughout the capital. To help you choose a good restaurant, we recommend our article featuring Rome's best restaurants for 2023, along with the Puntarelle D'Oro awards, given to the most deserving new openings.

StarsBOX Rome. Via Appia Antica 300, Rome (RM). Tel. 333 8926204. Website. Facebook. Instagram.

Isola Verde Camping Village

Looking ahead to the upcoming spring/summer 2024 season, Camping Village Isola Verde in Nettuno, equipped for luxury camping, offers accommodations in wooden cabins immersed in nature. Among the options available for the summer season is a Lodge, an air-conditioned, single-level accommodation featuring a large patio with a relaxation area, a living room with a dining area, a fully equipped kitchen, a double bedroom, a bedroom with a bunk bed and a single bed, and a bathroom with a shower. Another option is the Tree House, a raised accommodation on stilts offering panoramic views.

The campsite has a restaurant and pizzeria, L'Antica Strada, where resort guests can dine without leaving the property. Poolside, you can enjoy the Aperigin experience, featuring 30 different gins on the menu. For more suggestions on where to eat between Nettuno and Anzio, you can find more coastal options here.

Isola Verde Camping Village. Via Selciatella 3, Nettuno (RM). Tel. 06 981 9472. Website. Facebook. Instagram.