Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Best for: Outdoorsy adventures
If you’re not sure your slightly older (more sporty, or simply more cynical) children are still up for kids clubs, hit them with what’s on offer at Castelfalfi. Another impossibly charming ancient castle and village, this time dating back to 754 AD, Castelfalfi spans more than 2,700 acres. Suites and villas to suit every family group are set upon hilltops, lending them fantastic views and also making it an ideal location for an adventure park. With 10 woodland courses, heights and difficulty ratings increase with age (ranging from 3 to 12)—with the hardest encompassing Tarzan ropes, a cargo net, jumping mats, zip lines, and zooming through the treetops on a toboggan sledge. Also on offer is falconry, fishing (and release), archery and archery tag, evening animal safaris, and two-hour bushcraft sessions, during which students are taught how to make a fire and build a shelter, among other earthy, you-never-know-when skills.
That’s all before we even mention the Montessori-informed Falfy Kids Club program: divided into two groups—one for kids ages 3–6 and the other for those 7–12—it includes customizable game tables, a brick playhouse, and a kitchen for whipping up pizza, pasta, and other popular Tuscan recipes (should this not work out, all six of the hotel’s restaurants, including fine-dining spot La Rocca, have children’s menus). Positioned next to the hotel in what used to be the local school, its playground also includes a vegetable garden and mini farm with rabbits, chickens, and more.