Stay Inside a Tuscan Nature Reserve at These New Eco-Lodges

Dreaming of an eco-friendly vacation in Italy? Now you can stay at an incredible new hotel with the endorsement of one of the world's most important groups for wilderness preservation, the World Wildlife Fund.

The organization has partnered with Oasi Dynamo Nature Reserve in Tuscany, about 50 miles north of Florence in the municipality of San Marcello Piteglio, to open Oasy Hotel. The exclusive partnership opened its doors on April 8, 2022.

Oasy Hotel features 16 wooden eco-lodges, at 700-square-feet each, across the 1,000-hectare reserve. Each cabin has a private porch affording sweeping views of the reserve. There are 14 lodges with a double bed, a separate living area with a sofa bed and table and chic design accents like maps and nature photographs alongside pops of color from lamps and blankets. There are two family lodges with two sets of bunk beds, two bathrooms, and a separate living area.

The property also has public spaces with comfy couches and fireplaces and two restaurants. La Felci, the fancier of the two, is adjacent to the lodges and has a light and airy interior with arched ceilings and serves three meals a day to guests. Sample menu items include buckwheat gnocchi with foraged herbs and sheep’s milk Parmesan and juniper-berry-marinated venison with potato purée and hazelnut-sautéed cabbage. The other restaurant, Casa Luigi, is located further inside the reserve, inside a large stone farmhouse and with ample outdoor seating perfect for casual lunches and barbecues. Both restaurants feature organic ingredients from the Oasi Dynamo Farm and are led by executive chef Barnaba Ciuti.

Guests can visit the Oasi Dynamo Farm, where they grow berries to make jams and juices, horse chestnuts milled into flour, and items like potatoes and spelt. They also raise cattle for dairy like ricotta cheese and yogurt and heritage breed pigs for meat. Guests can join a cheesemaking workshop and dine at Casa Luigi, where their cheese is part of the meal.

Guests also have ample opportunities to explore the unique flora and fauna at the reserve, home to wolves, deer, foxes, and various bird species. There are guided hikes and trekking, Tuscan safaris, biking excursions, horseback riding, yoga, Nordic walking, and kayaking on the reserve’s Lake San Vito. Night owls can book a special evening tour, which takes them through the forest after dark for nocturnal animal sightings. Those interested in learning navigation can join an orienteering educational course, where they learn their way around the reserve by using just a compass and the sky.

Room rates start at $455 per night. To book, visit Oasy Hotel's website.