After three wonderful days in Puglia, we were off to the Marche Region of Italy!

We left our trullo before dawn to hit the road as our next destination was about 5 hours away. This excursion was a last minute decision and while waking up extremely early was tough, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Spiagga delle Due Sorelle, also known as Beach of the Two Sisters, is a famous beach in Monte Conero State Park that is only accessible by boat. Such gorgeous turquoise waters!

After our day at the beach, we headed to our home for the next couple of days. We stayed in a beautiful country house in Morro d’Alba, about 30 minutes from Ancona and 20 minutes from Senigallia by car. We chose not to stay in either city as we wanted something more serene and tranquil for a few days. Vigna Sant’Amico Country Home, which used to be a farmhouse and is now nestled in vineyards, was everything and more with rollings hills all around. Stunning scenery to say the least. With a swimming pool on the grounds and a tennis court at their winery nearby, our accommodation couldn’t have been better.

We walked around the grounds where the views overlooked the countryside rolling hills.

Since we had some time to kill before dinner, we visited the city center of Morro d’Alba which was so tiny.

We also visited another small town called Ostra.

After walking around these quaint towns, we drove towards our dinner destination where we saw the most spectacular orange yellow sky.

That night we had dinner at Ristorante Seta, a rustic spot with amazing homey dishes. Definitely a local favorite.

A mixed salumi platter is always a crowd pleaser.

Homemade tagliatelle was smothered in a rich meat sauce with a light sprinkling of cheese. So good.

Pillowy bites of potato gnocchi was served with a duck sauce. My favorite of the night.

This lasagna was layered with sausage and green peas. Different from a traditional lasagna but still scrumptious.

Crispy yet creamy roasted potatoes are always a perfect accompaniment with meat. The tomatoes were gratinated with herbs and breadcrumbs which added nice texture.

Such a yummy dish with charred meat with crispy skin.

The following day we got pastries at a local bakery for breakfast. The pistachio croissant stuffed with pistachio cream was the winner for me.

After our morning pastries, we walked through the vineyard that was adjacent to our country house. Indigenous grape varietals that you’ll find here are lacrima and verdicchio.

We walked to Marotti Campi where they have their tennis court (we only played for about 30 minutes) and then had a free tasting of some of their wines. We both enjoyed all the wines that we tried but especially loved the Spumante Brut Rosé (sparkling rosé) and purchased a variety of their wines.

After our wine tasting, we walked back to the country house and relaxed by the pool for a few hours. Before our dinner reservation at Uliassi Ristorante, we explored the port town of Senigallia. We walked past Rocco Roveresca (a 15th century fortress) and Foro Annonario (a large piazza in the city center).

Our last morning was spent at Paolo Brunelli, a well-known pastry shop that also makes gelato. We got an assortment of sweets and I even got gelato even though it was morning.

Le Marche is by far one of the most underrated regions I’ve ever visited in Italy. We were both shocked at how much the region has to offer from dazzling ocean waters to the peaceful countryside. For anyone looking to visit Italy and wants something that’s slightly off the beaten, this region is not to be overlooked.