SEN Family Retreats in Italy
A family holiday designed to work for your family.
7 nights · Fully catered · Montemarano, Italy · Just four families per retreat
Some families can book a holiday without thinking twice.
For others, a holiday takes planning.
Will it be too busy? Will the food be okay? What happens if plans need to change? Will people understand? Will my child cope? Will I spend the entire week worrying about everyone else?
At Tenuta Monteluce, we wanted to create something different.
A beautiful Italian family holiday where you don't have to spend the week explaining your child. Where it's okay to change the plan. Where it's okay to eat something different. Where it's okay to need some space. And where parents get to enjoy being on holiday too.
Welcome to our SEN Family Retreats.
Only four families
This isn't a busy resort.
There are no enormous children's clubs, crowded dining rooms or packed activity schedules. Each SEN Family Retreat is limited to just four families.
Tenuta Monteluce is a peaceful country estate in the hills of Montemarano, surrounded by four hectares of vineyards, olive groves, woodland and countryside.
Every family has their own private apartment, giving you somewhere that's completely yours for the week. Close the door. Have some quiet time. Come back out when you're ready.
There is no expectation to participate in everything — or anything.
Your family. Your holiday.
There is no such thing as a typical SEN family.
So there is no one-size-fits-all holiday here. Before you arrive, we'll talk to you about your family. What helps. What doesn't. Foods your children will eat. Sensory needs. Routines. Interests. Things that might make the holiday easier. And things you'd rather avoid altogether.
Then we can prepare for your family, rather than expecting your family to adapt to us.
Fully catered — without the fuss
Food is included throughout your stay.
But we're not trying to turn every mealtime into a formal restaurant experience. We want food at Monteluce to be relaxed, plentiful and easy — particularly for families who may already find mealtimes challenging.
Breakfast
Mornings begin with a relaxed Italian-style breakfast buffet — breads, pastries, cereals, fruit, yoghurt and breakfast favourites, alongside tea, coffee and juices. Come down when you're ready. Have a quick breakfast or sit around the table for an hour. There's nowhere you need to rush off to.
Lunch
Lunch is deliberately simple. Fresh pasta, tomato sauces, salads, bread, fruit and easy Italian family food. And if your child would rather have their pasta completely plain? That's absolutely fine. We're not here to turn mealtimes into a battle.
Dinner
In the evening, everyone can come together for a hearty, home-cooked dinner prepared by our chef. Good Italian food, generous portions and a relaxed table. Drinks are included throughout your stay and, when the children are settled, there might even be a glass or two of local wine for the grown-ups. Because parents are on holiday too.
Mealtimes without the pressure
We know food can be particularly important for SEN families.
Before your stay, we'll ask about:
- Allergies and dietary requirements
- Sensory preferences
- Safe or familiar foods
- Foods that are absolutely off the table
- Textures or flavours that may be difficult
- Anything else that would make mealtimes easier
We'll do everything reasonably possible to accommodate those needs.
Because sometimes a successful family dinner in Italy is homemade pasta and local produce. And sometimes it's a bowl of completely plain pasta with nothing touching it. Both are welcome at our table.
Supporting families — not replacing them
Our SEN teacher and wellbeing coach are an important part of the retreat.
But we want to be really clear about what that means. This isn't a childcare or babysitting service. Our teacher and coach aren't here to take the children away for the day while the adults disappear. They're here to support families spending time together.
They understand that sometimes plans change. They understand sensory needs, overwhelm and different ways of communicating. They can help children engage with activities, support families through difficult moments and simply be another knowledgeable, understanding person around when you need one.
Our wellbeing coach is also there for parents who might appreciate a conversation, some time to reflect or a little support of their own.
But the heart of the retreat is family time. Cooking together. Exploring together. Sitting around the table together. Walking through the vineyard. Playing outside. Discovering somewhere new. Or doing absolutely nothing together for an afternoon.
This isn't respite care. It's a family holiday.
We don't want to create somewhere parents bring their children to be looked after.
We want to create somewhere families can have the kind of holiday that can sometimes feel difficult to find elsewhere.
You're still Mum. You're still Dad. You're still the person your child wants when something goes wrong. But you're somewhere where the people around you get it.
Nobody is staring. Nobody is expecting your child to sit quietly through dinner. Nobody minds if you leave an activity halfway through. Nobody cares if the carefully prepared dinner is rejected in favour of plain pasta. And there are experienced people around who can offer support when it's helpful.
You're not handing your family over to us. We're simply making it easier for you to enjoy being together.
There is no packed timetable
You won't arrive and be handed a schedule.
We'll have things happening around the estate throughout the week, but participation is always optional. Depending on the retreat, there might be:
Join in. Watch. Leave halfway through. Come back later. Or spend the afternoon in your apartment.
You don't have to get your money's worth by exhausting yourself.
Explore Italy — or don't
Monteluce is in Montemarano, in the province of Avellino.
Surrounded by the beautiful countryside of Irpinia. If you'd like to explore further, trips and excursions can be arranged or added to your stay. But there is absolutely no expectation that you should.
Sometimes a successful holiday isn't seeing twelve different places. Sometimes it's finding one place where everybody is happy.
Arriving at Monteluce
Getting from an unfamiliar airport can feel like the hardest part.
So we'll help make your arrival as straightforward as possible. Airport transfers are included as part of our SEN Family Retreats.
Before you travel, we'll give you clear information about what will happen when you arrive, where you'll be met and what to expect next.
One less thing to think about.
Your own private apartment
Each family has their own private apartment for the week.
Two larger family apartments
Accommodate up to 2 adults + 2 children + a baby.
Two smaller family apartments
Accommodate up to 2 adults + 2 children + a baby.
Travel cots can be provided. Our four apartments accommodate different family sizes, including single-parent families and families travelling with babies.
And because every family has their own space, there's always somewhere familiar and private to return to.
Please note: Tenuta Monteluce is a historic country estate set across sloping vineyard and woodland ground, and our apartments are reached via steps and uneven surfaces. The property is not wheelchair accessible. If anyone in your family has mobility needs, please mention it when you enquire — we're happy to talk through what's possible and help you decide whether the retreat is right for your family.
Just four families
That's worth saying again. Four.
Even when every apartment is occupied, this remains an incredibly small retreat. Your children won't suddenly find themselves surrounded by dozens of unfamiliar children. Parents won't be trying to navigate an enormous resort. And our team has the opportunity to actually get to know the families staying with us.
Small is deliberate.
We don't assume what a family looks like
Families come in all shapes and sizes. So do our prices.
One adult and one child? One adult and three children? Two adults and a child? Two adults, two children and a baby? We price for the family that's travelling, rather than assuming every family consists of two adults and two children.
Babies under two stay free, and prices are tailored to the family travelling.
And we don't increase our retreat prices simply because it's the school holidays.
Need a little more support?
The support of our SEN teacher and wellbeing coach is already part of the retreat.
Some families, however, may require something more individual. Additional one-to-one support, private wellbeing sessions, bespoke activities, specialist requirements, trips and excursions can be discussed with us before your stay.
There is never an assumption that every family needs the same thing.
This might be your kind of holiday if…
Then Monteluce might be exactly what you've been looking for.
- Your child finds busy resorts overwhelming.
- Food can sometimes be difficult.
- You worry about how other people will react if things don't go to plan.
- Rigid schedules don't work for your family.
- You've avoided travelling because it feels like too much.
- You'd like your children to have freedom without feeling watched or judged.
- You'd like to spend proper time together as a family.
- You'd quite like someone else to worry about what's for dinner.
- And you'd love to spend a week somewhere beautiful where your family can simply be your family.
What's included
Your SEN Family Retreat includes:
And, perhaps most importantly — no expectation that your family needs to holiday like everybody else's.
Come to Italy. Come for the sunshine. Come for the food. Come for the countryside. Come because you'd love your children to experience Italy.
But come knowing that if somebody needs plain pasta, headphones, an afternoon in their apartment, a change of plan or absolutely nothing scheduled for the entire morning… that's completely fine.
SEN Family Retreats at Tenuta Monteluce.
Four families. Seven nights. One beautiful Italian estate.
A holiday designed around the family you've actually got.
Book your family retreat
Tell us who's travelling.
Choose your apartment, tell us the ages of your children and add a little about what would make a holiday work brilliantly for your family.
We'll review your request, talk through your family's needs and confirm your retreat with you — with a price based on the people actually travelling.
No pressure. No one-size-fits-all package. Just a conversation about whether Monteluce is right for your family.
