We proudly dedicate the blog for listing #1000 on Fairbnb to La Sosta della Tartaruga (The Turtle’s rest), a B&B in Genoa managed by a social cooperative employing young people with disabilities: a project of accessible and slow tourism, respectful of the environment, committed to the enhancement of local economies and certified Gluten free!

At the Sosta della Tartaruga you can breathe Genoa, for the smell of freshly baked fugassa served at breakfast, for the traditional mezzeri used in all the rooms, for the Genoese grit floors, for the furnishings created by local craftsmen and artists. A B&B in Genoa that reveals the city’s hidden treasures, such as the private garden where breakfast is served, surrounded by historic buildings. A B&B in Genoa run by knowledgeable and attentive workers who offer a slightly ‘special’ welcome… We met Francesca and Enrico to find out why!

Who are the hosts at La Sosta della Tartaruga?

La Sosta della Tartaruga is one of the activities of the Compagnia della Tartaruga Social Cooperative, founded to create concrete and sustainable employment opportunities for young people with intellectual disabilities. After a thorough training course that started in November 2021, we selected and hired four young people with Down syndrome, who are now integrated into the staff: they will be your hosts at La Sosta!

These girls and boys with intellectual disabilities shine by nature in activities such as welcoming guests, preparing breakfast, tidying up the rooms after check-out, and managing the large common area, consisting of a lounge, a reading room, and a garden with trees and flowers, where breakfast is served in summer.

Why did your B&B in Genoa join Fairbnb.coop?

We thought of La Sosta della Tartaruga as a proposal for the public that chooses different lifestyles, questions the sustainability of what it buys, that when traveling prefers to choose facilities and services that give value back to the territory. This is why our values are very close to those of Fairbnb.coop and the entire cooperative movement.

La Sosta dedicates ample time to attention to detail, to breakfast service and to the presentation of the territory: this is why we appeal to guests who appreciate slow travel rather than hit-and-run tourism. La Sosta della Tartaruga believes in the concept of accessible tourism and also tries to meet all the special needs of guests, including any difficulties with movement, diet, or behavior.

How important is accessible tourism for your B&B in Genoa?

In the flat on the ground floor of our B&B in Genoa, accessibility for people with mobility impairments is fully guaranteed, while it is partial in the rooms located on the fourth floor: you have to climb a few more steps from the lift to reach the entrance. Nevertheless, the interior is furnished with a disabled bathroom with the necessary aids in one of the four rooms and a ramp to overcome an internal step in the common area.

Why did you choose to open a gluten-free B&B in Genoa?

For us, the issue of food intolerances, in particular coeliac disease, is a very important topic. In order to allow people suffering from this disease to enjoy their holiday with peace of mind, we drew on the experience of the Italian Coeliac Association (AIC) and followed specific training courses.

All our staff, including disabled workers, have been trained on the subject. Coeliac disease is particularly common in people with Down syndrome and some of the guys already had personal experience of it… they are the best trained of all!

We provide the coeliac guests of our B&B in Genoa with a gluten-free breakfast by offering exactly the same menu, but with the utmost care in the production or preparation stages: the intake of gluten must be avoided even in the smallest quantities resulting from the ‘contamination’ of food. Crockery, glasses, napkins, and even the menu for coeliacs are all green, to leave no room for error.