Southern Italy

Campania

We have been sending many of you to Naples (and that's before it became fashionable again), to the Amalfi Coast and further south for so long that we were very keen to include the Cilento Coast and our favourite property on it in our brochure. Throw in mozzarella and the temples of Paestum and you've got more reasons to head south. Please ask about several other hotels in the area that we like to recommend.

Calabria

I first visited Calabria twenty years ago and I still have problems reconciling the often unattractive results of modernisation with the sense of a feudal past when you travel inland, or with the pretty coastal scenery south of Tropea. I came for some of the best beaches in Italy as does half of Milan each August, and for those of you looking for somewhere different, a little bit rough at the edges and exlusively Italian, I recommend you look no further.

Puglia

Many of you who have travelled to Calabria have asked if it is possible to arrange a twin centre with Puglia, or if we have properties there that we can recommend, so this was the excuse needed to visit what is often thought of as the forgotten heel of Italy. I wasn't prepared for the variety of scenery, the range of architectural styles from Byzantine to Baroque, and an excellent and distinctive cuisine. There is some serious industry and some serious agriculture, but the faded ports, the gleaming white hill towns and the beaches that stretch for miles, make this an area you will want to explore.

Basilicata

When I first went to Basilicata to look for properties I thought you might like, I had trouble explaining where I had been because it's such a strangely shaped chunk of Italy, sitting between the toe of Calabria and the heel of Puglia. I concentrated on two areas, the far more attractive of the region's two coasts; the twenty seven kilometres of the Tyrrhenian west coast with the red-roofed jewel of Maratea huddled above the sea, and the valleys and hills that lead into the fractured landscape of the "Basilicatan Dolomites". The one good thing that both these areas share is the significant absence of foreign tourists.

Palazzo Belmonte

One of our most popular properties, the Palazzo Belmonte is an oasis of luxury hidden away on a glorious stretch of the Cilento coastline.

Casa Angelina

Casa Angelina, located in the picturesque village of Praiano, differs from the other Amalfi hotels both in style and atmosphere.

La Locanda delle Donne Monache

Located in the village of Maratea, La Locanda delle Donne Monache is a stunning hotel with amazing views over the village and to the surrounding hills.

Foresteria di San Leo

A 2 hour drive from Naples east through Campania brings you to Potenza and on to the edge of the uniquely beautiful area of the so called Lucan Dolomites which share some of the spectacular colouring and views of their more northerly namesake.

Hotel Villa delle Meraviglie

The pretty hill village of Maratea is the Positano of Basilicata's short stretch of west coast, but at half the price.

Villa Cheta Elite

The Villa Cheta Elite is located in the coastal village of Acquafredda, overlooking the coast, just 6km from Maratea.