The legendary Costiera Amalfitana (Amalfi Coast) is one of the most famous stretches of coastline in the world, a series of soaring cliffs, deep gorges and tumbling whitewashed villages strung together by the SS 163 road. Blasted out of the sheer rock face, the Amalfi Coast Drive (‘the road of a thousand bends’) weaves and winds its narrow, thrilling way from Positano to Vietri sul Mare, slicing through olive and lemon groves, rising and falling above the shimmering sea.
The area was ‘discovered’ in the 1960s by the dolce vita jet set and soon became a magnet for the very rich and very glamorous. Today, it is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Italy, home to some of the country’s finest, most romantic – and most expensive – hotels.
The grandest hotels on the Amalfi Coast inhabit splendid old family villas, palazzos and ex-monasteries; others teeter on sheer clifftops, their lower floors seemingly plastered onto the plunging rockface. Then there are more-modest, quirky guest houses and B&Bs hidden away off the beaten track. Views are astonishing and awe-inspiring – if you don’t have one from your bedroom (they usually come with a price tag), there will probably be a terrace or two that will oblige.
Average prices are higher here than just about anywhere else in Italy, but there are bargains to be had, especially if you are prepared to stay away from the main towns and avoid July and August. Most hotels in the area are open from just before Easter until the end of October; visit during spring or autumn to avoid the worst of the crowds and to bag an elusive bargain.
Location: Conca dei Marini
A spectacular infinity pool teeters on the cliff top
(Monastera Santa Rosa)
The 20 austere-yet-luxurious bedrooms of this immaculate hotel occupy the ex-monks’ cells of a vast, carefully restored 17th-century monastery set in fragrant terraced gardens on a rocky outcrop just outside the quiet village of Conca dei Marini. Alongside the pale Jerusalem marble floors and fine antiques, there’s a spectacular infinity pool, a Michelin-starred restaurant (think tagliolini with summer truffle and sea urchin) and a fabulous spa housed in a series of atmospheric vaulted rooms. The spa menu offers rituals, therapies and massages using Santa Maria Novella products – the ‘Nun’s Escape’ ritual, ‘Venus Caress’ facial…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…