Villa Arianna

Villa Arianna stands on the hillside above Marina del Cantone, on the stretch of coast between Sorrento and Positano where the Amalfi Coast crowds thin out and the fishing villages keep their own rhythm. It is a contemporary three-storey house with a crisp, tailored look: white and blue, custom-made furniture, original artwork and walls of light, arranged over five en-suite bedrooms that sleep ten. Outside there is a large private pool with its own sundeck, a plunge pool with hydro jets on the solarium, two panoramic terraces and a covered outdoor living room with a kitchen, all of it facing the Tyrrhenian Sea. Housekeeping comes every morning and breakfast is laid out daily, both included.

Where exactly is the villa, and what is the beach like?

The house sits above Marina del Cantone, in the commune of Massa Lubrense at the tip of the Sorrentine peninsula, looking out over the bay towards Capri. This is the quieter side of the coast: Positano and Amalfi are an hour away by road when you want them, but the daily life here is village life, with local shops and restaurants within walking distance of the gate.

Marina del Cantone, a couple of minutes below the villa, is the largest beach on the peninsula, a pebble and shingle cove in a sheltered bay with exceptionally clear water and a row of family-run beach clubs along the front. It is also one of the best places to eat in the whole of Campania: the bay is home to two of the coast’s most celebrated seafood restaurants, and boats come from Capri for lunch. The swimming here is calm and deep, protected inside the Punta Campanella marine reserve, which makes it a genuine snorkelling and diving spot rather than simply a place to sunbathe.

From the marina, boats leave for Capri, the Li Galli islands and the coves along the coast, and the footpath to the Baia di Ieranto, one of the most beautiful bays in Italy and reachable only on foot or by sea, starts a short drive away in Nerano.

How do I get there?

Naples International Airport is about an hour and a half by road, and the concierge arranges the transfer, which is the civilised way to arrive on this coast. Sorrento, with its train connection to Naples and Pompeii and its ferries to Capri, is thirty minutes; Positano is around an hour by car and considerably more pleasant by boat. There is dedicated parking at the villa, though most guests use a driver for the coast road.

What is the house like inside?

Three storeys, open and full of natural light, in a coastal palette of white and blue. The living room has a fireplace for cooler evenings, a flat-screen television and comfortable, contemporary seating, and the dining table seats up to fourteen, which is generous for a house of ten and means the party can entertain. The galley kitchen is fully equipped, and there is a guest bathroom on the ground floor along with a washer and dryer.

The furniture was designed for the house, and the mix of custom pieces with original artwork gives the interiors warmth rather than the coolness contemporary villas can have. Air conditioning and central heating run throughout, and Wi-Fi covers the house.

How are the bedrooms arranged?

Five bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, sleeping ten.

On the first floor there are three queen bedrooms, two with sea views and one looking into the garden. On the second floor there is a king bedroom with a sea view and a further queen bedroom facing the garden. Every room has air conditioning, a minibar and a television, and the master bathroom has a jacuzzi tub with a hand-held shower; the others have showers.

What is outside?

The large private swimming pool sits on its own sundeck with loungers and the sea beyond. On the first-floor solarium there is a plunge pool with hydro jets, which is the place to be late in the afternoon. Two panoramic terraces catch different parts of the day, and the covered outdoor living room, with its own kitchen, is where most meals happen between May and October. The garden is manicured and quiet, with an outdoor shower, and a portable barbecue is available.

What is included, and what can be arranged?

Daily morning housekeeping, a continental breakfast laid out each morning, daily bath-towel changes, final cleaning, garden and pool maintenance, utilities, Wi-Fi and parking are all included in the stay.

A cook can be arranged through the villa’s management, as can personal laundry and ironing. The Haute Retreats concierge takes care of everything else: airport transfers and drivers, pre-arrival provisioning, boat charters to Capri, Li Galli and the Amalfi villages, private guides to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius, Ravello and its gardens, cooking classes and limoncello tastings, in-villa massage, and tables at the restaurants in the bay below, which need booking well ahead in summer.

Who is Villa Arianna right for?

Two or three families travelling together, or a group of friends of ten, who want the Sorrento coast without the crush of Positano: a house with a real pool, sea views from most rooms, a table for fourteen, and a beach and a great lunch a couple of minutes below. It suits a summer fortnight, a milestone birthday, or a September week when the water is still warm and the coast has emptied.

Good to know

Seven-night minimum stay. Check-in 4 pm to 7 pm, check-out 10 am. Non-smoking; pets not accommodated. A damage deposit applies, and the local visitor’s tax is payable on site. Full terms and cancellation policy confirmed at booking.

CIN IT063044B4VDBQT55Q

A few days at Villa Arianna

Walk down to Marina del Cantone for a long seafood lunch by the water, and swim off the beach afterwards.

Take a boat from the marina to Capri for the day, or around the Li Galli islands and into the coves below Positano.

Hike out to the Baia di Ieranto in the morning while it is cool, and come back to the plunge pool.

Stay home: breakfast on the terrace, the afternoon by the pool, and dinner cooked in the outdoor kitchen as the lights come on across the bay.

LEARN MORE A Week in Amalfi Coast in the Spring