It's remarkable how Campania never ceases to awe. In December, archeologists in Pompeii unearthed Termopolio, a deli-like takeaway food shop that dates back to the 9th century BC. Situated at the intersection of the Vicolo delle Nozze d'Argento and Vicolo dei Balconi, the shop sold meat, fish, and poultry dishes, such as those painted on the counter together with the sea nymph in colors still so bright they seem freshly painted.
Cuisine has always been a pride of Campania: varied, genuine, and accessible, from a humble preparation of pasta and potatoes at the Dispensa San Salvatore in Salerno to oysters and Champagne at Beach Club 93, located on the sea of Cilento and not far from the Greek temples.
Campania's queen of five-star luxury tourism is always the Amalfi Coast. Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello play host to beautiful historic hotels. these exquisite accommodations are managed by families who have developed the ability to represent the place where they are located while simultaneously offering high-level hospitality on par with international standards. They're often fully booked, and we believe in it.
A night at Il San Pietro in Positano, an aperitivo on the terrace of the Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento, a serenade at the Caruso in Ravello are memories that last a lifetime. Mariella Avino, who, along with her sister, manages the Attilia Palazzo Avino in Ravello explains their success. "The hotels on the Amalfi Coast are historic but we treat them as if they were our home, always adding new things. Last year, for example, we remade the suites, a project designed by [esteemed Italian architect] Cristina Celestino. But then there's also the location."
The pink palace's terraces offer a panorama of the whole coast, a spectacle that never fails to win over guests' hearts. “I understand that it's difficult to look away, but I always invite my guests to discover what's behind it: a mountain full of paths that descend towards the sea. One side goes to Atrani and Amalfi, and the other to Minori, where Sal De Riso has his pastry shop that's famous for lemon delights.”
Maiori is also home to Casa Mandina restaurant, opened by brothers Cristian and Alfonso Pappalardo, both under 30. Guests can enjoy a surprise tasting menu at the chef's table.
These 50 kilometers (31 miles) of coastline do not only live in luxury. There are many small quality farmhouses, like that of Salvatore Aceto in Amalfi, where you sleep and savor lunch and breakfast among panoramic lemon groves, and Tenuta Novecento, an organic farm with a few rooms in Agerola, the capital of mozzarella located along the Path of the Gods (Il Sentiero degli Dei) hiking trail.
Here too we feel the impatience of new generations to emerge, with projects to enhance the rural environment and its culture. To this end, Giacomo Miola has founded Gastronomic Trekking, a start-up that organizes gourmet excursions. Trekkers collect herbs and wild aromatics along the way, which are then collected and cooked together with the chef of the Hotel Margherita in Praiano.
Naples is never far enough to postpone until next time. Fried pizza, pastries, the Veiled Christ, the Museo Madre, and na tazzulella ’e cafè (a cup of coffee) always warrant (at least) a half-day.
Cover photo: The Amalfi Coast, credit: Getty Images/Brzozowska