A journey to the Amalfi Coast feels like being in a place where dreams come true. On one side the blue sea stretches to the horizon while paradisiacal gardens lay on the other side. Following these gardens, all grown naturally, leads to the kitchens of four exquisite hotels between the Gulf of Naples and the Amalfi Coast that all belong to the Relais & Châteaux association: Caesar Augustus in Anacapri, the Bellevue Syrene 1820 in Sorrento, Don Alfonso 1890 in Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi and Il San Pietro in Positano. The cultivated land, which has always existed, has taken on new vigor to make zero-mile cuisine a reality and aim for more sustainable tourism.
Relais & Châteaux expressed the guidelines for reducing the environmental impact in the Association's Manifesto: 20 concrete commitments (the key principles being energy, water, and waste) "to preserve, transmit and enhance the peculiarities and excellence of each kitchen.” Signed by the shareholders in 2014, under the patronage of Unesco. Flip through the slideshow above for a glimpse and vicarious taste of four of these properties to hold you over until you can visit them yourself.
A close up of that sparkling Tyrrhenian blue.
Photography: Beatrice Pilotto