Bask in the glorious sunshine and azure waters of Southern Italy exploring the picture-perfect regions of Campania and Puglia. Combining panoramic sea views and landscapes, welcoming people, deep-rooted cultural traditions, and of course an idiosyncratic cuisine, Italy’s boot-tip offers a stark contrast to any area of the country you’ve seen before!
Continue to Puglia where you can sample rustic regional dishes in a charming traditional “Masseria” (farmhouse) surrounded by olive groves. You’ll also explore the breathtaking ancient Greek temples in Paestum, Alberobello’s “Trulli” (conical roofed houses) and Lecce’s beautiful Baroque architecture.
6 nights & 7 Days
Amalfi Coast & Apulia
Uniquely local specialties, mozzarella masters, and ancient underground oil mills in Italy’s southern gems
Chef
Pasquale Torrente
Chef
Pasquale Torrente was born in Cetara, a quaint village on the Amalfi Coast. Il Convento - the family trattoria opened in 1969 by the parents in a seventeenth-century cloister - is considered one of the best trattorias in Italy and serves unforgettable spaghetti with "Colatura di Alici", Cetara's symbolic product. Pasquale didn't stop there and brought his cuisine all over Italy and around the world: from Rome to Istanbul to Dubai. Extremist and visionary, he defines himself as "homeless", but in his wanderings around the world, he always carries a bottle of "Colatura di Alici", the precious anchovies sauce.
Restaurant
Journey
Day 1 – Arrival
Your base to discover this unique area will be the Hotel Santa Caterina of Amalfi, a special place to experience the finest of Italian hospitality. You will be welcomed with an aperitif, and you will enjoy dinner at the hotel Michelin Star restaurant “Glicine” with a spectacular view of the Amalfi bay.
Overnight at Hotel Santa Caterina
Day 2 – Amalfi Coast wines and Ravello
Drive Along the Amalfi Coast through the picturesque villages of Minori and Maiori to reach Tenuta San Francesco Winery in Tramonti. You will have the opportunity to taste the Costa d’Amalfi DOC wines; an unforgettable experience rediscovering the old aromas and flavours of rural land. Once you reach Ravello, on the cliffs above Amalfi, you only have to enjoy the beauty and soaking it in. Beauty in the panoramas, in the luxuriant gardens and the food.
Overnight at Hotel Santa Caterina
Day 3 – Cetara and Amalfi
A day focused on a noble descendant of Garum, which the ancient Romans used as a universal condiment, Colatura di Alici of Cetara. Discover the secret of this speciality by visiting the local producer “Nettuno” and how to use it in the cooking class held at the Restaurant Al Convento di Cetara of the Chef Pasquale Torrente. Before going back to the hotel, enjoy a pleasant stroll along the Amalfi alleys.
Overnight at Hotel Santa Caterina
Day 4 – Paestum: Temples and Mozzarella
Take a trip back in time with the visit to the archaeological site of Paestum with its perfectly preserved Greek temples. The area around Paestum is famous not only for its temples but also for the local herds of buffalo, which produce the excellent fresh buffalo mozzarella beloved worldwide. You will have the opportunity to taste this and many other amazing products on your way to Paestum at a local producer.
Continue to Matera for a unique “Sassi” Experience at the Aquatio Cave Luxury Hotel & Spa.
Overnight at Aquatio Cave Luxury Hotel&SPA
Day 5 – Matera and Valle d’Itria
Have a stroll in Matera “Sassi” neighbourhood and visit its remarkable cave dwelling before continuing to Apulia. On the way to your next accommodation, you will have the chance to stop in Valle d’Itria, one of Apulia’s most characteristics areas, and visit some of its quaint villages as Alberobello or Martina Franca.
Palazzo Ducale Venturi, in the heart of Salento, will be your base for the rest of your itinerary.
Overnight at Hotel Palazzo Venturi
Day 6 – Lecce
Your exploration of Salento will start with a visit to Lecce, one of the most beautiful towns in Apulia, where you’ll enjoy a wonderful walking tour around its precious Baroque treasures. In the afternoon you’ll reach Gallipoli, on the Ionian coast, to explore its picturesque old town and learn more about Apulia’s gold – the olive oil. You’ll visit an ancient underground oil mill and then transfer to a modern farm to learn about the olive oil making process and taste the final product.
Overnight at Hotel Palazzo Venturi
Day 7 – Departure
It is time to say goodbye and see you soon for your next journey!!!!!
Partner Hotels
Aquatio Cave Luxury Hotel & SPA, is a new 5-star hotel of charm and relaxation, designed to give you the unique experience of a stay in one of the oldest cities in the world: Matera, European Capital of Culture 2019.Opened in 2018, it is located in the center of the Sassi, a UNESCO heritage site, on a ridge by the Sasso Caveoso district of Matera and has 35 rooms and suites, set in the tuff walls.
Set in the magic borgo of Minervino, nestled between majestic olive trees and lush vineyards, Palazzo Ducale Venture is a perfect choice for any screenwriter looking for inspiration, a place where finding incredible, compelling and different stories.
A late 19th century liberty style villa immersed in the beautiful scenery of the Amalfi Coast, an elegant seaside residence surrounded by the perennial blue of the Mediterranean sea and sky, by luscious bougainvillea and by lovingly cultivated olive groves and fruit orchards. This is Hotel Santa Caterina of Amalfi, a special place to experience the finest of Italian hospitality and lasting sensations of wellbeing.
