Torre Amalfi
Torre Amalfi is a medieval tower, turned luxury villa rental, on the Amalfi Coast with stunning views of the ocean.
How would you describe The Lemon Grove in a nutshell?
The Lemon Grove is a 3 bedroom villa rental nestled in a peaceful lemon grove with beautiful views over the Amalfi coast. The house was built in the 19th century and has been in the family for generations. It has been entirely refurbished mixing the original, antique flair with modern touches.
Please tell us more about the villa garden, the Lemon Grove.
We have been spending summers here for generations. When we were refurbishing the property my mother was very focused on not altering the nature of the garden. She wanted to maintain the nature of the lemon grove which is very traditional of this area — the Sorrento lemons are world famous. In order to protect the lemons, they would grow grapes on top of them. It is a very typical local technique.
Our garden is very characteristic of the area where the lemon orchard surrounds the courtyard. Our courtyard is like a little enclave because you have the villa on one side, a rough rock wall on the other and the stables where the animals were kept all enclosing the courtyard, making it very cozy.
What was your inspiration to rent out the villa to holiday guests?
We wanted to share our house with guests and provide modern accommodations with an authentic, local flair. This is in contrast to the many other places on the Amalfi coast which are often either cheap with a lot of kitsch, or 5 star hotels.
And there are restaurants and shops nearby?
The Amalfi coast is not only a beautiful place to be, but it’s also one of the best gourmet destinations in Italy, offering many amazing Michelin-star restaurants. And even the very simple trattorias provide really excellent food. Some of the restaurants are very famous and you need to have advanced reservations, so guests should plan ahead. The distance to good restaurants depends on how picky you are. There’s a very good trattoria only two mins away from us and there are a number of other restaurants on the way to Sorrento or the other villages around us.
Is there a highlight that you think you just have to do or see?
It would be strange to come to the Amalfi coast and not see Capri or Pompeii. There’s nothing like Pompeii anywhere else.
Closer to the villa, it would be a pity to be in the area and not walk up to the top of Monte San Costanzo (a quick half an hour climb from the parking lot) from where you may enjoy commanding views of Capri and the Amalfi coast. Taking advantage from the drive there, it would be crazy to miss a lunch or a dinner at ‘Maria Grazia’, a historical trattoria right on the water with one of the most memorable antipasto anywhere in the world. Maria Grazia is only few mins away by car from Termini where the road up to Monte San Costanzo starts.
Please tell us a bit about the beaches on the Amalfi coast.
The beaches are small and pebbled. During the spring they are lovely, but during the summer they are really crowded. Still, many tourists love the little coves and enjoy dining at the restaurants that are at sea level.
Particularly during the summer and on weekends when it’s crowded, I recommend renting a boat. It is very easy to rent a ‘Gozzo’, a traditional fishing boat in Amalfi. They have a deck to enjoy the sun and swim in the ocean. You don’t need a license but many guests rent a boat with a conductor. A very nice Gozzo for up to 8 people costs around €150-200 per day.
You can rent a Gozzo in Marina della Lobra or in Marina del Cantone, the fishing village just below Nerano, no need to go to Amalfi. You can easily sail to Capri, Li Galli (fabulous small islands formerly owned by Rudolf Nureyev, a famous ballet dancer), Positano or even Amalfi. The sail is wonderful because a large part of the coast is a marine preserve.
