Coastal Living Positano™

Tie on your aprons for a luxury Cooking Vacations Positano adventure with Chefs Filomena, Fortunata, and Giuseppe as they lead you through hands-on cooking classes of food, wine, culture, and sun-filled days in our Coastal Living Bespoke VIP cooking tour.  Join our chefs as they share their Neapolitan recipes making pizza, antipasto, fresh pasta and seasonal sauces, antipasto, fish, meat, and desserts, while learning about healthy foods and the Mediterranean diet. Check into the villa, walk out to your private terrace overlooking Positano, and begin your week of luxury!

Your stay in the villa, which was once the residence of a noble Neapolitan family, echoes times past when this itinerary was once part of the Grand Tour. The majestic property carries on the tradition with elegant accommodations. Follow the footsteps in a residence where kings and queens cooked and entertained lavishly – overlooking the sea in sunny Positano!

Cooking Classes Positano – Positano Lemon

The hands-on cooking classes Positano take place in a professional kitchen and include traditional Mediterranean and Neapolitan recipes, antipasto, fresh pasta and seasonal sauces, main course, and traditional desserts.  Everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in the cooking class including the food from the class with wine included with wine included.  You will enjoy one cooking class using the scent of the sfusato lemons.  Discover the Mediterranean diet and learn classic recipes with farm-to-table ingredients.  Think lemon pasta, risotto or gnocchi, fish scented with lemon leaves, delizia al limone, and lemon gelato!

Cooking Vacations In Positano

Cooking in the rhythm of the seasons is our philosophy. Spring, summer, winter, and fall, as our gardens change so do our menus. Cooking with seasonal bounties keeps your body balanced and healthy. Your menu will include fiori di zucca – Italian squash flowers stuffed with ricotta and basil; arancini – Arborio rice balls, stuffed with cheese, peas, meat (and veggies for the vegetarians in the kitchen) flash-fried to a golden crisp.

Learn how to make focaccia and pizza; fresh pasta and ravioli Caprese – learn how to make pasta dough stuffed with ricotta, pumpkin, eggplant, smoked mozzarella, and or mushroom.  Learn how to prepare fresh fish, such as sea bass on lemon leaves, and pesce all’acqua pazza – fish in crazy water, with fresh tomato, garlic, and parsley.  Learn how to make traditional desserts including torta Capreseandtorta di limone.  This Cooking Vacations Positano is a one-of-a-kind culinary experience!!!

Positano

Discover Positano!  Positano is a little Moorish-style village, discovered by American and British troops at the end of World War II. Opening onto the Tyrrhenian Sea, this small town has for years attracted a plethora of renowned artists and writers including the famous writer John Steinbeck. Steinbeck said that ‘Positano bites deep, it’s a dream place’, an opinion shared by many of the town’s visitors. Positano’s narrow winding streets are lined with tiny cafés, terraces, and artisan shops selling ceramics, limoncello, antiques and distinctive Positano-style handmade clothes.

Walk the cobblestone footpath, the little street that leads down to the beach, lined with local artists selling their crafts. Visit the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta in Piazza Flavio Gioia, a Romanesque structure that was completely rebuilt in 1700. The locals of Positano celebrate the feast day of the church every August 15th, as they carry the statue of Maria Assunta along the beach accompanied by a parade of musicians. A spectacular fireworks display follows under the stars, with boats arriving in hundreds to watch and celebrate from the sea. Stroll the beach and visit the famous L’Incanto Ristorante dotted with straight lines of orange beach chairs and umbrellas or hop on a boat along the coast. Spring, summer, and fall months are most colorful in this seaside town, however, the off-season months still have a moody, quiet charm all of their own.

The Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi region and the Sorrento Peninsula have attracted travelers, explorers, emperors, artists, and poets for centuries.  Soft pastel colors, dramatic coastlines, year-round warm climate, and hospitable people combine to make the region a heavenly seaside destination.  Meet your driver for an excursion to  Amalfi and Ravello and discover the cobblestone streets of ancient Ravello.  Along the Amalfi Coast enjoy seeing the villages and vineyards that are nestled among the jagged cliffs.

The Villa Azzurra

Villa Azzurra is a luxurious one-of-its-kind villa offering private oversized suites overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. Set in the heart of Positano, the villa offers not only the best views but the perfect and convenient location. There are 1, 2, and 3-bedroom suites that are each decorated with Mediterranean artwork and style, offering all of the most modern amenities and comforts. Beautiful furniture and comfortable modern bedding with Italian linens are included in each room. Each suite has a fully equipped kitchen with dinnerware, glasses, linens, and cookware.  Cool, pastel ceramic tiles line the floors, a collection of rare art and paintings decorates each suite, and high, vaulted white ceilings give a lofty feel with lots of light. Each suite features modern amenities including a private bathroom, living room, in-room safe, air conditioning, and outdoor terrace offering breathtaking sea views. Spacious floor-to-ceiling windows spill out onto the terrace and showcase a panoramic view that spans to Li Galli Islands to the Bay of Salerno. Centuries-old charm and modern accents make you feel like you are living in a dream.  The villa offers an unmatched setting of sea and sun making it the most desirable luxury villa on the Amalfi Coast.

Click for Property Photo Gallery

Itinerary ~ 8 Days, 7 Nights

Check-in and start your program on any day of the week

Saturday: Benvenuto and Chef’s Tasting Dinner

• Pick-up and transfer from Naples airport or train station to the property.
• Arrive and check in to your Villa suite and meet the property manager who will explain the features of your Suite. Each suite overlooks the sea and has a private terrace. Refresh and relax on your private terrace with an aperitivo.
• Enjoy your Cooking Vacations’ Welcome Bag including your Prosecco welcome and chef’s apron.
• Later in the evening, enjoy our Welcome Dinner featuring local fare with wine.  Additional wine, drinks, grappa, and an assortment of after-dinner digestives are not included.

Sunday: Positano ~ Cooking Class 1

• Cooking Class 1 – Tie on your apron and get cooking! You will be slicing, dicing, and cooking alongside your Chefs creating an antipasto, fresh pasta and seasonal sauce, a main course, and dessert.  Everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in the class followed by local wine included.
• After lunch, enjoy the landscape of Positano and stroll through the cobblestone streets. Walk under the pergola and by the Piazza Mulini until you reach the Spiaggia Grande.  This once sleepy fishermen’s village is now called the pearl of the Coast.

Monday: Capri, Italy’s Glamorous Seaside Island

• Following breakfast, set sail for Capri for a full-day excursion to discover its landmarks, cuisine, shopping, and beauty. Spend the day soaking up the magic of the isola azzurra – blue island – while enjoying a beautiful 30-minute boat ride along the way.
• Capri is Italy’s most popular and well-known seaside island and is just twenty minutes away. Once in the port of Capri, you can choose to take the funicular up to the famous Piazza Umberto. The square, better known as la Piazzetta, is perched high above the sea and offers a panoramic view of the Bay of Naples and Ischia. At the main piazza, you will find many designer shops and luxury boutiques, or you can simply sit at a caffé and enjoy a gelato or Prosecco Mimosa.
• You can choose to see the Blue Grotto, the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” or stroll along the port. The Blue Grotto has a special cavern entrance where the sunlight reflects on the water in the cave, turning it into a dramatic Mediterranean cerulean shade of blue.
• Visit Anacapri – the Old World village that once captured the hearts of writers, artists, and poets is dainty, delicate, and quiet. Anacapri, the highest point on the island, virtually carries you back in time. Walk through narrow streets lined with Grecian-style whitewashed villas, ancient churches, and small bookshops. From Anacapri, take the chair lift to Monte Solaro; pass the castle of Barbarosso, and fields of Capri flowers, and marvel at a clear blue sky that seems to turn 360 degrees above you.
• Turn your day on Capri into a culinary adventure and add on a Food Lover’s Tour & Tastings with our English-speaking guide, who will share with you the best addresses on Capri – tastings are included. Walk along the ancient street of the famous Island, tasting and discussing the typical food traditions, like pizza frite, arancini, focaccia, gelato, and even a shakerato, little treats made in a big way during the Food Lover’s Tour on Capri. Learn the food history while enjoying this one-of-a-kind tour. Learn about the local fresh pasta, artisan bread, Torte Caprese, and wine. Annarita is the perfect host for this traditional food culture.  Following your tour, return to the boat and depart for Positano.
• This full-day excursion departs from Positano port (Marina Grande) in the morning and returns to Positano in the afternoon. If you have questions about the return meeting point, just ask your Captain. Please be on time for your departure.
• Your evening is free and dinner is on your own with suggestions provided.

Tuesday: Cooking Class 2 & Limoncello and Dessert Making

• Limoncello and Dessert Making Class: This cooking class shows you have to make the famous lemon liqueur, limoncello. Limoncello is the famous drink of the Amalfi Coast, and you too will learn the fragrant and delicious Limoncello.  The one-of-a-kind Positano lemons used in making authentic DOP Limoncello blossom and bloom four times per year.  The cooking class starts with an informal discussion on the history behind the lemons and how they made their way on the Amalfi Coast. Learn our secrets of cooking with the Amalfi Coast lemons.  Start by peeling the lemons, then see the process transform into this delicious drink.  As the lemons bathe in the alcohol watch the clear liquid turn yellow.  The liquid must rest untouched for a few days.
• Followed by your Cooking Class 2: Cooking In The Lemon Lifestyle: Learn a little history about the sfusato lemons, a very special variety that only grows on the Amalfi Coast.  Our Chefs will lead the way teaching you how to prepare lemon-infused antipasto, fresh handmade lemon pasta, local fish or chicken scented with lemon, and Amalfi lemon cake. Vegetarian and gluten-free menus are available.
• Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the food prepared in the cooking class with wine included.

Wednesday: Visit To Amalfi Coast Visit & Ravello

• Meet your driver and drive along the famed Amalfi Coast headed with a stop at the artisan ceramic maker. Colors, patterns, and old-world ceramics including tabletops made of volcanic rock and unique ceramics owned by a local family.
• The town of Amalfi is rich in culture and history. This small town, perched on the coastline, is dominated by Amalfi’s Cathedral, and its main streets are lined with small shops and elegant bars. Merchants display their artisan crafts outside and nothing could be more pleasant than browsing through small herb shops and spices, artisan jewelry, leather shoes, handmade Amalfi paper, and local lemon soap and liqueurs.  Enjoy a cappuccino, engage in a little shopping, and soak up the Amalfi Coast culture.
• A must stop, is our famous pastry caffé that has been creating handmade dolci since the 1800’s –  enjoy local traditional desserts. This famous pastry shop creates one-of-a-kind Amalfi traditions, and the famous chocolate and eggplant with pine nuts, liqueur, and orange, a ricotta and pear open-face pie, and creamy gelato.
• Ravello follows. This quaint town, often called the city between Sea and Sky, is suspended high above the coast, with sweeping views that span the Tyrrhenian Sea to the mountains inland.  Ravello is hailed as the International City of Music and is known for its panoramic view from the gardens of Villa Cimbrone.  The town is perched 350 meters over the rocky spur of the Amalfi Coast separating the Valle del Dragone from the Valle del Regina. Today, Ravello is world-famous for its outdoor music concerts.  Visit Villa Cimbrone, once the residence of Greta Garbo, wander through the lush gardens and the Terrazza Della Rosa, or stroll down the path that leads to the Terrazzo dell’Infinito, named Terrace of Infinity.  The natural balcony at the terrace is adorned with imposing marble busts and a spectacular view for miles.  From this unique terrace, you can see the distant Cilento Mountains and the Licosa to the lush Amalfi Coast.  The landscape boasts distinctive terraces of colorful lemon trees and the typical whitewashed houses that cling to the rugged coastline.  Stroll along the streets and alleyways and discover little gems of churches, chapels, and noblemen’s residences.  Visit the Cathedral, Villa Rufolo, San Giovanni del Tauro, and Santa Maria!!!

Add-On Our Guide For The Amalfi Food Lover’s Walk and Ravello Landmark Tour

• You may also like to add to our Amalfi Food Walk & Ravello with an English-speaking guide for Amalfi and Ravello.  Learn about the local food, history, and culture.  Stroll to the fish market, cheese artisan, and bread. Also included is a stop at one of Amalfi’s most historic pastry, chocolate, and gelato makers with tastings included.  The highlight of this tour is a stop at a boutique food shop that showcases local and artisan foods including an assortment of cheeses, salumi, bread, pasta, olives, spices, and wines, tastings included.  Your guide will explain the different foods and how they are used in cooking.  Next stop the limoncello maker with Amalfi Coast sfumato limone with tastings.  We continue through Amalfi and end with a visit to the most famous pastry shop with tastings.
• After you visit Amalfi, your tour with our English-speaking guide continues to Ravello. In Ravello, discover Villa Rufolo or Villa Cimbrone and the Terrazza dell’Infinito.  Stroll through Medieval Gardens, piazzas, pathways, and ancient landmarks while learning about the invaders, kings and queens, writers, and famous people who lived here.  End in the piazza with a toast of Prosecco.  A 3-hour tour with English speaking, tastings are included. (The guide’s fee is extra, please reserve in advance.  *Entrance fees to museums are not included and must be purchased on-site by each guest).
• Return to Positano in the afternoon.
• The evening is free and dinner is on your own with suggestions provided.

Thursday: Cooking Class 3 & Olive Oil Tasting

• Cooking Class 3: Tie on your apron and get ready for your third hands-on cooking class. Alongside the chefs, create a traditional antipasto, fresh pasta making, seasonal sauces, a main course, and dessert.  Lunch or dinner follows and includes the food that was prepared in class with wine included.
• Olive Oil Tasting. Join us for a tasting of our locally produced extra virgin olive oil.  Cooking Vacations makes our first pressed extra virgin olive oil from healthy olives that have been tended and cared for all summer long. We use only the first cold press virgin olive oil.  It means that the oil we bottle is pressed only one time giving it a clean fresh taste. Virgin means it is pure and not mixed with anything else. It is DOP-Denominazione di Origine Protetta, the ‘origin protected’ domain of production and “made on-site in Italy.” Grown under the warm Mediterranean sun, in rich volcanic soil, and with salt sea winds, our olives make perfect olive oil. We respect the old-world process of picking just at the right time, just in October and not too late in the season. Always organic. Our olive oil is made without chemicals or preservatives, we promise. The informal tasting provides a bit of insight into tasting, buying, and using olive oil.

Friday: Gourmet Wine Pairing Dinner

• Take the day to soak up your last precious moments on the Amalfi Coast. Venture to Sorrento, or simply enjoy a beach day or shopping.
• In the evening, enjoy a Gourmet Wine Pairing Dinner including a full-course menu of local fare with wine pairing included.

Saturday: Departure

• Departure and transfer to the Naples Airport or Train Station.
• Ciao e a presto!

*Note: This sample itinerary schedule may vary due to inclement weather, saint days; and festivals. All activities, in the event of rescheduling, are always included during the week.  Please note that museum tickets are not included in the program price.