Villa Conca dei Marini

Conca dei Marini is the smallest and most exclusive hamlet on the Amalfi Coast, a collection of whitewashed houses cascading down the cliff between Amalfi and Furore. It was here that Jacqueline Kennedy chose to holiday in the 1960s, establishing the village's reputation as the coast's most discreet retreat. Villa Conca dei Marini continues that tradition: six bedrooms distributed between a main house and a garden annexe, a sea-level pool carved into the rock, and a position so sheltered that the nearest neighbour is invisible behind bougainvillea and lemon trees. The main house is a classic example of Amalfi Coast domestic architecture: multiple levels connected by external staircases, arched loggias providing shade, and every room oriented to maximise the sea view. Three bedrooms on the upper level each have a private terrace and an en-suite bathroom tiled in hand-painted Vietri majolica. The living room, on the middle level, opens through arched doorways onto a broad terrace where breakfast and dinner are served with the entire coastline visible from Positano to Cetara. The garden annexe, a converted fisherman's store reached by a path through the lemon grove, contains three further bedrooms with a shared living room and kitchenette. This separation works well for families or groups who want communal meals but independent sleeping arrangements. The sea-level pool is the property's most remarkable feature. Reached by 85 stone steps descending through the cliff (or by a funicular installed in 2021), it occupies a natural platform at the water's edge, filled with heated seawater and surrounded by sun loungers arranged on the smooth rock. Steps lead from the pool directly into the sea for swimming in the deep, clear water of the Tyrrhenian. The Emerald Grotto, a sea cave illuminated by underwater light, is accessible by boat from the property's small mooring. Amalfi town is 5 minutes by car; Positano is 15 minutes. The chef specialises in the cuisine of the coast: colatura di alici from Cetara, pasta with zucchini and provolone, and delizia al limone made with the property's own lemons.