Do not follow the sat nav to get here – the owner will come and find you, in little San Giovanni a Piro! The roads wind up into the mountain countryside, the sea glistens in the distance, and cherry trees line the dusty track… we’ve never tasted fruit so delicious. The estate is self-sufficient (jams, wines, salamis, olive oil), the old palazzo is like a fascinating museum, the walls of your own house are a metre thick, and the style is cool rustic chic – with a dash of theatricality. Walls are white, floors are matt terracotta, there are lovely pieces of driftwood positioned in innovative ways, and a kitchen that’s sheer delight, with a great big fireplace and a stainless steel stove. Where the animals once lived, the cook now prepares your breakfast. There are seven bedrooms (two on the ground floor), a piano to play, a pool to splash in and heaps of space – come for a special occasion. The field-like garden is charmingly unkempt, with two donkeys to carry picnics and hammocks slung between trees (one fits six kids). Views reach to the Bay of Policastro – a seven-minute drive.
