Sorrento: XVII Century Farm House on the Coast

• Superb village and villa. Splendid hosts

  Superb village and villa. Splendid hosts

  • Guest Maria B.
  • Date of stay 04/24/13
  • Review Submitted 05/06/13
  Our family of 8 -including members of all ages- had the most relaxing and inspiring holydays in this villa. The kids had plenty of fun playing in the wonderful garden, the 2 young couples were delighted by the romantic atmospehere of the place and the grandparents enjoyed the extremly good taste of the decor and its charming location. It seemed difficult, but this place really covered the expectations of each member of the family! The villa has breathtaking views of the sea and is surrounded by lemontrees and orchards. It is located in one of the most genuine and picturesque villages of Sorrento's coast. Basically, it is an unbelivable piece of paradise! The house has been exquisitly refurbished keeping all the beauties of an old property and yet offering all the confort of a modern house. The bedrooms are spacious and gracious, each with its own bathroom, giving plenty of intimacy and confort. The living room is extraordinary -making possible unforgettable family meetings- and breakfasts in the terrace were something we will always remember. The owner, Ludovica, was wonderful and caring. She gave us great suggestions and even it was our third visit to the area and we know it quite well, we discovered wonderful places that we wouldn't have found without her advise. Ludovica was extremely warm and helpful and she really made us feel at home. All in all it was a gorgeous experience that we would recommend to anyone willing to experience this marvelous and genuine part of Italy. We wished we could have stayed there forever...

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• A trip back in time with all the modern comforts

  A trip back in time with all the modern comforts

  • Guest JESE
  • Date of stay 03/29/13
  • Review Submitted 04/29/13
  We loved staying in this villa for a week in late March/early April of 2013! The five of us - mom and dad, 2 daughters (early-20s), and grandmother. This was an ideal home-base from which we took day trips to Sorrento, Isle of Capri, Pompeii, Ercolano, Amalfi, Termini and many other small towns. One day we decided to walk to the harbor; we knew it would be a steep hike, but didn't know we'd discover a wonderland of ancient foot trails - hundreds of moss-covered cobbled steps, that wound their way around tiny terraced lemon and olive groves visible through gates and gaps in the high stone walls. Massa Lubrensi has charms at every corner and staying at this villa made us feel like we were in its heart. We used only 3 of the 4 bedrooms. We congregated morning, afternoon and night in the cavernous central living room for meals, planning or reliving our excursions, reading, catching up with the world we left behind via the web (thanks to strong wifi), and playing card games. The two comfortable reading chairs grabbed my wife and my mother and forced them to spend many hours in front of the huge glass doors looking out over the stone terrance, lemon groves and view of the town and the sea beyond. The photos on VRBO are exactly what you see - every view is gorgeous. The full kitchen had everything necessary to prepare a full meal and the many bathrooms were completely modern. Although there is parking near the house, park on the street even if you have a very small car. The driveway is long, very steep, very narrow and has a few turns - I went up in a Citroen C4 (about the size of a Honda CRV) but had to go so slowly to make it without a scratch with less than an inch on either side much of the way - the clutch got a bit smokey so I let the car recuperate for a day or two. From then on we hiked up and down the driveway - its uphill length changes mysteriously: about 100 paces when you are fresh, but becomes about 135 steps after a day of hiking. The weather was not on our side, quite cool and rainy, but we bundled up and scarcely noticed. The villa has two other residences - the farmer and family lives to the left and the owner stays to the right. The owner was on hand to warmly welcome us, show the ins and outs, and was available to answer questions, chat about the history and life - a real treasure in all ways. Staying here was a highpoint of our trip.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Authentic, off the beaten path, superbly located and whimsical Italian villa with a personal touch

  Authentic, off the beaten path, superbly located and whimsical Italian villa with a personal touch

  • Guest Massa Dreams
  • Date of stay 10/30/12
  • Review Submitted 12/09/12
  Our family of six (married couple, grandmother, and three young children) had a life-altering wonderful week in this villa, which exceeded expectations and was even more charming and exceptional than the website's photos and information suggested. At the top of our highlights was spending some time with the property owner, to absorb bits of the local culture (from cooking to history) and to gain from her many recommendations about how to explore the area. She was exceptionally gracious, hospitable, and caring. Our every want or need was met with complete satisfaction. The property itself is spectacular. Far from a package-resort style experience, this villa is set on a somewhat secluded hillside overlooking the Bay and Mr. Vesuvius, and has active olive and lemon groves which we were thrilled to explore. The structure and amenities are aged but generally well-maintained and interestingly renovated in a rustic luxury style. Elements of its past as an ancient farmhouse are still visible (see the spickets for the old wine press in the main living room built into the molding, for example). The bedrooms and bathrooms were comfortable, and every convenience was on hand. It is a short (appx 5 minutes) but somewhat challenging walk from a nice small villa with plenty of shops to sustain a secluded vacation. But also linked to bus transport and roads for quick access to local must-sees, including Sorrento (15 minutes by bus/car and the main jumping off point for Pompei and Capri), and the Amalfi Coast in the other direction. Sorrento itself has much to offer, for those who are looking for restaurants and shopping. The only caveats are that travelers here must either bring a small enough car to fit up the narrow driveway or (like us) not mind walking uphill and relying on the somewhat inconsistent public transport. The same can be said, though, for most of this region. We will look forward to coming back to this villa someday, and in the meantime wish that many others will have as magical experience as we did there.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

• Fabulous Accommodation and Wonderful Host

  Fabulous Accommodation and Wonderful Host

  • Guest J&J
  • Date of stay 05/06/12
  • Review Submitted 06/15/12
  Seven of us - three couples and a single person - spent a fabulous week at this villa. There was lots of room and everything we needed for the stay. Although we had a car we loved walking and found the villa close to shopping and the bus stop. You can readily access public transport to other attractions in the area including Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, Pompei, Capri, etc. You also have direct access to many walking and hiking trails - check out Giovanni Visetti website. We spent much of our time on the terrace/patio cooking up the local fish and enjoying the sunsets. Our host was wonderful. She made sure we were comfortable, she joined us for several meals, provided us with lots of advice on where to visit both in the local area and in Rome, and she also showed us some of the local sites, including Nerano and her favourite beach at Marina del Cantone. We highly recommend this accommodation particularly for adults who like to get away from the crowds and be self sufficient. We would like to return someday and continue exploring the Amalfi Peninsula.

  Recommended for: Age 55+.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

• Breathtaking Views, Elegant Surroundings, Perfect Stay!

  Breathtaking Views, Elegant Surroundings, Perfect Stay!

  • Guest Nan
  • Date of stay 06/23/11
  • Review Submitted 07/12/11
  I’m so glad I trusted my instincts, choosing to stay here for our week long visit to the Amalfi Coast area! Vicky is the perfect hostess: attentive, kind, gracious and helpful. True to the pictures, this handsome old stone house, a converted wine-making facility perched high above the lemon and olive groves, is gorgeous, peaceful and the perfect home base for exploring this beautiful part of the world. We loved it!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, pet owners, families with young children, girls getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 6/6

• Guest comment entered by owner

  • Guest Gill
  • Date of stay 03/26/11
  • Review Submitted 06/05/11
  My family and i we spend a beuatifull week at ludovica's house. The place is very mediterranian deep in lemon grove vewing the gulf of Neaples. So calm so cool.Her hospitality is warm end sweet, we travelled easily from Massalubrense to Pompei, Capri, Ravello and the beautifull sourroundings. The house is elegant and confortable, architecturally very interesting, unique. I really recomand to go there ones in your life !

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

May 01-July 15 .. €1250/week
Sep 01-Sep 30 .. €1100/week
Oct 01-Apr 30 .. €1000/week

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.