Situated south of both Agropoli and Paestum, 15 and 20 minutes by car, respectively, Santa Maria di Castellabate is a town no one touring the western coast south of Salerno should miss. On the hill opposite the town, across SS267 is The Villa Elaia. The villa includes several units of various sizes, housing from two to eight or nine people. It is a very comfortable, clean and well-maintained establishment and the proprietor, Alphonso Cianfrone is most accommodating. What makes this the perfect place for couples, and families are the wonderful views from the upper level units, and the quiet serenity of the area. From the terraces of our unit Cerasella, we overlooked the town and the sea, and each night had beautiful sunsets. A roll-down awning allows one to decrease the amount of sun obtained during the day, however, in the later afternoon, the sun directly shines onto the terrace. Although it can be warm in the later summer months, there is a breeze, which makes it most comfort. The Units are nicely decorated, and are supplied with enough dinnerware and cookware to accommodate the number of people staying in each unit. The sizes of the terraces allow ample space, correlating to the size of the unit. Each terrace is equipped with a barbeque grill, lounge chairs, and a table and chairs. The pictures in the advertisement are most accurate, but fail to capture fully the beauty of the surroundings. Our stay at the Villa Elaia was the week from August 10th – 17th/ 2013, a celebratory week for all of Italy. As August 15th is the Assumption Day, also known as Ferragosto. From our terrace we could see the fireworks from the town and along the coast, including those from as far away as Positano. There are tables and chairs as well as lounge chairs in the garden for those not wanting to visit the beaches, which are most crowded during the month of August. Also located in the garden are playground items for children and an outdoor grill.
I would recommend staying at this lovely Villa and while there stopping at the Pergola Ristorante & Pizzeria, with both inside and outside dining. The owner, Antonio Florio, is most attentive and greets patrons upon arrival, as well as stopping by tables to inquire of the needs of the patrons. Although the pizza is very good, and ordered by many, we chose to order different foods from the menu, each as enjoyable as the next, and all moderately priced. There is a decent wine list, many representing those produced in the region.