Conca del Sogno, Massa Lubrense

Among the ten most enchanting places in Italy, one rightfully belongs to Conca del Sogno. Those who frequent it usually arrive by sea, and this traffic of more or less luxurious boats creates one of the problems related to the experience at the beach establishment managed by the Tizzani family, as it’s not exactly a relaxing place during peak season days. Moreover, arriving by land is quite complicated but not impossible, though first-time visitors risk getting lost among the coastal roads. It’s far from everything, even from Sorrento, as you need to reach the most remote part of the Sorrentine Peninsula. Then there’s the final descent, almost a dive. Finally, once you’ve parked your car, expect a walk through the trees, where it feels like being in the mountains. The sea appears suddenly and is breathtakingly beautiful. The founder must have thought the same in 1960, when he decided to open a seafood restaurant where there was only a stone quarry. Then the restaurant grew and gradually the beach establishment was born on the small pebble beach beside the venue, later developing on the cliff beautified with flower beds from where you descend to the sea walking on stone steps. The stations consist of cream-colored umbrellas and pearl-colored loungers positioned also in lateral “boxes,” like in a theater, designed to admire nature’s spectacle: to the right we find rock walls where the sea has patiently carved over millennia, creating small caves; to the left the Scruopolo rock and the other small islands of the Amalfi Coast; ahead the immensity of the deep blue Tyrrhenian Sea, with Capri’s faraglioni in the background. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, and among the proposed specialties naturally appear spaghetti alla Nerano and excellent fish dishes, with an impressive wine list and an equally rich cocktail drink list. For those who might fall in love with the place, which is certainly not difficult, standard and superior rooms are also available. Prices for a two-lounger and umbrella station vary between 40 euros in low season on the small beach and 160 euros in high season on the panoramic terrace, with an included 40 euro restaurant credit and complimentary towels.