Golden Sunset Praiano™

Tie on your aprons for farm-to-table cooking in sunny Praiano on the Amalfi Coast. Bask in the golden glow of southern Italy where lemon-scented breezes, turquoise seas, and terraced gardens create a feast for the senses.  This sun-drenched paradise, noted for its Mediterranean cuisine, Neapolitan traditions, and breathtaking coast, is the perfect destination for Neapolitan pizza, gnocchi and ravioli, sea bass, farm-raised meat, and local Aglianico, Piedirosso and Fiano wine.  Don’t forget La dolce vita, the sweet Italian lifestyle touting food, wine, fun and sun.

Enjoy Amalfi Coast food and wine capturing the essence of the Mediterranean diet. Start with fresh seafood caught daily by the local fishermen – there’s sea bass, clams, calamari, mussels and shrimp from the Tyrrhenian Sea.  From the garden – there’s lemons, persimmons and San Marzano tomatoes.  Extra virgin olive oil is a staple here and is used abundantly in cooking.  Beautiful Mediterranean basil, rosemary, and sage grow everywhere and are used in local cooking.  Slice into a creamy ball of mozzarella, the protagonist in the famous Caprese salad, layered between sliced tomato.  A true Caprese is drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and garnished with fresh basil and sea salt.  Neapolitan desserts, each one better than the next, wow – from torta Caprese, a flourless chocolate cake, semifreddo, a soft gelato scented with peach and mint, to delizia a limone, a traditional cake filled with lemon cream.

Get into the lemon lifestyle in Praiano – unwind, learn to prepare Amalfi Coast recipes, and sip and swirl your wine or spritzer from your terrace while overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.

During your stay, learn about the sfusato lemon, bright yellow, citrus-scented, and growing everywhere. Cultivated in lemon groves terraced along the Amalfi Coast, these golden treasures are used in cooking from antipasto to lemon pasta and lemon desserts, along with limoncello. Local farmers continue to cultivate by hand and follow the IGP growing methods using biodynamic farming. You’ll also learn about the locally made extra virgin olive oil and how it is used in cooking.

Amalfi Coast Cooking Classes

Tie on your aprons and learn how to prepare classic Neapolitan recipes of the Amalfi Coast with Chef Tonino in three hands-on cooking classes.  Starting with antipasto, fresh pasta and sauce, a main course, and dessert.  From Nonna’s kitchen to culinary school, Chef Tonino uses only local farm-to-table ingredients. In each class, you’ll learn how to transform organic products into a full-course lunch or dinner.

Learn to prepare antipasti such as fiori di zucca ripieni, stuffed squash flowers, arancini, rice balls, and involtini di melanzane, stuffed eggplant. Fresh handmade pastas range from gnocchi, ravioli Capresi and scialatielli, a traditional pasta of the Amalfi Coast.  Main courses wow with spigola al limone, fresh sea bass with lemon, pesce all’acqua pazza, fish cooked in crazy water, and pollo con le erbe e limone, lemon-scented chicken. Neapolitan desserts which are ancient were first made in the monasteries by the nuns.  On the menu are torta Caprese, a flourless cake made with chocolate and almond flour, torta Vesuvio, a cake dedicated to Mount Vesuvius, babà soaked in limoncello, and lemon tiramisu.

Cooking class ingredients follow the rhythm of the seasons and are hands always respecting each guests’ food allergies.  Recipes can easily be recreated at home.

Praiano

Discover Praiano, the seaside village tucked between Positano and Amalfi where meandering stairways lead down to the Tyrrhenian Sea. Local life centers around Piazza San Gennaro, home to the church of San Gennaro, the patron saint of Praiano and Naples.  The church’s majolica dome is a beacon seen from land and sea.  Caffès, trattorias, and pizzerias pepper the town, making it an interesting destination for any food lover. Praiano is also home to sun-splashed Marina di Praia and Gavitella Beach, along with Torre di Grado, a historic 16th-century watchtower built in 1564. Still a sleepy fishermen’s village, small boats driven by sun-tanned men are filled with daily catches sold to local restaurants. The village is a place for slow pleasures, handmade pasta with local seafood, a glass of Costa d’Amalfi white wine, and a lemon-kissed dolce where you can sit back and relax.

Ravello

During your stay, you will visit Ravello set between sea and sky. Home to the Wagner International Music Festival, Villa Rufolo, and Villa Cimbrone, Ravello is a quiet haven ladened with elegant gardens, cobblestone footpaths, and a bella piazza where you can sit back, sip coffee, and dream of the famous people who visited before. Gore Vidal lived here in the Villa Rondinella, Jackie Kennedy Onassis loved the pizza here, and Richard Wagner wrote the opera “Parsifal,” the story of the Arthurian knight Percival and his hunt for the Holy Grail, while sojourning during his stay.

Accommodations

3-Star Property with Balcony and Sea View

Check into your 3-Star property in Praiano.  The beautiful property overlooks the sea set from a Mediterranean garden.  The property offers airy arches, whitewashed walls, terracotta floors, and hand-painted Vietri tiles that set the Italian mood. Rooms are bright and beds are modern and comfortable dressed in Italian linens.  Open your balcony doors and look out to the sea with views of Capri and Positano in the near landscape. The bathroom continues this elegant theme with natural ceramic and lava stone tiles, complemented with a whirlpool tub for ultimate relaxation. The room’s color palette blending blues and whites blend to create a cool clean atmosphere. Equipped with modern amenities including air conditioning, minibar, safe, and smart TV, the Deluxe Room offers both comfort and style, making it a peaceful sanctuary where guests can truly unwind while enjoying the beauty of Praiano.  There is an outdoor garden with a swimming pool, lounge chairs for relaxing, and a bistro and bar.

Wake up to an Italian breakfast with a full buffet from cornetti, cakes, artisan breads, marmalades, fruit, eggs, cappuccino, tea, and fruit juices, included.  Enjoy breakfast indoors or outdoors by the pool.

4-Star Elegance with Terrace and Sea View

Check into the 4-Star luxury property with a pristine color scheme of yellow, blue and white and infinitive amenities from restaurant, swimming pool and bistro bar.  Overlooking the sea, the property offers sun-splashed rooms with ensuite baths and extra space.  Each room offers modern design of tiled floors and bright bedding.   Beds are modern and comfortable dressed in Italian linens.  There is Wi-Fi, air conditioning, minibars, and safes.  Superior Rooms have terraces, while Classic rooms have small outdoor areas.  The property is perched in a geographically blessed position boasting sweeping sea views with Positano and Capri in the distance. The rooftop bar and restaurant with a swimming pool make an oasis for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a sunset aperitivo. Visit the hotel’s spa and Turkish bath for a head-to-toe experience of deep relaxation.

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Itinerary 
6 days, 5 nights

Day One: 
Arrival and Check In

• Pick up and transfer from Naples Airport to the property.
• Check in and relax. Enjoy your Cooking Vacations Welcome Bag with Prosecco.
• Welcome Dinner featuring a Chef’s Tasting Dinner with a full course dinner featuring local cuisine with an antipasto, fresh pasta and sauce, main course and dessert.  Wine is not included.

Day Two: Cooking Class 1

• Breakfast is served.
• Tie on your aprons for a hands-on Cooking Class 1, preparing a full menu with traditional Amalfi Coast fare.  Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in class with a toast of local wine.
• Later, enjoy free time to relax and explore the local area.
• Dinner is on your own, with suggestions provided.

Day Three: Cooking Class 2 & Positano with Wow Dinner

• Breakfast is served.
• Tie on your aprons for a hands-on Cooking Class 2, preparing a full menu with traditional Amalfi Coast fare.  Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in class with a toast of local wine.
• In the afternoon, meet your driver and visit Positano.  Walk along the winding footpaths lined with artisan shops, a wine bar, pastry shops and trattorias.  Discover Positano on your own.  Later in the evening, enjoy a Chef’s Tasting Dinner featuring a full course menu at our favorite restaurant noted for their traditional recipes and excellent wines.  Following dinner, return to Praiano with your driver.

Day Four: Full Day Excursion to Amalfi and Ravello with Food Lovers’ Tour

• Breakfast is served.
• Meet your driver for a full day excursion to Amalfi.

• In Amalfi, you will meet our English-speaking guide for your Food Lovers’ Walking Tour with tastings along the way. Step onto Piazza Duomo in the heart of Amalfi, a historical town.  Our guide will share the history while making food stops at local artisans.  Amalfi is the birthplace of Amatruda handmade paper, home to Saint Andrew’s Cathedral, and the historic Cloister of Paradise.  in Amalfi you will also find la sfolgiatella, the traditional Neapolitan pastry, while our guide shares stories behind Amalfi’s landmarks.  Amalfi’s vibrant atmosphere and old-world history make are never ending for a first-time visitor or returning fan.
• Following Amalfi, we continue to Ravello, the city suspended between sea and sky. Discover Villa Ruffalo or Villa Cimbrone while your Food Lovers’ Tour continues. Stroll along winding cobblestone pathways as your guide shares stories of literati such as Gore Vidal, Giuseppe Verdi, Enrico Caruso, Truman Capote, Humphrey Bogart and Leonard Bernstein, Tennessee Williams and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and we will share their favorite restaurant.
• Following your Food Lovers’ Tour, meet our sommelier and enjoy a regional wine tasting where you will discover the wines of Campania-Fiano, Falanghina, Taurasi, and Aglianico. Learn about wine notes, bouquets, and how to pair with antipasti, pasta, fish, meat and vegetarian Neapolitan cuisine. Our sommeilier procures small vineyard vintners from the Campania region with limited production. He also showcases local artisans’ biscotti, candies, ceramics and soaps.

• Following your tour, meet your driver and return to the property.
• Dinner is on your own, with suggestions provided.

Day Five: Cooking Class 3

• Breakfast is served.
• Tie on your aprons for hands-on Cooking Class 3 preparing a full menu with traditional Amalfi Coast fare.  Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in class with a toast of local wine.
• After your class, enjoy free time by the pool or stroll through town.
• Dinner is on your own, with suggestions provided.

Day 6: Check Out & Departure

• Breakfast is served.
• Check out & departure transfer to Naples Airport.
• Arrivederci!