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Perfect 10
1 Capri
With its dramatic views and bougainvillea and whitewashed villas, this idyllic island on Italy's west coast is as popular with day trippers as the champagne and caviar crowd. Tiny boutiques such as Dolce & Gabbana and Russo Uomo seduce tourists as they stroll along Via Camerelle. Off Via Tragara, an easy path leads you to La Fontelina, where you can swim and dine (Faraglioni, tel: [39] 081 837 0845). The beautiful people congregate for pre-dinner drinks on the terrace at the luxurious Grand Quisisana Hotel and return for late-night live music (Via Camerelle 2, tel: [39] 081 837 0788; www.quisi.it, open March 25 to November 1). For a quieter, boutique-hotel stay, head to the five-star Casa Morgano (Via Tragara 6, tel: [39] 081 837 0158; www.casamorgano.com, open April 1 to December 31). And if you're in the mood for seafood, Da Paolino, where you sit under lemon trees, is a must (Via Palazzo a Mare 11, tel: [39] 081 837 6102, reservations required, open for lunch and dinner from April 8, for dinner only from June, but closed from October 31).
2 Hotel Il San Pietro
Nestled in enormous, jagged cliffs facing the sea, this 34-year-old hotel is an architectural wonder. What was to be a private villa and garden for the late Carlo Cinque, eventually became a spectacular hotel, with each of its 62 rooms having its own terrace, magnificent sea view and jacuzzi. Now run by Cinque's niece, Virginia, and her sons, Carlo and Vito, the hotel is a draw for writers, artists and celebrities. Julia Roberts wrote in the guest book: 'A wonderful time as words can not express.' A lift whisks guests from the lobby 88 metres down to the private beach, where there's a sunbathing platform and a bar on the rocks. Many of the vegetables served at the Michelin-starred restaurant are grown on site (Via Laurito 2, Positano, tel: [39] 089 875 455, www.ilsanpietro.it, open April 1 to October 1).
3 The Capri Beauty Farm
Adjacent to the five-star Capri Palace Hotel & Spa in Anacapri, the Capri Beauty Farm, under the direction of Francesco Canonaco (a doctor and food specialist), is the place to recharge your batteries. Its innovative treatments and therapy programmes have an excellent reputation, and it's popular with everyone from celebrities to industrialists. The Leg School programme may not make your gams look like Tina Turner's, but its treatments are designed to improve blood circulation and alleviate problems associated with localised adiposity and cellulite. (Via Capodimonte 2b, tel: [39] 081 978 0111, www.capri-palace.com, open April 1 to October 31).
4 The Grottos
The Blue Grotto (entry Euro4, HK$38) is the best known of Capri and Anacapri's many caves - and easily the busiest. During high season, it can take more than an hour to get in, as tourists queue to board one of the small rowing boats (Euro4.10) that take you inside this long cave. The Blue Grotto, which gets its colour from an underwater opening and the sun's reflection, is reachable by foot, bus or a 10-minute, Euro7 motorboat ride from Marina Grande in Capri (Gruppo Motoscafisti, Via Provinciale Marina Grande 282, tel: [39] 081 837 7714, www.motoscafisticapri.com). But for the best grotto experience, visit the Green Grotto. Join an organised tour, or charter a boat for at least two hours. Your boatman will drop you off at the entrance and meet you on the other side, after you've swum through the emerald water.
5 Amalfi Drive
This dizzying, narrow, 69km road stretches from Salerno to Sorrento and offers breathtaking, panoramic views. You can board a tour bus, hire a car and driver or rent a car and tackle the three-hour drive yourself. Be prepared for the less-than-restrained Italian drivers and tour buses that crowd the road during high season. Be sure to visit the cathedral in the village of Amalfi. When you arrive at Sorrento, head to the recently renovated Hilton Sorrento Palace, where the cheerfully decorated restaurant has a fantastic, panoramic view of the Bay of Naples (Via S. Antonio 13, tel: [39] 081 878 4141, www.sorrento.hilton.com). In the evening, enjoy a cocktail at the 183-year-old Bellevue Syrene (Piazza della Vittoria 5, tel: [39] 081 878 1024, www.bellevue.it).
6 Lo Scoglio
Chef-owner Antonietta Gargulio and her family pride themselves on buying practically none of the food they serve. The fish come from the Gulf of Salerno, and they have an organic vegetable garden and raise cows, chicken and pigs free of chemical feeds. No wonder this glass-enclosed restaurant, which opened in 1950 and sits on a dock at the port of Marina del Cantone, is a local favourite. Must-have dishes include polipo all' insalata (octopus salad), spaghetti all' zucchine (spaghetti with zucchini), melenzane in parmigiano (eggplant parmesan) and any of the fish. Locals arrive by boat in July and August, when tourism is discouraged (Piazza delle Sirene 15, Marina del Cantone, Massa Lubrense, tel: [39] 081 808 1026, www.loscoglionerano.com).
7 Positano
This picturesque, vertical village (be prepared for plenty of steps) is often called The Jewel of the Amalfi. Small but elegant boutiques line the paths leading to the Duomo. Stop by Sapori di Positano for limoncello drinks and other lemon-related gifts you'll want to take home (Via dei Mulini 6, tel: [39] 089 811 116). For ceramics, head to Ceramica Artistica Assunta (Via Cristoforo Colombo 97, tel: [39] 089 875 008, www.ceramicassunta.it). If you're feeling hungry, stop in at La Cambusa, where the fresh seafood is great, and the Neapolitano cherry tomatoes add something special to the sauces. Try sciscinielli (fish on lemon leaves) as an appetiser, spaghetti with cozze (mussels) for a first course, turbo for the entree, and lemon cake for dessert (Piazza Amerigo Vespucci 4, tel: [39] 089 875 432). For nightlife, check out Music on the Rocks, a two-level piano bar and disco (Via Grotte dell' Incanto 51, tel: [39] 089 875 874, www.musicontherocks.it, open nightly April to the end of September, Euro25 on Saturdays, Euro20 the rest of the week).
8 Ravello's Gardens
Ravello, perched high above Amalfi, is known for its romantic gardens inside Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone. Rufolo's gardens inspired German composer Richard Wagner's opera Parsifal. Every July and August, symphonic music is played in the terrace gardens, which feature a Moorish cloister and the 14th- century Torre Maggiore. Chamber music concerts are held inside the villa from Easter to June, and again from September until the end of the year (Piazza Duomo, tel: [39] 089 857 657, admission: Euro4). The gardens at Villa Cimbrone are larger and full of exotic plants and flowers (Via Santa Chiara 26, tel: [39] 089 857 459; www.villacimbrone.it, admission: Euro5).
9 Pompeii
When Mount Vesuvius erupted in August AD 79, the then-wealthy city of Pompeii was buried under ash and lava, and as many as 20,000 residents died. The city was rediscovered in 1748, and today you can tour the excavations and see ancient villas, temples, bathhouses, a theatre and forum. Allow a minimum of two hours (and preferably four). It's best to arrive early to avoid the crowds and heat during the summer (Piazza Esedra, tel: [39] 081 861 0744, admission: Euro10).
10 Mount Vesuvius
Having seen Vesuvius looming in the distance from many parts of the Amalfi Coast, and touring Pompeii, you may want to explore the volcano. It's likely to be safe - it last erupted in 1944 - and you can hike to the rim of the crater with a guide, depending on the weather and safety. Bring trainers or hiking boots, binoculars, sunglasses and water. Admission: Euro6 for adults, Euro4 for children, with guide.
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