Casale Villarena is located in Nerano, a short drive (or 20 minute walk – longer of course on the uphill walk back) from a small fishing village called Marina del Cantone which has a beach, restaurants and shops. We spent a couple days there soaking up the sun and warm waters (where it was about 7 euros to rent a chair for the day). Additionally, the small town of Nerano, just steps away has a couple of small stores with a decent food selection. We recommend taking the hike from the resort up the mountain (Area Naturale Baia di leranto) to be rewarded with views of the coast towards Amalfi and Capri, and a small beach and a raised dock to jump into the water below. The hike takes about an hour but is well worth it. Nerano is about 15 kms from Sorrento (35-45 minute drive on very windy roads). Additionally, Positano is only 25 kms away. On arrival, we were greeted and showed to our flat (Gerania) which turned out being a 2 bedroom flat with full living room, 2 bedrooms, kitchen, 2 bathrooms and 2 balconies (perfect for dodging the sun at different points during the day). A bottle of cold water was delivered to our room– a nice little welcome. The only pitfall about the flat was the sleep quality. Two out of the 3 in our party found the bedding uncomfortable. The resort has free wifi (near the office only), a pool, and lounge area for relaxing. The grounds are filled with lemon trees and stay pretty quiet all day long (except for the local bus honking as it rounds tight corners and the church bell ringing every hour – something you miss once you leave). Guglielmo came by later to welcome us, provide information about the area and answer our questions. He was available throughout the week and always made us feel welcome. He even brought a bottle of wine around for us one night and the restaurant delivered a nice appetizer on another night (all complimentary). We dined at the on-site restaurant on our first night, trying local meats, cheeses, wine and pasta. The food was delicious and reasonably priced compared with local facilities. We started most days with the breakfast provided which was adequate but not exceptional (mostly the same every day: pastry, cake, tea/coffee/juice, fruit salad and yogurt). Guglielmo organized a wine tasting evening mid-week which we attended. At 55 euros (if memory is correct), the price seemed a little high but we decided to take part for the experience of drinking and learning about local wines. The evening was well worth it! We sampled many wines from around the extended local area, learned about the grapes involved and dined on what seemed like never ending food (delicious pizza, tapas platter and dessert). We finished the night off with a very healthy amount of local lemoncillo. The evening was a highlight of the trip. Locally, try Maria Grazia in Marina del Cantone. It doesn’t look like much but it’s on the beach and serves delicious food. Be sure to try their specialty, spaghetti alle zucchini – absolutely delicious! If you’re looking to splurge, try Quattro Passi. The restaurant occupies the second floor of the building and overlooks the bay. The food is expensive but very tasty and a work of art. Have a chat with your server and host, they’ll be able to tell you what’s the best thing to order that day. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Casale Villerena. We were extremely satisfied with our stay and looking back at the photos, very sad the trip had to end.

First off the location: Casale Villarena is set idyllically in a small town setting Nerano. Nerano sports a beautiful church, a bar and two shops - these shops particularly Olga’s seemed to have everything-from local wine at 3 Euros, to laundry liquid to delicious homemade filled rolls which we enjoyed on our final day. Down from Casale-about a 20 minute walk (you can bus back if the uphill walk is too daunting), is Marina del Cantone, a simply gorgeous beach with a gelateria and a handful of delightful beachside cafes. (Lonely Planet claims one of them has been frequented by Bill Gates and Catherine Zeta Jones for what it is worth)! Then the accommodation itself. Picture tiled floors, large rooms with antiques and stunning views. We stayed (my family of 4) in “Il Gallo Lungo” while my parents stayed next door in “Il Brigante”. The piece de resistance however has to be the restaurant - or rather Guglielmo’s food. From the welcoming antipasto lunch we received to the nightly specials, we were constantly thrilled with the food-home made ravioli and langoustines (prawns); veal with masala wine, home made pizza-the list goes on. All washed down of course by beautiful regional wine and finished off by a glass of Guglielmo’s homemade limoncello. Lastly I have to mention that this place would not be what it is, without the passion of Guglielmo the owner. He seemed to be there from dawn to dusk, at every stage keen to make our stay more enjoyable. It will be his little touches that I remember-the kinder eggs he gave the children when we left, the lift he gave us to Positano when he was going there, the soy milk he sent someone to get for my mother from the local shop-the list goes on. As I say, don’t think about it. Book Casale Villarena now. It will truly be a magical Italian holiday you won’t regret.

I have never felt the need to leave a review on TA before but this place is worth it. Location is perfect if you want to relax and do nothing, it's a 20 min walk down hill to the beach with beautiful views on the way however I would recommend getting the Sita bus back. The Casale Villarena is beautifully set into the hills and the owner Guglielmo is a wonderful host who can not do enough for you. The grounds and garden are stunning and apart from a poor phone signal in the area this really is a perfect place to waste away 4-5 days as we did. The service and food in the restaurant are excellent, breakfast is good but the view from the breakfast area will make you enjoy it even more.

The Casale Villarena is a really pretty place to stay if you want to be a bit off the beaten path on the Amalfi coast. It suited our family (3 kids, parents, and grandparents) very well. We rented two apartments there and they had vaulted ceilings, well-equipped kitchens and wonderful balconies. The grounds are covered in lemon trees and there is a small swimming pool. The best part though, was the restaurant on the grounds of the property. Some of the nicest food we had on our trip--the pasta nerano was fantastic (home-grown zucchini sauteed in butter and mixed with pasta and cheese) as was the house wine. We attended a wine-tasting there one evening and the wines were okay (liked some, others not so much) but the accompanying food was wonderful (pizzas with the thinnest crusts baked in the outdoor wood burning oven, varied antipasta and even dessert). It's a bit out of the way and there's not much to do in Nerano itself. The beach is about a 20 minute walk down steep alleys and it's rocky and crowded. On the other hand, there are boat rides to Capri (we didn't love Capri, by the way, too posh and way too crowded) and Positano right from the marina and the owner, Guglielmo, has good taste and can set up excursions and make recommendations that you can trust (he organized a driver to take us around to Amalfi, Positano and Revella and set up boat trips for us as well). For a family with young kids, the set up is great. I would love to go back sometime.

We have stayed in 50 B&B's throughout Europe and found Casale Villarena to be absolutely fantastic. The apartment was clean and spacious, and the grounds and pool area were lovely. In 7 nights, we dined at the restaurant 5 times for good reason. The food is fresh and authentic. Guglielmo, the owner, was attentive and very helpful. He helped to reserve and advise on activities and seemed generally interested in ensuring we enjoyed our stay here. He has regular events such as wine tastings, music/dancing, and even put on movies on an outdoor big screen for our kids while we enjoyed his home made limoncello. We would highly recommend this location as a base for exploring Pompei and the Amalfi Coast.

The Casale Villarena is a really pretty place to stay if you want to be a bit off the beaten path on the Amalfi coast. It suited our family (3 kids, parents, and grandparents) very well. We rented two apartments there and they had vaulted ceilings, well-equipped kitchens and wonderful balconies. The grounds are covered in lemon trees and there is a small swimming pool. The best part though, was the restaurant on the grounds of the property. Some of the nicest food we had on our trip--the pasta nerano was fantastic (home-grown zucchini sauteed in butter and mixed with pasta and cheese) as was the house wine. We attended a wine-tasting there one evening and the wines were okay (liked some, others not so much) but the accompanying food was wonderful (pizzas with the thinnest crusts baked in the outdoor wood burning oven, varied antipasta and even dessert). It's a bit out of the way and there's not much to do in Nerano itself. The beach is about a 20 minute walk down steep alleys and it's rocky and crowded. On the other hand, there are boat rides to Capri (we didn't love Capri, by the way, too posh and way too crowded) and Positano right from the marina and the owner, Guglielmo, has good taste and can set up excursions and make recommendations that you can trust (he organized a driver to take us around to Amalfi, Positano and Revella and set up boat trips for us as well). For a family with young kids, the set up is great. I would love to go back sometime.

We (family of 4 including 2 very active boys aged 12 & 9) have just returned from 4 weeks in Italy including a week at the end of June at Casale Villarena. We did not have a car and travelled to Sorrento by train where we were met by Guglielmo the owner. The Casale Villarena is beautiful. We stayed in Il Brigante a 2BR apartment with views to the sea, a wysteria covered courtyard outside our door (where we ate most breakfasts & lunches). The apartment was immaculately clean on arrival. Make sure you are home in time for dinner at the Casale's restaurant Dolce fa Niente. There are 2 Michelin starred restaurants nearby at the beach down the hill from the Casale. We never ate at either of them or cooked our own dinner in our apartment which was the original plan, because the food at Dolce fa Niente was too good both in taste & value. Guglielmo will only produce dishes made from fresh & local produce. Our eldest son ordered the Tortina di Ciocolatte on his first night and then refused to eat anywhere else as he HAD to have the chocolate cake with a melted chocolate centre every night. He also turned 12 during our stay and Guglielmo and Antonio arranged a chocolate birthday cake and lots of fuss. We did a day trip to Amalfi and Positano and whilst we enjoyed the day and both are beautiful towns, we were glad we were not staying there - too crowded. We spent days at Marina del Cantone, a day at Recommone (a beautiful little beach around the corner which you can walk to and catch the punt back from), a hike to the Bay of Ieranto - hard work but then you deserve the dive into the pool and dinner afterwards at Casale Villarena. We did a wine tasting course in the cellar under the church -a must see - with the fabulous Nicolleta and Guglielmo (includes free singing by staff & family!) while Rosetta cooked wood fired pizzas for the boys. We made friends with 2 other groups staying at the Casale and all agreed that we would definately come back one day. There were a host of other activities we could have done (eg., Capri, Pompeii) but chose to simply relax and enjoy the beauty of the Casale Villarena & its nearby beaches. We highly recommend the Casale to family & friends & hope to return soon.

We have stayed in 50 B&B's throughout Europe and found Casale Villarena to be absolutely fantastic. The apartment was clean and spacious, and the grounds and pool area were lovely. In 7 nights, we dined at the restaurant 5 times for good reason. The food is fresh and authentic. Guglielmo, the owner, was attentive and very helpful. He helped to reserve and advise on activities and seemed generally interested in ensuring we enjoyed our stay here. He has regular events such as wine tastings, music/dancing, and even put on movies on an outdoor big screen for our kids while we enjoyed his home made limoncello. We would highly recommend this location as a base for exploring Pompei and the Amalfi Coast.

My husband stayed at Villarena for one week in May of 2011. It is off the beaten track and happily so. We had never visited the area and had considered Sorrento or one of the other big names on the Sorrentine peninsula. What a mistake that would have been! Nerano is a jewel of a town that has everything you would want in a quiet resort. There is a beach with a string of wonderful restaurants and a hidden deserted beach that is the most beautiful I saw in Italy. However the real star was the Villarena! The owner, Gugliemo, has made it his life's work to create a wonderful ambiance and vacation experience for his guests. We stayed in an apartment, the Gallo Lungo, and were very happy with the comfortable accomodations. Breakfast was included and delicious! Actually the Villarena has a restaurant which is attractive and which, thanks to the culinary talents of Asuncia, serves a suprisingly large selection of delicious food every night. We ate dinner at the restaurant two or three times. It was wonderful! The grounds are lovely filled with lemon trees and the aroma of the blossoms fill the air. There is a beautiful view of the ocean and the hotel backs to a precious but tiny village. The village church, a few steps away, ring out the hours and add to the feeling of being in a sleepy, not touristy, hideaway. I have to say that of the six weeks in Italy this was the most special place and made our trip a fantastic experience. By the way, if you visit say Hello to Lalo, a memorable and sweet character who works in the office and in his off time tends his olive garden and loves Led Zeppelin. This is the kind of place I'd return to every year if I could.

We stayed at Relais Villarena for 6 nights in May. This was a bit before the tourist season and the location was great for our day trips. It is located in a small fishing village, in the upper part of the village. It was a private mansion at one time and now divided into apartments. The owner Guillermo is very enthusiastic and a wonderful host. Though the apartments did have kitchens we chose to eat at either the restaurant right there or in the nearby towns. Breakfast was included and we were usually out for lunch. Guillermo has a great menu and we had two wonderful meals there. He arranged a wine tasting with a visiting sommelier and served appetizers and delicious pizza. He also arranged a boat trip to Capri for us. It is about a 20 minute walk to go down to the beach and you can rent lounge chairs and get lunch right there .You are surrounded by lemon trees on the property and there is a small but refreshing pool.There is also a children's play area. Wireless was only available in the office but we were able to connect easily. My only complaint would be that the mattress was too hard. When I told Guillermo as we said goodbye he said that he would have changed it for us if I had asked. We loved the Amalfi coast and would definitely stay there again.