About the location: Sant' Agata sui due Golfi is situated about 10 km from Sorrento. It is one of the "pearls" in the Gulf of Naples and the Gulf of Salerno, facing Capri. The site of your Amalfi Coast culinary vacation will be the four-star Oasi Olimpia Relais, an elegant hotel of only seven rooms (and five suites) situated on one of the hills of Sant' Agata sui due Golfi. The villa was originally built in 1892 for a rich German aristocrat as a luxurious residence. It has recently been painstakingly restored and is now a splendid hotel, complete with impeccably furnished interiors and a fine ambiance. There are also three recently completed apartments on the property. The facilities include a gorgeous 15 meter swimming pool with jacuzzi, tennis court, outdoor dining, wine bar and lush vegetation. Just completed is a charming cantina in the main building (complete with Cuban cigars) and an incredible wine cave with premium wines from Italy, France and Australia. The relais has also recently acquired a breathtaking private beach (see picture below), with shuttle service from the hotel.

The Amalfi region is truly one of the most idyllic on earth. From the time of Etruscans to present movie stars, this has been area that has long enchanted travelers. Sundry excursions during this week-long Amalfi culinary vacation will take you from the posh island of Capri to the ancient ruins of Pompeii, and the cobblestoned medieval streets of Amalfi at the cliff's base. An expanse of precarious road will take you between villages, running through lush greenery and vineyards nestled in the folds of the jagged cliffs.

About the cooking lessons: Your guide on this culinary adventure is Gennaro Avagnale, a young chef from the town of Gragnano, just outside Naples. He began cooking for friends and family at home, and eventually his passion inspired him to journey throughout Italy on a quest to master regional Italian cuisine. His travels lead him through Tuscany, Emilia Romagna, Lazio, Abruzzo, Trentino Alto Adige and Sardegna, where he learned from many of the best chefs in Italy. Gennaro is thrilled to be at Oasi Olimpia and looks forward to sharing his love of Italian cuisine with you.

Cooking classes will be held in the large teaching kitchen built specifically for our culinary program. It features spacious granite counters, a large professional range and an outdoor veranda, where you can enjoy a break between courses. Learn to make such typical southern Italian dishes as Sorrento-style gnocchi, stuffed calamari, and Neapolitan-style artichokes. All dishes use the freshest ingredients (including cheese made fresh by our friend Signora Rosa) and recipes that have been passed down for many generations. After your lesson you will feast on what you have made, so be prepared to cook, eat, drink and laugh!
 

• Six nights accommodations double occupancy with ensuite bathroom
• Arrival transfer from Naples airport around 12:00 noon and from Naples train station (Napoli Centrale) around 2:30 pm (transfer times may vary slightly week to week, please contact us before you finalize your travel itinerary).* If you cannot make the regular transfer times, a special transfer can be arranged at the cost of 120 Eu per car (170 Eu per car if after 6:00 pm), payable directly to the Relais Oasi Olimpia. Please inquire for details.
• Return transfer to Naples train station (Napoli Centrale) or airport around 10 am the day of departure. If you need to schedule an earlier transfer, it will be at an additional cost of 120 Eu per car (170 Euro per car if pickup is before 8:00 am), payable directly to the Relais Oasi Olimpia. Please inquire for details.
• Daily breakfast
• Five dinners
• Four lunches, including one tasting lunch at Rosa's
• Local wine, water and coffee with all included meals (Please note that drinks consumed outside of mealtime are not included)
• Four hands-on cooking lessons
• Excursions and food artisan visits
• Transportation
• Taxes and service charges
  During Low Season itinerary items may be switched to take advantage of daylight hours.

*Should you wish to take a scenic helicopter ride from Naples, passing over Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii, the hotel has a helicopter pad on which to land. Please inquire for prices and details.
 

Day One of Four - or Six- night program

Day One of Four - or Six- night program
Pickup from the Naples airport or train station.
Arrival at the charming hotel Relais Oasi Olimpia where you check in to your deluxe room. If you are not jet-lagged, you may wish to take a short walk into Sant'Agata to do a little exploring. This is a charming little town; perhaps stop with the locals for a coffee and one of the pastry specialties of the region, or just stroll along the old streets.
Time to rest before your welcome dinner at the elegant "Villa Oasi" restaurant, enjoying a superb dinner of local cuisine.

Day Two
A lovely buffet breakfast awaits you. In the morning you will venture out to a local farm, where they have been producing top quality olive oil for years, and where Rosa, the matriarch, has been making mozzarella cheese by hand for six decades; she is one of the true local food artisans. If you like, you can try your hand with the preparation. A tasting of this wonderfully fresh and light cheese follows. Venture out into the garden visit the lemon and olive grove with Rosa’s son, Antonio, who will explain the secrets of making the tasty limoncello liqueur. A light lunch at Rosa’s will follow. Return to the hotel for an afternoon of relaxation. If weather permits, you might want to take a dip in the pool. This evening, your first cooking lesson, followed by dinner with wine.

Day Three
Breakfast. Morning cooking class, followed by lunch. Afternoon free, perhaps to explore Sant'Agata or Sorrento. If you like, we can make reservations for you to do a wine tasting in a lovely wine shop in Sorrento with Alberio Astarita. Tastings begin at 20 Euros, and he can ship wine anywhere in the US. Or, schedule a visit to a small, boutique leather factory (personal friends of the owner of Oasi) to check out their stunning leather jackets or have one made to order. (They actually supply some of the best stores in Florence!) Dinner tonight on your own. You may wish to try one of the restaurants in Sant'Agata (such as the famous Michelin-star restaurant Don Alfonso). Or, if you have spent your free afternoon in Sorrento or one of the Amalfi Coast towns, you may wish to remain there for dinner.

Day Four
Breakfast followed by your third cooking lesson. Lunch to follow based on your efforts. Depart around 2:00 pm for an excursion to visit the towns of Amalfi and Positano, or Amalfi and Ravello. Amalfi is a town that seems to have climbed up from the sea like froth and crystallized onto the land. The town is dominated by the impressive Duomo, rivaling in size the cliffs that rise up behind it. You can sit and observe in the Piazza Duomo or wind upwards through the cobblestone streets, exploring the little shops along the way. Positano clings to the mountainside, navigable by a narrow winding road set against the backdrop of palms and citrus groves. At the city's center is the magnificent Santa Maria Assunta Church with its gaily-colored dome. And Ravello is a charming town also perched on the cliffs overlooking the sea. It is home not only to the best Amalfi ceramics, but also the lovely gardens of the historic Villa Cimbrone. Dinner at Oasi.

Day Five
Breakfast. For those on the four-night program, transfer back to Naples.
Your fourth cooking class, lunch to follow based on your efforts. After lunch a guided visit of Pompeii, the city that was buried alive by the eruption of nearby Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79. As you wander among temples, past pottery ruins, and through houses still adorned with frescoes, don't forget to seek out the city's former inhabitants, whose forms were preserved in the hardened volcanic ash.
Dinner tonight at a wonderful local restaurant.

Day Six
Breakfast. Today will be a full-day visit to the enchanting isle of Capri, weathering permitting. (Traditionally the hydrofoils to Capri run approximately mid-May to mid-October, and during the winter only if the temperature is mild and the water calm.) Depart around 7:45 am. You can visit the magical Blue Grotto, walk private paths past secluded villas, and gaze across the aqua water from the harbors. (Please note that in the event of bad weather, Capri excursion will be substituted for a day of shopping and exploring Sorrento, with a light lunch included.) Lunch in Capri on your own. Return to Sorrento around 3:20 pm and transfer back to Oasi. Dinner tonight is a pizza evening. Enjoy various types of pizzas prepared the Neapolitan way by the Oasi chefs and baked in the wood-burning oven.

Day Seven
Breakfast and departure from the hotel to the Naples airport or train station for those ending the six-night program.