Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel & Spa, Via Roma, Conca Dei Marini, Salerno, Italy

The gardens of the Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel & Spa are a semi-tropical paradise in the tradition of the exclusive estates and palatial Italian villas of yore. Behold a masterpiece of architectural landscape design, which descends from the dining and bar terraces through a series of multi-level cascading gardens with sweeping panoramic views of land, sea, and sky, culminating at the dramatic cliff-edge infinity pool.
Each level presents stylish, comfortable areas to relax and soak the day away. Ranging from private cabanas on the cliff’s periphery to day beds in the gardens to lounge chairs by the infinity pool, the elegantly manicured grounds are gracefully connected by interwoven stairways and free-flowing passages. From every angle, a new perspective of the Amalfi Coast and Bay of Salerno is revealed—gleaming white Amalfi to the south, sun-kissed Praiano to the north, Conca dei Marini’s quaint fishing village below, and the ubiquitous sea beyond.
Everywhere the Santa Rosa gardens’ intoxicating perfume encircles brimming with the fragrant botanical wonders of bougainvillea, lavender, agapanthus, coreopsis, rosemary, roses, and local-origin lemon trees, just to name a few of the many botanical wonders that grace the grounds. Approximately 5,000 plants were imported for the gardens from 10 different countries to flourish in cycles throughout the year, growing in beauty season by season. Connecting to the property’s past, 20 percent of the Monastero’s garden plantings are therapeutic in nature or edible—reminiscent of the Santa Rosa nuns’ therapeutic creations back in the 17th century. Maintaining the local ties to Conca dei Marini, intrinsically Italian influences exist throughout the botanical art as well as local stones used to restore and rebuild the gardens’ walls, stairs, and paths. This elaborate downward illusion of a tumbling waterfall of gardens climaxes at the cliff’s rim in the elliptically shaped infinity pool embellished by a pool-side fountain.
Monastero Santa Rosa’s garden was the owner’s “biggest pleasant surprise” in the entire 10-year renovation project. This enchanted Mediterranean garden is truly a place to experience sheer moments of pleasure.