I was in the Amalfi Coast in Italy a few months ago and started blogging about it but never had the chance to complete the blog series due to being insanely busy! So here’s part II of my experiences being vegan on the Amalfi Coast.
Unless you love pasta, pizza without cheese and a lot of salad, your choices may be somewhat limited in this region. Your best bet is to stay at a hotel that is accommodating to Vegans. Such is the Monastero Santa Rosa who is lucky to have Chef Christoph Bob who can create the most scrumptious and aesthetically pleasing, beautifully plated organic vegan cuisine.
As stated in my previous blog post on Italy, the Monastero Santa Rosa is a former 17th century monastery turned 5 star hotel in Conca Dei Marini, Amalfi Coast. It is a unique luxury hotel with limited rooms (only 20), a preserved aesthetic of the monastery and modern amenities. Everything about the hotel is a heavenly experience from the gorgeous infinity pool, the fabulous spa treatments, the luscious grounds, and the vegan food! If you’re looking for a truly memorable getaway, I highly recommend the splurge!
The hotel is located in a more remote area so vegan specialties like tofu, non-dairy products and faux meats need to be imported in from larger cities and this takes some planning.
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The infinity pool soaks up all your worries while you gaze at spectacular views perched above a cliff.
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Infinity pools give the illusion that you are suspended in air and could fall right over the cliff as the ledges are not defined and melt into the landscape.
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Please note, the hotel closes for the winter.
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There were so many fragrant lemon trees. Lemons are used to make Limoncello, a popular Italian lemon liqueur.
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We ate so well on this trip! The Asparagus risotto was so delicious! I miss it!
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Handmade gnocchi with diced eggplant. Gnocchi is one of my favorite foods! At most restaurants it’s often hard to find vegan. Be sure to call ahead and let them know you’re vegan.
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I’m normally not crazy about tempeh but Chef Bob makes anything taste delicious!
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Breaded seitan with black sesame seeds. I worship seitan, ha ha. No but seriously it is my favorite faux meat. This was my husband Kris’ favorite dish.
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I love checking out spas when I’m on holiday and this is probably the most beautiful one I’ve seen. It features the Italian tradition of bathing within a series of thermal rooms and the treatments include Santa Maria Novella products. It’s so fitting because Santa Maria Novella products were also created by monks in Italy in the 13th century and now they’re being carried at a spa in a former monastery. I thought that was pretty clever. Shows good research when deciding what spa line would be carried in Monastero Santa Rosa’s heavenly spa.
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At the spa, I stocked up on Santa Maria Novella skincare and perfumes to bring home with me as they are not commonly found in the US. I’ve only seen them online.
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Here’s some of my vegan Santa Maria Novella stash. Not all Santa Maria products are vegan. I believe some may contain beeswax or honey.
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I love to try new things when traveling. One of the most memorable parts of the trip was taking a helicopter to Naples airport. The roads on the Amalfi Coast are not for the faint of heart. The elevation is high and roads tortuous. I did not think I could withstand a long, twisty car ride to the airport. I often found myself getting carsick, but I absolutely love flying. The helicopter’s launch pad was a tennis court.
The following are aerial views of the Amalfi Coast from the helicopter.
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So this is what it’s like to have a bird’s eye view. I highly recommend this!
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Unfortunately we didn’t make a day trip to Pompeii but we did fly over it. Such a tragic event that happened in Pompeii! Would like to visit this historical site next time.
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Read about my other post of my adventures in Amalfi Coast part I Italy here and Capri Italy here
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Check out this cool little one.
I have one more blog post on Italy to write and that’s about my vegan cooking class I took with Chef Bob, stay tuned!