Capofaro, Aeolian Islands

In short… Capofaro is a quiet luxury meets farmstay, with the most beautiful views over Panarea and Stromboli

The vibe…The hotel was created around the former lighthouse, and the famous Sicilian wine family, Tasca, bought it in 2017. It’s so rare to stay in an island hotel in the summer and to feel completely alone. We loved how remote it felt, but we were just a 10-minute drive into town, where there are plenty of restaurants and shops for distraction. I’ve seen a lot of hotel kitchen gardens, but this was the most extensive one ever—walking the path to our room, we passed rows and rows of vegetables, and then crates of eggplants, lettuces and tomatoes that had just been harvested. Not to mention the rows upon rows of Malvasia, from which they produce their wine, which was the reason the Tasca family came to the region. There’s a beautiful, meditative pool from which you can just stare out to sea all day.

The rooms… There are 27 minimalist chic single-story rooms, each with its own terrace and a sea or garden view. We love that they make their own bath products and bottle them in their own reusable glass.

The food and drink… The restaurant is more on the Michelin fancy side of things than is usually my flavor, but given that everything is coming from their garden, or nearby, at least it isn’t heavy. And the wine is great! We eyeballed the breakfast, which looked lovely, but didn’t partake—though we did enjoy poolside Negronis (great ice!) and their mix of nuts and olives and caper berries was delicious.

Be sure to… Head to their beach club! While the hotel isn’t on the beach, they have a relationship with a club in a town about 10 minutes away by shuttle, and it is just perfect. Loungers, umbrellas, a snack bar for whatever you might want, and it’s an easy walk to the tiny town of Lingua, where we had one of the best lunches I’ve had in a long time at Il Gambero (get the spaghetti with the smoked ricotta, and you have to try a cunzato, which is basically a pizza salad). The concierge at the Capofaro said everyone argues whether Il Gambero or Da Alfredo is better, but we went with his personal favorite and we were very happy. 

Date of stay… June 24-26, 2023