Amalfi Coast
Sorrento Coast
Tuscany
Cilento National Park
Lake Como
Rome and Latium
Umbria
Capri and Ischia
Venice
Puglia (Apulia)
Liguria
Sicily
Lake Maggiore
Lombardy
Sardinia
Lake Garda
Abruzzo and Marche
CalabriaReviews of Villa Babila
Self catering villa in Praiano, Amalfi Coast, Italy
Terrie F.
Western Springs, IL
United States
VERIFIED
Spacious villa with gorgeous outdoor areas, great pool, exceptional view and swim area!
June 2023 - Villa Babila is wonderful. The home itself was unlike anything we had seen before. It is spacious, and the outdoor areas in particular are gorgeous. Great pool. Lemon trees. And an exceptional view of the sea with a private swim area!
More important - great people. Luca [the caretaker] is excellent! He's very friendly and very helpful.
Beautiful location. Great communication. We want to reiterate again how wonderful Luca and the other Summer In Italy staff were. Very friendly and helpful! Thanks!
Travel tips
- A few things you should know.
- Driving in and out of the villa is a little tricky but YOU CAN DO IT! It is safe. There are a few stores around town, but Luca [the caretaker] can also get you groceries for a small fee. If you really want to get around easily, rent motorbikes. It's how the locals do it.
- There is a small beach/restaurant/marina area that you can see from the house. It is walk-able - just be cautious as there are no sidewalks - you're walking on the road. It's a bunch up and down hill but not terrible. That area itself has a couple of restaurants and a nice little beach, along with a marina. WE WOULD RECOMMEND DOING A BOAT TOUR. They'll show you the sights and let you swim a few times.
- If you want to do a day in Sorrento or Capri or somewhere, be sure to plan in advance. Villa Babila is in a relatively small town. It's not like being in Rome where you can just jump up and grab an uber. Taxis exist, but if you plan to use one you'll need to call and hope it's available.
- Relax. This is a beautiful place to relax! It has many beautiful outdoor spaces. Two options to swim. A fully equipped kitchen. And at least one restaurant that delivers. Pour a glass of wine or a Campari Spritz, sit back, and enjoy this lovely retreat!
Anna H.
Chicago, Illinois
United States
VERIFIED
We had a truly wonderful stay
June 2022 - We had a truly wonderful stay at Villa Babila. The villa is beautifully situated and very well-equipped. We loved being in a quieter spot but close enough to Marina di Praia Beach or Praiano as needed.
We enjoyed the spectacular view of the beautiful Amalfi Coast from the villa and everyone loved being able to climb down the steps for direct access to the sea. The villa has tons of space and the living room, bedrooms and bathrooms are all spotlessly clean and comfortable. The kitchen is very well-equipped for cooking and serving a large meal. We really loved the outdoor terrace and stunning lemon grove.
Overall, a fabulous stay at Villa Babila and we hope we can return very soon!
The staff maintain the property beautifully and they are all friendly, yet non-intrusive. Luca [the caretaker] was so friendly and helpful and he welcomed us very warmly. He gave us some great recommendations and helped us book 2 boat excursions through Praia Sea Service La Sibilla (highly recommended). He arranged for La Sibilla to pick us up from our private jetty to take us to our boat rental. Also, Luca arranged lunch for us at Hosteria Il Pino, gorgeous view and delicious food, and Simon, the owner, very kindly gave us a ride there from Luca's bar and back to our car at the top of the hill in the village!
We found Summer In Italy on an Internet search and they are an authentic Amalfi coast-based company. Luca at Summer In Italy provided excellent service and responded very quickly to all our questions. We booked at short notice so we were very pleased to find excellent villa choices with Summer In Italy. We appreciated all the local tips and the guide to villa rentals in Italy (appreciated the sense of humor!). All in all, a top-rate experience and vacation and we would highly recommend Summer In Italy.
Travel tips
- Praia Sea Service La Sibilla boat rentals - we booked 2 excursions. A self-drive rubber power boat and a bigger boat (Panthea) with a skipper (we had Giuseppe/Joseph who was great). Recommend getting a boat with skipper as they know the best caves and small beaches/inlets for snorkeling.
- We loved going up to Nerano and great lunch at Restaurant Il Cantuccio. Also booked a return water taxi with them to Amalfi for a morning of shopping (worthwhile if buses are full and to avoid parking your car).
- Restaurants: Hosteria Il Pino in Praiano, Restaurant La Caravella in Amalfi (spectacular restaurant and visit chef's shop for high-end ceramics and olive oil), Restaurant Lo Guarracino in Positano (great meal and view - we found out afterwards that Luca's father-in-law is the chef there so, if you go, have him make you a reservation :)).
- We rented a scooter in Praiano which husband and kids enjoyed - made errands far easier!
Steven D.
Cleveland
United States
VERIFIED
We enjoyed it very much
September 2021 - We enjoyed Villa Babila very much and look forward to returning. The property was wonderful. Praiano is about 5 km to Positano and 8 km to Amalfi perfect spot in between.
Luca [the caretaker] could not have been nicer or more helpful.
My cousin had booked with Summer In Italy and told me about Praiano and Summer In Italy.
Travel tips
- Rent a scooter, drive the coast and have fun.
- Have Luca arrange a private boat to Capri with Captain Flavio. Captain Flavio was excellent at pointing out local highlights in and around Capri.
Gilda H.
Michigan
United States
VERIFIED
The perfect location to explore the Amalfi Coast!
June 2021 - Love love LOVED Villa Babila! If what you seek are an AMAZING view, to be ON the sea, in a tranquil, breathtaking, beautiful setting. It's the perfect location to explore the Amalfi Coast.
The property is gorgeous and well cared for. We had seven guests at Villa Babila and that worked out great. There are three actual bedrooms and a divan bed so that is 8 guests. They have thought of everything for comfort and convenience -- it is air conditioned (no extra charge) though we didn't need the air with the wonderful breezes, there are steps to a gorgeous sitting area on the sea and a ladder if you are brave enough to go in swimming, an upper level has a nice outdoor pool, the terrace is the perfect spot for breakfast lunch or dinner at home. There is a lovely outdoor garden on the terrace level with lemons that we used for lemonade. Each room has its own bath including own shower. Plenty of towels and linens, blankets and pillows etc. Lots of room and closets, armoires etc for your things, the washer works, they have clips to hang your laundry outside. The furnishings and artwork in the home are lovely as well and add to the ambiance of the place. The master bath is quite large and my fiancée and I loved it, our other guests remarked that the additional bathrooms are a little small. Also the kitchen is a bit small in the cooking area if you like to set up big gourmet dinners. We were fine and had two dinners at home out of 5 nights. We loved Villa Babila, and we LOVED using Summer In Italy.
Luca, who greeted us tended to our every need. He even had the grocery store in town open for us so we could buy a few things when we arrived, and backed our car into the villa parking spot for us as it's a tight fit going downhill to park the car. He also helped us take all our heavy suitcases back to our cars at the end of the trip. He offered to set up a boat tour for us (we didn't end up having time), he really could not have been nicer nor more accommodating!
Thought Summer In Italy did a terrific job, 10 out of 10. It was SO nice, way more awesome to work with you than other types of companies like yours and we were pleasantly surprised. We will definitely use you again when we go back!
Travel tips
- Praiano is between Positano and Amalfi so it's more secluded and not in the middle of the crowds (which we loved!).
- There is one car spot to park in the villa, and plenty of additional parking on the road (you have to be an expert parker to tuck your car in off the road anywhere in the area, but it's got a LOT more availability than close to Positano or Amalfi).
- If you have more than one rental car, park one in the villa and just leave it there -- it’s not easy to get in and out of the driveway and drive out to the road due to the location of the villa being right below the road (but you NEVER heard any traffic noises once inside). Have the other car parked on the road nearby if you need it.
- We loved day trips to Positano, then took the boat ride to Amalfi.
- We loved hiking the Walk of the Gods and then the 1700 steps down to Positano, we loved Ravello also.
- Plenty of restaurants within walking distance and near the bus stop. The nearby restaurants in Praiano were great. One exception we didn't like the Restaurant Il Pirata we went to the first night.
- If you are a cyclist, it is possible to bike ride, a guide will know the roads that aren't too narrow with traffic. It’s very hilly though.
Steve H.
Falls Church, VA
United States
VERIFIED
An amazing time
May 2019 - We had an amazing time at Villa Babila!
Travel tips
- It is best to have a car to get around.
- I would definitely book a boat charter, and they can pick you up from the rocks in front of the villa.
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