The 4 of us have just returned from a half term break here (mum, dad, 2 kids). We were booked into the Vicalvano Apartments, but on arrival we were offered an apartment in the castle instead. We happily accepted but it turned out to be a poisoned chalice as the weather turned bad and strong winds whistled through the huge, draughty, unheated living room. It had 2 bedrooms, one of which had the same draught problems, the kids room didn't however, and I slept in their room one night to escape the howling wind, rattling windows and creaking shutters. On the plus side the views were amazing, the wind having blown away the constant haze the bay of Naples appears to be shrouded in. The pool was large, very clean, had crystal clear water and was nestled in a secluded area on the hillside, and once the sunshine returned we couldn't fault it. The castle apartment is not for toddlers, however, because of some odd sliding doors about 2 ft high at floor level to let in light into the bedrooms from the rooms below, it is complicated to explain, but trust me if a toddler fell through to the room below they'd be seriously hurt. The Vicalvano Apartments were a little way up the hillside, we only saw them from the outside but they looked perfectly ok.

The property is not walking distance to anywhere of note, you would need a car. There is plenty of free parking. It was a good base as we were able to visit: Vesuvius, Herculaneum, Naples, Solfatara crater, Pompei and generally explore the Amalfi coast.

The castle grounds were nicely kept. There is a great walk along a pathway up the hill that takes you above the level of the castle where you can see the sea on both sides of the penisula and watch spectacular sunsets. To get there walk up to the vicalvano apartments and take the track to the right.

We had a great time.