Le Sirenuse Goes To Sea
Travel
Audio By Carbonatix
By Kevin McCullough
For 75 years, Le Sirenuse has looked down upon Positano from its unmistakable red perch, defining the particular kind of Italian glamour that appears effortless only because every detail has been considered. Now the celebrated Sersale family has carried that sensibility to the water’s edge. Five years in the making, the project also marks a generational turn, with sons Aldo and Francesco increasingly involved.
Le Sirenuse Mare, the hotel’s new beach club, opened this season in Marina del Cantone, the seaside village most travelers know as Nerano. It sits about 25 minutes from Positano by boat, but the mood is deliberately removed from the crowds and vertical bustle of the Amalfi Coast’s most photographed town.
Spread across broad terraces descending toward a pebble beach, the club is less a party scene than a beautifully composed Mediterranean day. There are 36 sunbeds, five shaded cabanas, two private jetties and a protected swimming area. Olive trees, Aleppo pines and eucalyptus provide natural shade, while handmade terracotta, striped fabrics and chestnut-wood pergolas make the property feel rooted rather than imported.
The centerpiece is a 180-seat restaurant led by chef Francesco De Simone. His menu stays close to Campania: seafood, grilled vegetables, vibrant local produce and dishes designed for sharing. Naturally, spaghetti alla Nerano—the zucchini-and-cheese pasta born nearby—belongs in the conversation. Three bars extend the afternoon, including one devoted to granitas, gelato and regional sweets such as babà and tiramisù.
Yet this is Le Sirenuse, so lunch and a lounger are only the beginning. A monumental ceramic fountain by Roman sculptor Giuseppe Ducrot anchors the property’s art collection. Works by Rose Wylie and Bosco Sodi appear among the terraces and olive trees. The new Emporio Sirenuse flagship adds resortwear, jewelry and home objects, while custom ceramics made in Vietri sul Mare connect the tables directly to the coast’s craft traditions.
Hotel guests can reach the club aboard Le Sirenuse’s fast boat shuttle from Positano’s main beach. Outside visitors should reserve well ahead, particularly for cabanas and lunch. The club operates daily from April through October, weather permitting, from 10 a.m. until sunset.
Le Sirenuse Mare succeeds because it does not attempt to reproduce Positano. It offers an escape from it: lower, quieter and closer to the sea. On an increasingly crowded coastline, true luxury may be exactly that—space, shade, a cold granita and nowhere else one needs to be.
