The best beach hotels in Italy for a spring getaway

Casa Angelina, situated on the edge of the quiet village of Praiano, is built into the cliffside with extraordinary views to Positano and along the coast to Capri. Local designer Marco de Luca’s dazzling interiors work because they are meticulously maintained daily by a prowling team of painters armed with a palette of whites – there is not a scratch in sight. The open-plan ground floor is a perfect showcase for the owners’ collection of jazzy modern art, and many of the bedrooms face seawards, making the most of the knock-out views. There are two compact pools, though more impressive is the private 'beach' – which is built out over the water and found down 250 steep steps – where guests can laze, spritz in hand, beneath tangerine-coloured parasols.

This ‘60s icon cascades down a terraced hill to a secluded private cove on the Tuscan promontory of Monte Argentario – a pebble’s throw from Porte Ercole. It’s one of Italy’s most photogenic hotels, popular with photographers and film stars alike thanks to its dramatic setting and stylish décor by Marie Louise Sciò, creative director of Pellicano Hotels. Many rooms have terraces, some with a knock-out view of the sea, and one even has a private pool, though the main draw is the cement sunning area at the bottom of the cliff, which has a long wooden dock reaching out into the sparkling blue sea.

One of the best beach hotels in Italy, Santa Caterina clings to the rockface in a vertiginous coastal setting just outside Amalfi – away from the crowds yet close to Ravello, Positano and ferries to Capri. Owned by the Gambardella family since 1904, the handsome Art Nouveau villa brags a Michelin-starred restaurant and romantic rooms graced with 19th-century antiques and locally hand-painted ceramic tiles. Luxuriant Mediterranean gardens and lemon groves spill down to the private beach club, with its water-side terraces, saltwater pool and seafood restaurant.

Belmond Villa Sant'Andrea offers immaculate, understated luxury in the Sicilian seaside villa of a Cornish engineer, transformed in the 1960s into a glamorous – indeed iconic – hotel. It's encircled by subtropical gardens on a beach below the bustling historic hill-town resort of Taormina, and although fairly sizeable, the overarching feel is intimate and personal. Most rooms have balconies or terraces overlooking the bay, and all of them have an exceedingly high level of comfort, no matter what their size and layout – think contemporary neutrals, with cream marble floors, luxury linens, and glorious bathrooms with Sicilian ceramics, brass fittings, citrus-scented Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo toiletries.

This exquisite stay marries Italian high design (think vintage yacht style) with a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. It seems to float like a boat on the water, with serene views over the Gulf of Naples. The colourful port of Marina Grande – home to a number of public beaches – is five minutes’ walk away, while twinkly Capri town is just 10 minutes in the hotel shuttle. Highlights include the romantic, lantern-lit, ocean-edged swimming pool and the panoramic JKitchen Restaurant focusing on Neapolitan cuisine using seasonal organic produce.

Le Sirenuse has lured enchanted visitors since the ‘50s, when John Steinbeck described it as 'an old family house converted into a first class hotel, spotless and cool'. Its seductive cliffside setting on the edge of Positano commands far-reaching views over the village to the ocean; a five-minute walk takes you down to the Marina Grande port and beach. Furnished with fine antiques and contemporary art, and offering every amenity, the hotel still retains the atmosphere of an exquisite private home. Alternatively, avoid the masses in Positano by hopping on one of the hotel's boats; there's a wooden gozzo for complimentary trips, and a glam vintage Riva speedboat for sunset cruises with champagne.

Named after the giant bear-shaped rock that guards the Strait of Bonifacio on Sardinia’s legendary north coast, the Capo d’Orso lies between two pretty coves where one can bask by the water or trek across the headland. Run by the Delphina group, promotors of a green ethos on the Emerald Coast, this boutique hotel features bijou ‘cottages’ buried in juniper woods where lie shady nooks and crannies, a seawater pool and spa, romantic bars and restaurants that float dreamily above the water.

The legendary San Pietro – haunt of film stars and royalty – clings to a rocky promontory in a jaw-dropping setting just outside Positano. Despite its celebrity status and litany of services, it remains a family affair – impeccably run by the Cinque family for over 50 years. The lush gardens and lemon groves, the fabulously romantic terrace bar and Michelin-starred restaurant Zass all offer mesmerizing Amalfi-coast views; down by the water there’s a pool, spa, tennis court, solarium and the al fresco beachside restaurant, Carlino’s.

This exotic Puglian masseria – once a medieval watchtower guarding the sea – lies in a 100-hectare estate through which you can walk, cycle or take the shuttle to two private beaches. Alternatively, stay put and wallow in the vast palm-edged lagoon-pool in the gardens. With a minimum age of 14, this silent oasis near the beautiful San Domenico golf club will appeal to adults seeking an old-world atmosphere. Guests can also use the facilities of the nearby sister hotels: glamorous Borgo Egnazia and rustic Masseria Cimino.

The Moorish-style Mezzatorre – former holiday home of film director Luchino Visconti – grew up round an ancient watchtower dominating a rocky bay on Ischia’s north-west coast. Girdled by pine forests like a story-book castle, it overlooks the glittering Gulf of Naples. Now under the wing of Pellicano Hotels, the exotic villa has been revamped in a breezy retro style. Sybarites can wallow in the thermal spa, the cliff-hanging salt-water swimming pool, or in Ischia’s legendary waters; the nearest beach is just over 10 minutes’ walk.