Find An Affordable Holiday Villa Near Amalfi

The Amalfi coast of Italy is numbered among the best in Europe. Thats with good reason. The 100km offer stunning views winding through a series of unspoilt towns: Amalfi, Sorrento, Positano, Vietri sul Mare

Little wonder that since it became a stop-off for Victorian wealthy people on the Grand Tour circuit, it has attracted the world's jetset. With price tags to match too. A villa with view over the sea in these parts can set you back the best part of US$4m.

Yet venture not too far away from here an one can find the same beauty and more at much more affordable cost. This is a little-known secret that has remained undiscovered for far too long. Welcome to the Cilento coast It lies some 80km to the south and stretches for nearl 160km. It also runs along theCilento national park, the countrys second largest and along with Vallo Di Diano National Park is such an area of stunning natural beauty that it is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Paestum apart, the names of it charming seaside towns and villages Acciaroli, Ascea, Castellabate, Cape Palinuro may not feature on many foreign tourist itineraries but they offer the same mixture of winsome coastal towns, super sun and breathtaking views over the sea but without the sizeable prices of the Amalfi coast which is still near enough to be seen on a day or weekend jaunt.

Paestum a city which dates from some 2,700 years ago and boasts imposing and well-preserved Greek ruins is another World Heritage Site. Yet a 50sq m flat here could go for just $100,000. As a rule,on the Cilento coast you should expect around $115,000 for a one-bedroom condo and $200,000for two bedrooms scarcely a fifth of what you would pay on the Amalfi coast. Furthermore, some digging around allied to a bit of luck can yieldeven greate bargains. One instance: in Ascea, one-bedroom sea-view flat was recently put on the market for $100,000 and another barely 70 yards from the sea at $85,000.

A couple of the hotspots are in almost opposite ends of the Cilento Coast, namely Agropoli and, some 90 minutes away, Scario. Prices will be slightly raised here, but again, shopping around can yield a better deal. In Agropoli, a development of newly built apartments about 1.5km from the sea recently came on the market from around $145,000 for one bedroom. If you are set on a coastalview, budget around $160,000 for a one-bedroom and a further $10,000-$15,000 for for a couple of bedrooms.

As ever, prices fal markedly if you are prepared to take on a home that may be liveable but requires some modernisation. However for real estate hunters attracted to the countryside but cant resist a sea view, the hills over Casal Velino are a very affordable option, with a new-buil one-bedroom purchas on the market from as little as $90,000.