Below the garden at Roc Villa Bay, a flight of stone steps leads down to a rocky cove. It is the second of the house's two private accesses to the sea, and it is the one that feels most like a secret: no road, no beach club, no queue. Just rock, water and the sound of the coast.
Two ways to the water
Roc Villa Bay has two private accesses to the sea. The first is a sandy beach reached by a private path. The second is this cove: a rocky inlet reached by stone steps cut into the garden. Having both changes the way a day works. You can choose sand when you want to lie down, and rock when you want to swim and be alone.
Both accesses are part of the property. They are not public paths and they are not shared with neighbouring houses.
The descent
The steps are stone, and they follow the slope of the garden down to the water. The descent is part of the experience: the garden closes behind you, the sound of the sea grows, and the cove appears below. It is not a lift and it is not a promenade. Wear shoes with grip, use the handrail where there is one, and take your time.
The climb back up is steeper than the descent, as it always is. Allow for it, especially in the middle of the day.
Swimming from the rocks
The cove is a rocky place. There is no long sandy shelf; you enter the water from rock. That is what makes the water clear and the swimming good, but it also means you should be comfortable in open water and sure of your footing.
Sea conditions matter more here than on a sandy beach. Wind, swell and tide can change the cove from a calm pool to a rough edge in a few hours. Check the water before you commit, swim with someone else, and do not dive into water you have not looked at.
The cove through the day
Morning is the best time for the cove. The water is usually calm, the light comes across the surface, and the rocks are still cool. In the middle of the day the cove offers shade and privacy; in the evening it is a place to watch the light change rather than to swim.
Because the cove is small, it never holds many people. That is its purpose. It is a place for a few guests, not a beach for a crowd.
What to bring
Bring water, sun protection and shoes that can handle wet rock. A dry bag is useful if you want to take a book or a phone down. There is no bar and no service at the cove, so bring what you need and take everything back up with you.
Care for the coast
The Mediterranean here is fragile. Do not leave anything behind, do not light fires, and do not disturb the rocks and the vegetation. The cove is private, but the sea is not: what happens on one shore eventually reaches the next.
The beach, when you want sand
The cove is not the only way down. The sandy beach reached by the private path is the gentler option, and it is the better choice for children, for long afternoons and for days when the sea is livelier. The villa page describes the house and its two accesses; the Santa Lucia guide describes one of the village's beaches.
To see how the two accesses fit into the house, start with the villa page. For dates and practical questions, the enquiry form is the beginning of the conversation.
Questions
Good to know
How do you reach the cove?
By a flight of stone steps cut into the Mediterranean garden at Roc Villa Bay.
Is the cove private?
The cove is one of two private accesses to the sea that belong to Roc Villa Bay. It is not a public path.
Is the cove suitable for children?
The entry is rocky rather than sandy. The sandy beach reached by the private path is the gentler option for children.
Is there a bar or service at the cove?
No. There is no service at the cove; bring what you need and take everything back up with you.
Stay at Roc Villa Bay
A private house
by the sea
Four bedrooms, three private units, more than 4,000 m² of Mediterranean garden and two private accesses to the sea in Castiglioncello.
