As soon as we turned off the highway and I caught my first glimpse of the sparkling turquoise sea, I could tell that this was a special place. The two-lane road climbed higher, twisting and turning, through little villages and past farm stands with garlands of chili peppers and purple onions dancing in the wind, until finally we turned onto a quiet street with a statue of the Virgin Mary on the corner.

At the end of the road was our destination: a monastery hidden behind tall wooden doors, or rather, what used to be a monastery. Nowadays, the building is a five-star boutique hotel called Villa Paola.