Il Casolare delle Bufale

Here, mornings begin with the sound of two hundred water buffalo being milked, which is a good deal more soothing than it sounds. Il Casolare delle Bufale is a working buffalo farm in the flat, green countryside between Paestum’s temples and the sea, and three of its old stone buildings have been turned into cottages where guests wake up beside the herd, sleep very well and eat the best mozzarella of their lives.

The farm belongs to the Ferrara family, who have been making buffalo cheese since the 1960s. The calves are named after Greek gods, since the temples are just up the road, and the youngest, Dioniso, has opinions about visitors. Our cheesemaker, Salvatore, gives a short tour each morning and, if you ask, a hands-on lesson in stretching the curd. The result arrives warm on your breakfast table with tomatoes from the garden.

The Casolare Grande is the old farmhouse: three bedrooms, a kitchen with a fireplace and a terrace with a barbecue under a pergola. The Casetta del Casaro, once the cheesemaker’s home, has one bedroom and a tiny garden. The Fienile Studio, the former hayloft, is a bright room for one or two with a kitchenette and a view across the fields. All are plain and spotless, with good beds and no pretensions, and there is a small shared pool by the barn.

The nearest beach, at Laura, is ten minutes by bike along a flat farm road, and the Temples of Paestum are about five kilometres away. There are bicycles to borrow, a baby cot and a vegetable patch, and dogs are warmly welcomed by everyone but the geese. It is a place for families and for anyone who has ever wanted to know where their cheese comes from.