Southern Italy's most famous coastline, extending itself for approximately 50 km, runs from Punta Campanella to Salerno and includes the picturesque hilltop towns of Positano, Amalfi and Ravello.
Developed through the years as a famous holiday destination, this region merges beautiful scenery, rich cultural heritage and a landscape emerged out of a palette of some famous painter with its beautiful bays, tiny beaches, pastel domed houses (the domes are filled with sand to make the houses warm during winter) decorated with colourful bougainvillea and the scent of the lemon blossom merges the ocean breeze.
Due to its strategic position in the Italian coast, Greeks, Romans, Normans and other civilizations have moved or explored this region in the past, leaving until today its legacy on the architecture and still present monuments. It is said that Positano has been an offering from the Greek God Poseidon to his loved one, Posithea, Goddess of Relaxation and Wellbeing.
The stone towers that are visible in many places around the coast, are the living prove of the pirate’s invasion of this coast to steal as much as they could.
The Amalfi Coast remains an intriguing mix of sophistication and simplicity. On some towns you can see luxurious yachts, chauffeur-driven Mercedes-Benz and five-star hotels, whereas some more rural reality exists. Around precariously stacked hill villages, farmers still cultivate small plots of steeply terraced land, and their wives make cheese and down on the coast, tiny fishing communities make a living from the sea.
Quick Guide:
How to get there: The closest airport to the Amalfi coast is Naples. From here, you can choose to take day tours by coach, take boat tours, or regular services (there are good connections between the most visited towns, specially during summer season) or, if you are a confident driver, brave the narrow, winding coastal road and you will discover hidden treasured villages along the way.
All the towns of the Amalfi coast are connected by the scenic SS. 163 road, built in the first half of the XIX century and always considered one of the most beautiful roads in Italy, following the natural course of the coastline.
When to go: The best time to visit is between April and October, as the weather is more inviting, however, you can visit it at any time of the year.
Where to stay: There are many accommodations, from small B&B’s to 5* hotels. The prices vary a lot with the properties in the touristic centres costing a great amount of money, to cheaper options if you go a bit further out. The standards are good, so there are options for every budget and taste.
You can choose to stay in one single location and then travel to the other villages, or you can split your stay depending on the time you have and the way you feel more comfortable about it.
Where to eat: For sure you will not have trouble with finding where to eat, as the little towns have a good offer in this regard. The cuisine is very rich and tasty, typically Italian, but you can also find generic international food.
What to see: In total there are 13 towns and villages, part of the Amalfi coast, declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites, back in 1997. Apart from these towns you can also explore Capri, Pompeii or Naples.
Let’s explore:
1. Amalfi: The town that gives the name to the coast and was the first of the Four Maritime Republics of Italy, having, for a long time, the monopoly of trade with the East. It looks like a cluster of white houses clinging to the rock and connected to each other by covered alleys and stairways. At the centre of the main square there is the beautiful Cathedral of St. Andrew, with its impressive staircase, the bell-tower in Arab-Norman style and the charming Cloister of Paradise.
2. Positano: is one of the best known places of the Amalfi coast for its picturesque staircases, whitewashed houses following the natural course of the mountain and creating a vertical landscape. This village is one of the most visited for its beautiful XIX-XX century buildings in Mediterranean style and its postcard landscapes with the background of the tiled dome of the main church and Li Galli islands.
3. Ravello: home to the one of the oldest music festivals in Italy, this town, very popular within the artists throughout the centuries, is famous for its postcard perfect landscape and noble atmosphere, inspiring many people. In addition to religious buildings, many of which dating from the Medieval period, ancient palaces and noble mansions coexist with contemporary buildings.
4. Praiano: with its genuine and authentic atmosphere, far away from the mass tourism, is characterized by narrow streets making their way through the Mediterranean vegetation, terraced gardens and typical houses, leading directly to the sea. Here you can enjoy the most romantic sunset of the whole coast.
5. Atrani: a beautiful and charming town situated at the mouth of the Valle del Dragone, is a natural amphitheatre on the sea, offering the visitor picturesque views, as well as the pleasure to spend relaxing moments in the main square, away from the mass tourism and very close to the beach.
6. Centara: a still active fishing village, with its port specializing in the processing and storage of tuna and anchovy, creating culinary specialties (such as, the anchovy sauce), very used in the Italian delicacies.
7. Conca Dei Marini: with an old maritime tradition, this town is a natural balcony overlooking the sea, surrounded by the Mediterranean vegetation and terraced gardens planted with "Sfusato Amalfitano" lemon groves.
8. Furore: known as "non real town", for its urban layout characterized by scattered villages surrounded by terraced vineyards, is also called "the painted village", for the beautiful murals realized on the typical whitewashed houses. Furore hosts the MarMeeting - High Diving World Championship every July.
9. Maiori: Very picturesque with its wide promenade, bordered by the Norman Tower, on the East side and the marina and the charming Miramare Castle on the West side. In the old town centre, beautiful Neoclassical buildings coexist with ancient-vaulted houses, representing the first settlement of the coastal town, built around the medieval fortress of Thoro-plano.
10. Minori: has a long tradition in the production of handmade pasta as well as in the processing of the famous Amalfi coast lemon. The Roman Villa and the Basilica of Santa Trofimena are also good points of visit.
11. Scala: the oldest town of the Amalfi coast, is surrounded by dense forests of chestnut trees. It still preserves its relaxing atmosphere, that perfectly harmonizes itself with the rich historical monuments, revealing the wealth of the population during the Middle Ages, mainly composed of noble merchants.
12. Tramonti: surrounded by chestnut trees and vineyards producing full bodied wines, is the perfect place to enjoy the authentic flavours of local cuisine, in particular dairy products, bread and pizza prepared since the Middle Ages in rural ovens using rye, millet and barley flour, seasoned with lard and spices.
13. Vietri Sul Mare: is the first town of the Amalfi coast coming from Salerno and worldwide famous for the production of bright coloured artistic ceramic, since the XV century.
Summarising, the Amalfi Coast is one of Italy's most memorable destinations.