Amalfi
The coast road, the cliffs and the sea below.
Twenty-five miles of vertical coastline between Sorrento and Salerno that has, since at least the eleventh century, photographed itself for a living. The Amalfi Coast is the postcard with consequences, a single road carved into a cliff, thirteen towns hung from it, a sea so blue it looks like a poster, and a series of long lunches that, taken in order over four days, will quietly rearrange your idea of August.
- Where
- Campania · Salerno, Italy
- When to go
- Late April to mid October
- Established
- 1133
Amalfi, in full.
The Amalfi Coast gets photographed as colour and remembered as light. We file it under Euro Summer because the chapter cannot exist without it, but the honest Amalfi is the one that begins at six in the morning and ends at four in the afternoon, the boat hour, the swim hour, the cliff-walk hour.
A 25-mile road, photographed in 24 frames
The Amalfi Coast is a single road, the SS163, blasted in 1853 out of the side of the Lattari mountains. It runs for forty kilometres between Sorrento and Vietri sul Mare; thirteen towns hang from it. Positano is the loudest, Ravello the highest, Amalfi the historical capital, Praiano the quiet middle, Atrani the smallest comune in southern Italy. The whole thing is one cinematic story, told to itself, in twenty-five miles of hairpin turns that, in season, function as a single stop-and-photograph route. The trick of an Amalfi week is to time those twenty-five miles for early morning or evening, and to spend the day inside one specific cove.
Positano, Praiano, Amalfi, Ravello, choose two
An Amalfi week is not one town. Positano is the photograph: a vertical fishing village, a single beach, the most-Instagrammed pile of pastel buildings on the Mediterranean. Praiano, fifteen minutes east, is the quieter alternative, a smaller cliffside town with the only good sunset on the coast (the others face north). Amalfi is the historical anchor: a 9th-century Romanesque cathedral, the paper museum, the Caprice. Ravello is two hundred metres above all of it, a hill town with two world-class garden villas (Cimbrone and Rufolo) and the only summer concerts the locals attend. Stay in Positano or Praiano; lunch in Ravello at least once.
Boat at ten, Lo Scoglio at one, terrace at nine
The proper Amalfi day starts at the marina. Hire a gozzo at the Marina Grande in Positano at 9.30am, Lucibello, Marina del Cantone, for a 10am departure. Anchor at Da Adolfo (the wooden cross on the cliff) for an early lunch, or push on to Nerano for Lo Scoglio, the cliff-side institution where Spaghetti alle Zucchine is essentially a regional anthem. Sleep through the heat. A 5pm walk on the Path of the Gods, an aperitivo at Le Sirenuse, a 9pm dinner at La Sponda or, in Ravello, at the Belvedere terrace of Caruso. The road has been busy all day; you have not.
A coastline you can walk above
The single best thing on the Amalfi Coast costs nothing. The Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei) runs from Bomerano (above Praiano) along the cliffs to Nocelle, above Positano, three hours, easy gradient, the most cinematic walk in southern Italy. Do it at six in the morning to be off the path before the August sun. The lemon-grove walk between Amalfi and Atrani is shorter and shadier; the Valle delle Ferriere from Amalfi to Pontone is a wet, fern-shaded canyon hike that ends with a paper-mill ruin. The road is the photograph; the paths are the place.
The coast road, the lemon terraces and the boat hour.
A place, accounted for.
- 40
- kilometres of coast road
- The SS163, blasted into the cliff in 1853. Thirteen towns, sixty hairpins, one of the most-photographed routes on earth.
- 1133
- Amalfi cathedral consecrated
- The Saracen-era duomo of Sant’Andrea, on the main piazza. Climb the steps before noon.
- 7.8
- kilometres on the Path of the Gods
- Bomerano to Nocelle. Three hours, easy gradient, the most cinematic walk in southern Italy.
- 1951
- Le Sirenuse opens
- The Sersale family converts the ancestral villa to thirty rooms. Today, sixty-two, and a 400-candle Michelin terrace.
- 11°
- sea temperature in February
- For context: 25°C in early September. The coast’s narrow swim window is also its best tactical secret.
Before the first weekend.
What separates the first weekend in a place from the second.
- 01
Get there
Fly to Naples (NAP) or Rome (FCO). From Naples: private transfer 1h 30m or Alicost ferry from Salerno 1h 10m. From Sorrento: ferry to Positano 25m.
- 02
Reserve
Lo Scoglio, La Sponda, Don Alfonso, Caruso pool, Belvedere, six weeks out at minimum. The boats, Lucibello, Marina del Cantone, the day before.
- 03
Move
Ferries by day (Travelmar, NLG, Alicost). SITA buses for anything inland. Private driver for a Ravello day. Never your hire car at noon in August.
- 04
Wear
White or off-white linen, espadrilles or rope soles, a hat. A jacket for La Sponda. Nothing that buckles.
- 05
Eat first
Lunch at Lo Scoglio in Nerano; dinner at La Sponda in Positano; espresso in Atrani at 7am; lunch at Da Adolfo by boat once.
- 06
Walk
Path of the Gods at six; Valle delle Ferriere from Amalfi at nine; the lemon-grove path from Amalfi to Atrani any time before lunch.
- 07
Boat
Hire a gozzo from Lucibello at Positano’s Marina Grande. Captain, fuel, ice. 9.30am pickup; 4pm back; lunch at sea.
- 08
Tip
Cash to the maître d’ at La Sponda; folded notes to the gozzo captain; a euro coin in the church.
What you will actually be doing.
- 01
Lunch at Lo Scoglio in Marina del Cantone, Spaghetti alle Zucchine on a wooden deck with the boats below.
- 02
A morning gozzo from Positano’s Marina Grande, anchoring at Da Adolfo for grilled mozzarella in vine leaves.
- 03
A long evening at Le Sirenuse, La Sponda’s thousand-candle dinner is the proper Positano night.
- 04
The Path of the Gods at six in the morning, from Bomerano to Nocelle, with a bottle of water and an early flight home.
- 05
A Caruso garden aperitivo in Ravello at sunset, the infinity pool catching the entire Gulf of Salerno.
- 06
A 7am espresso in Atrani, the smallest commune in southern Italy, before the bus leaves Amalfi for the day.
The year here, month by month.
May
The locals’ Amalfi. Wisteria on the Caruso wall, sea at 19°C, half the hotels just open. The honest May.
Jun
June is the proper week. Sea at 22°C, full restaurants, every reservation possible at five days, lemon harvest on every terrace.
Jul
Hot, busy, road backed up by 11am. Stay above the SS163, move by ferry, eat at 9.30pm.
Aug
Mid-August is Ferragosto. Beautiful chaos. Reserve everything from January; never drive the road.
Sep
The first three weeks of September is the canonical Amalfi. Warm sea, the carnival winding down, every restaurant in form, every hotel suddenly negotiating.
Oct
The harvest. Cooler nights, sweater walks, the SS163 quiet again, restaurants closing one by one. The last good week is the second of October.
Nov-Apr
Most hotels and restaurants shut. A small handful (Le Sirenuse, the Caruso) stay open for a winter weekend or two. Walk the road in a coat; the only Amalfi the locals keep.
The villages, and which is which.
- 01
Positano
The vertical photograph, pastel houses, one beach, the show.
Stay above the road for the views (Le Sirenuse, San Pietro) or below for the swim (Marincanto, Covo). Spaghetti at Chez Black for the photo, dinner at La Sponda for the proper night.
- 02
Praiano
The quieter middle, a sunset, a few hotels, a slower week.
The only Amalfi town that faces west. Casa Angelina for the white-on-white, La Conca del Sogno for the cliff-cove lunch.
- 03
Amalfi
The historical capital, Romanesque cathedral, paper mills, the lemon harvest.
Day-trip in from Positano. The Saracen-era duomo is worth thirty minutes; the lemon-grove walk to Atrani worth an hour.
- 04
Ravello
The clifftop garden town, concerts, villas, the highest light.
Stay one night to skip the noon coach crowds. Caruso for the photograph; Cimbrone’s Terrace of Infinity for the moment.
- 05
Atrani
The smallest commune in southern Italy, one piazza, one beach.
Walk down from Amalfi at 7am for an espresso at A’Paranza or the long-table breakfast at Le Arcate.
- 06
Marina del Cantone (Nerano)
The hidden cove past Sorrento, Lo Scoglio, Quattro Passi, the boat lunch.
Technically Sorrento Coast, not Amalfi, but the boat day belongs here.
- 07
Furore
The fjord between Praiano and Amalfi, a rare beach.
A single-stripe village clinging to a ravine. Hot-Italian-art landscapes; a dramatic photograph.
- 08
Vietri sul Mare
The eastern bookend, ceramic studios, beach club lunches.
Where the Amalfi Coast officially ends. The Pinto and Solimene workshops are worth a Saturday morning.
Where to eat, drink and sleep.
Eat
- Lo ScoglioMarina del Cantone
A wooden deck on the rocks. Spaghetti alle Zucchine, the De Simone family, the most copied lunch on the coast. Reserve weeks ahead.
- Da AdolfoLaurito
A boat-only beach restaurant; you spot the wooden cross on the cliff. Mozzarella in vine leaves grilled over the fire; one bottle of rosé per table.
- La Sponda (Le Sirenuse)Positano
A Michelin-starred terrace lit by 400 candles. The 9.30pm seating, in linen, is the canonical Positano evening.
- Il San Pietro RestaurantPositano
Two Michelin stars on the cliff. Lift down to the sea, lift back up. The Sunday lunch is the proper one.
- Quattro PassiMarina del Cantone
Two Michelin stars in a Sorrento-side garden. The serious dinner.
- Ristorante Don Alfonso 1890Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi
A pilgrimage on the hill above Sorrento. Two Michelin stars; vegetable garden visible through the wall; the cellar is a 14th-century well.
- Belvedere (Hotel Caruso)Ravello
The infinity-pool restaurant on the Ravello cliff. Lunch under the pergola; dinner with the lights of Maiori far below.
- Chez BlackPositano
On Spiaggia Grande since 1949. Spaghetti alle vongole at a yellow tablecloth, ten metres from the sea.
- Da VincenzoPositano
A traditional Positano family kitchen above the road. The Tuesday-night locals address; book a window table.
Drink
- Le Sirenuse Champagne BarPositano
The pre-dinner aperitivo. A negroni in linen on the red lacquer terrace; the Sirenuse parrot stays out of it.
- Franco’s BarPositano
The standing-room cocktail bar at Le Sirenuse, three open windows, the best bartenders, the right last drink.
Stay
- Le SirenusePositano
The Sersale family hotel since 1951. Sixty-two rooms, a pool, a Champagne bar, a Michelin restaurant. The first call.
- Hotel Il San PietroPositano
Cliffside, gardens, a private beach reached by lift. The design choice; the Sunday-lunch choice.
- Hotel Caruso, A Belmond HotelRavello
An infinity pool that ends in the Gulf of Salerno; the highest hotel on the coast; the right Ravello night.
- Casa AngelinaPraiano
A white-on-white modern hotel in Praiano. Quieter than Positano, with a private elevator to a sea-level beach club.
- Monastero Santa RosaConca dei Marini
A 17th-century monastery converted to twenty rooms, an infinity pool above the sea. The honeymoon address.
- Borgo SantandreaConca dei Marini
A 2022 Italian-design hotel; private beach club, three pools, a panoramic restaurant. The new establishment.
- Hotel MarincantoPositano
A small mid-priced cliff-side hotel below the road. Forty rooms, a sea-view pool, the right swim-after-lunch choice.
Swim
- Spiaggia di LauritoPositano
A pebble cove ten minutes by boat from Marina Grande. Da Adolfo is the only address; the boat shuttle is free for diners.
- Spiaggia di FuroreFurore
A small ribbon of beach at the bottom of the fjord. Walked down from the bridge; photographed from the boat.
- Marina di PraiaPraiano
A pebbly cove with two restaurants and a small sailing club. The right swim-club option for a Praiano stay.
See
- Duomo di AmalfiAmalfi
A 9th-13th century cathedral on the main piazza. Climb the sixty-two steps; the cloister upstairs is unexpectedly beautiful.
- Villa CimbroneRavello
A 12th-century villa with the Terrace of Infinity. Greta Garbo wanted to be alone here. So will you.
- Villa RufoloRavello
A 13th-century villa where the Ravello Festival happens each summer; Wagner heard the gardens speak. The afternoon is the photograph.
Dance
- Music on the RocksPositano
The 1970s cliff disco at the eastern end of Spiaggia Grande. The whole coast’s after-midnight, in a single cave.
Walk
- Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei)Bomerano → Nocelle
Three hours along the cliffs. Start at six. Take the bus from Amalfi to Bomerano; finish with the 1,500 steps down to Positano.
- Valle delle FerriereAmalfi
A wet, fern-shaded canyon walk. Two hours, paper-mill ruins, the only place on the coast you’ll wear a fleece in July.
Every way in, compared.
| Route | Time | From | Line | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private transfer from Naples | 1h 30m-2h | €130-€180 | Naples (NAP) → Positano / Praiano / Amalfi | The right arrival on a weekend. Air-conditioned saloon, a driver who knows the SS163, water in the back seat. |
| Ferry from Salerno | 1h 10m | €17-€20 | Salerno → Amalfi → Positano | Alicost / Travelmar, April-October, every two hours. The cinematic arrival. Take the train Naples → Salerno (45m) and ferry on. |
| Ferry from Sorrento | 25-35m | €18-€22 | Sorrento → Positano (and Amalfi) | NLG / Alicost / Positano Jet, April-October. The right last leg if you’re flying via Naples and basing on the Sorrento side. |
| SITA Sud bus | 1h 10m+ | €2.20-€4 | Sorrento → Positano → Amalfi → Salerno | The local bus along the SS163. Cheap, slow, scenic, packed in season; the right call for short hops. |
| Helicopter | 15m | From €1,800 (group) | Naples Capodichino → Positano helipad | Lands above Positano in the Bellevue helipad. Theatrical; rarely worth it on a calm day with a clear ferry schedule. |
The rules the regulars keep.
- 01
Boat by 10, road by 6
Move by sea between 10am and 4pm; move by car only at dawn or after dusk. The SS163 in summer is solved one way only.
- 02
Reserve in February
Lo Scoglio, La Sponda, Don Alfonso, the Caruso pool, the books open in winter. After mid-March, the answer is no.
- 03
Stay above and below
Split the week, two nights Positano, two nights Praiano or Ravello. One town reads as a postcard; two as a place.
- 04
No heels, ever
The Amalfi Coast is steps. Espadrilles, rope soles, a flat sandal. The hotel will help; the road will not.
- 05
Cash for the parking
Public car parks are cash-only and full by 9am. Take the SITA bus, the ferry, or the hotel transfer; never your hire car for a day-trip.
A short, polite list.
- 01
Don’t drive the SS163 in August. Take the ferry from Salerno or Sorrento; rent the car only for arrival and departure.
- 02
Don’t day-trip from Naples. Stay one night minimum; two for Positano to read properly.
- 03
Don’t try to do Capri and the coast in the same week. Capri is its own week.
- 04
Don’t order pasta with cream. The coast is olive oil and lemon, and prouder of it than you’d guess.
- 05
Don’t skip Ravello. Two-thirds of the people who say "I didn’t love it" never went up.
- 06
Don’t book a sea-view room only on the photo. Ask for a height; rooms below the road in Positano lose the view to other rooms.
Practical, briefly.
When is the best time to visit the Amalfi Coast?
Mid-May to mid-June for wisteria, lemons, and the locals; the first three weeks of September for the answer (warm sea, kinder hotel rates, every reservation possible). August is the carnival, beautiful but crowded, with prices doubled and the SS163 at gridlock from 11am. The road effectively shuts from December to early March.
How do I get to Positano from Rome or Naples?
From Naples Capodichino: private transfer (~1h 30m, €130), or train to Salerno + Alicost ferry to Positano (April-October, 1h 10m, €17). From Rome: Frecciarossa to Naples (1h 10m), then transfer or ferry. From any direction in season, ferry is the right call for the last leg, the road is what it is.
Should I stay in Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, or Praiano?
First visit: Positano for the photograph; book a room above the road (Le Sirenuse, Marincanto, Il San Pietro) or splurge on Il San Pietro for the cliff-side calm. Second visit: Praiano (Casa Angelina, Borgo Santandrea) for the quiet middle, or Ravello (Caruso, Palazzo Avino) for the high air. Amalfi itself is a day-trip, not a base.
Is the Amalfi Coast worth it for one weekend?
Yes, fly to Naples, take the SITA bus or a transfer to Positano on Friday, do the boat day on Saturday, the Path of the Gods on Sunday morning, ferry to Salerno for the train back Sunday afternoon. Tight but possible; the trip the locals quietly take for August Bank Holidays.
How do I get around once I’m there?
Ferries (Travelmar, NLG) between Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Salerno run every 30-60 minutes April to October, the right way to move. SITA buses serve everything else. A car is only useful at dawn or dusk and impossible to park; hire a private driver for one day if you want to do Ravello and the inland villages.
How expensive is the Amalfi Coast?
A serious week: hotel €700-€2,500/night for a sea view, dinner €150/head with wine, lunch on a boat €120/head, a private gozzo €1,200 a day. A modest week: a B&B in Praiano €150/night, pizza in Atrani €15, ferries everywhere, swimming free. The trick is mixing the two, sleep modestly, eat seriously.