With breathtaking panoramas, aquamarine seas and an endless supply of limoncello, it’s no wonder the Amalfi Coast has long been the vacation destination of choice for the Italian elite. Indeed, the Costiera Amalfitana, as it is called in Italian, has long enraptured visitors with its beauty. Homer imagined it as the home of the alluring Sirens in “The Odyssey,” and writers like E.M. Forster, D.H. Lawrence, John Steinbeck and Virginia Woolf have lived and worked in its hills.
The Amalfi Coast consists of a string of small villages lining the cliffs of the Sorrentine Peninsula, from Positano to Vietri sul Mare. The resort town of Sorrento, further north, is often considered part of the coast and can be a good base from which to explore the area. The legendary islands of the Gulf of Naples – Capri, Ischia and Procida – are also popular destinations.
The coast is most commonly explored by bus, car or the ubiquitous motorino (scooter). The drive is not for the faint of heart. From Positano down, the narrow roads meet the steep cliffline without so much as a road barrier, and Italian motorists have a tendency for speed. If you’re in the driver’s seat, be sure to proceed with caution. Alternately, you can navigate the coast by boat. Ferries and high-speed hydrofoils depart from the main port cities regularly, and prices are reasonable.
The Amalfi Coast is temperate year-round, but like most of Italy, the best times to explore are in June and September. Italian and foreign tourists flood Sorrento, Amalfi, Positano, Ravello and the islands in July and August, but it is still possible to find a peaceful respite in smaller villages like Praiano and La Marina di Furore. Regardless of which spot you choose, the coast is sure to enchant you. And who knows? Like so often before, it may inspire a masterpiece.
The author of this post, Jessica Arriola Marati, is a freelance writer based in Rome, Italy. Born in San Francisco and raised in the Pacific island of Guam, she caught the travel bug early and has spent most of her life immersing herself in the study of her two heritages, Chamorro and Italian. Jessica has written for several magazines & traveled extensively. She can be reached at jessica.marati@gmail.com.
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Despite my interest in limoncello it’s a place I’ve never been. I need to make a pilgrimage there one day soon. It looks fantastic!
Hello Jessica,
Your blog is so helpful!! My 3 friends and I are coming to Italy in late September for 2 weeks. We are planning to stay 2-3 nights in the Amalfi area. Do you have any suggestions for villa’s or hotels? Thanks so much for your help!
Danielle
Hi, Danielle:
You can search for hotels in Amalfi (the city, not the entire coast) here:
http://hotels.italylogue.com/Europe-Italy-Amalfi.html
And there are other Amalfi Coast towns listed on the hotels pages here:
For villa/apartment rentals, here’s the selection for the Amalfi Coast:
http://vacationrentals.bootsnall.com/vacation-rentals/italy+amalfi-coast+4+290
My friend Laura of Ciao Amalfi recommends making the city of Amalfi your homebase, as it’s an actual town and not just a tourist town - in other words, no matter what time of year you’re there, there’s life! For more Amalfi Coast tips, hop on over to her blog, too:
Nice post! Pretty amazing how much history & beauty is packed into such a small area. ~Tui