A traveler's guide to Amalfi Coast
Stay in one town and ferry to the others. Driving the SS163 is famous and exhausting. Positano is steep. Pack shoes you can actually walk in.
The Amalfi Coast is a winding road and a string of villages that look invented. Positano is the icon, Ravello the quiet terrace, Amalfi the working town, Atrani the pause. Swim off a pier, eat something with lemons, and take the ferry when the road feels like a dare.
Which town
Positano for the postcard and the prices. Amalfi for ferries and a bit more life. Ravello for views and quieter nights. Sorrento is the practical base on the other side of the peninsula.
Getting there
Naples airport to Sorrento or Salerno, then ferry. The Circumvesuviana train is cheap and grim; a transfer is kinder. In summer, ferries beat buses.
A good day
Morning swim, boat to a second town, long lunch, a garden or a hike, late dinner. Capri is a day trip; it is also a crowd. Go early or skip it.
If you only remember this
- July and August are a different, louder coast. May and September win.
- Many beaches are pebble. Water shoes help.
- Hotel rooms with a view book out a year ahead for peak months.
- Cash is handy for small boats and beach clubs.