Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast is the most spectacular stretch of coastline in Italy, a UNESCO landscape where pastel villages cling impossibly to sheer cliffs above a dazzling blue sea, linked by a vertiginous corniche road. From the tumbling houses of Positano to the cathedral town of Amalfi and the garden terraces of Ravello high above, it is a byword for Mediterranean beauty.

Background

The coast runs along the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Gulf of Salerno in the Province of Salerno, between the Sorrentine Peninsula to the north and the Cilentan Coast to the south. It takes its name from the town of Amalfi, long its main centre, and in the 10th and 11th centuries the Duchy of Amalfi was based there. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, the protected landscape covers 11,231 hectares, and few seaside areas in Italy draw more visitors.

Source: Wikipedia, "Amalfi Coast"

Highlights

• Positano - the cliffside village of pastel houses tumbling to the sea.
• Amalfi - the town with its striped cathedral and old maritime glory.
• Ravello - the hilltop town of villa gardens with sweeping sea views.
• The corniche road and ferries - the dramatic coast road and the boat trips.

When to go

Late spring and early autumn for warm weather without the peak crush; July and August are hot, mobbed and dear. The ferries are a lovely and often easier way to travel the coast than the traffic-choked road.

Good to know

It is extremely popular, so in high summer the villages are packed, the road gridlocked and prices sky-high. The corniche road is narrow and nerve-racking to drive, so ferries or a driver are often better. Positano is beautiful but steep and stepped.

Nearby

Pompeii, Vesuvius and Naples are to the north; Capri lies offshore.

Key facts