Must See Places on the Amalfi Coast
The first real jaw drop occurs when you hit the road, but there are plenty of other must see places on the Amalfi coast.
The 50 km drive from Salerno to Sorrento on the Amalfi coast in Campania is one of the most beautiful in Italy. With sparkling emerald seas, fragrant lemon groves, sandy coves, scary hairpin bends and pretty villas and towns defying the laws of gravity as they cling to vertical cliffs. These views will leave anyone happy and contented, so just get on a bus and enjoy it. The scenery is simply unforgettable.
How to Get There?
You can also enjoy the views from a boat that goes from Salerno to Amalfi, Positano and Capri. Or walk all the way off the beaten track along ancient pathways that connect deep valleys, mountain convents and authentic villages. There is a reason 10 km of this route starting near Praiano is known as Sentiero degli Dei, the Path of the Gods.
Thte cathedral of Amalfi (right) and a professional view of the coast.
Small and Tiny Towns
The towns along the coast are all incredibly pretty but also very, very small and very, very touristy. Still, it is nice to visit the ceramic workshops in Vietri and walk through the alleys with the characteristic tiles.
Maiori and Minori have splendid villas, the fortified castle of S. Nicola de Thoro-Plano as well as beaches and caves such as Grotta Sulfurea and Grotta di Pandora.
Amalfi and Ravello need no further introduction, as these charming towns have been popular tourist destinations for centuries. Apart from the flag throwers and open air concerts, the churches with the convents and relics and the spectacular gardens around Villa Cimbrone qualify as a must see.
In Conca Dei Marini there is an emerald cave called Grotta dello Smeraldo where you can go swimming and admire the most amazing colours.
Flag throwers ready to demonstrate their skills during a procession through one of the small towns on the Amalfi coast
The Geographic Hub
And then there is Positano with all the glitz and glamour of the international jetset. Positano is probably the most photogenic town on the Amalfi coast – which says a lot – and it also has more beaches and shops than its neighbours. In addition Positano serves as a local traffic hub with regular boat services to Salerno, to the three small Li Galli islands and to beaches like Grotta delle Matera and Marina di Crapolla.
You can also take a shuttle bus to Spiaggia di Laurito which is little more than a rocky cove but generally uncrowded. Or explore the whitewashed towns Montepertuso and Nocelle further up the mountain.
The sights along the Amalfi coast may not be outstanding in their own right, but they all serve to illuminate and highlight spectacular scenery that has turned this peninsula into a tourist magnet.
Very beauriful place…
I totally agree:)
The coastal view is amazing!
Yes, there’s a reason it has been one of the most popular tourist itineraries for centuries.
The sun, the sea, the pageantry – Ahhh!
Yes, they are quite cute – the little flag throwers.
Great job, this area deserves to be enjoyed at least once in a lifetime!
Don’t forget to visit Furore, taste their wines and if you can, go swimming at Furore fjord. ;)
Thanks for the tip – Furore is really beautiful. How could I forget?
I have wanted to visit this area for a long time and with a drive known as the Path of the Gods – how can you not? It all sounds amazing. Positano is an area I can probably get lost in for days. I would be okay with all the touristy stuff too. :)
I like you enthusiasm even for the touristy stuff. It is a bit hypocritical not to like it – when most of us are tourist, after all.
I’d love to go but I think only in the off season as I don’t like places overflowing with tourists. Sounds like a hairy drive so maybe a bus is the way to go.
A bus is absolutely recommended. Otherwise you will have to keep your eyes on the road.
I’ve been on Capri once, and we stopped for a few minutes in Sorrento on a bus tour many years ago. The Amalfi Coast seems to be the favourite of many Romans. Would love to linger in the area for a few days… or more.
I wouldn’t mind getting stuck there for a few weeks either. You can really lose yourself in a scenery like that.
Touristy or not, Amalfi coast is on my bucket list. I am looking forward to see and explore the place – though maybe not in summer.
It’s only a couple of hours drive from Rome and the springtime is really spectacular.
What beautiful photos! The Amalfi coast is so glorious. Thanks for the info.
Yes. It always makes me hum ‘That’s Amore’