"The Amalfi Coast is Italy at its most operatic — and its most delicious."
The Costiera Amalfitana stretches for 50 kilometres along the southern edge of the Sorrentine Peninsula, connecting a string of villages — Positano, Praiano, Amalfi, Ravello — that cling to cliffs above the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of Italy's most visited coastlines, and one of its most rewarding. The food alone — fresh seafood, house-made pasta, sfusato lemons — would justify the journey.
The secret to the Amalfi Coast is to slow down. The road is too narrow and too beautiful to rush. Stay at least three nights — ideally five — and use a boat as much as possible to move between villages. The coast looks completely different from the water, and you avoid the traffic entirely.
"Use a boat to move between villages. The coast looks completely different from the water."
TastesOf Editorial
At a Glance
What Not to Miss
The Amalfi Drive (SS163)
One of the most dramatic roads in the world — 50 kilometres of hairpin bends carved into cliffs above the Tyrrhenian Sea. Hire a driver rather than driving yourself; the views deserve your full attention.
Positano on Foot
The most photogenic town on the coast. Descend the stepped streets to the beach in the morning before the day-trippers arrive, then climb back up for lunch at a terrace restaurant with the whole bay below you.
Ravello's Villa Cimbrone
High above the coast, Ravello is the Amalfi's quietest and most refined village. The Terrace of Infinity at Villa Cimbrone — a belvedere lined with classical busts overlooking the sea — is one of Italy's great views.
Lemon Grove Tour
The Amalfi Coast's sfusato amalfitano lemons are among the world's finest — enormous, fragrant, and the basis of the region's limoncello. Several farms offer tours through the terraced groves above the coast road.
Boat to the Emerald Grotto
The Grotta dello Smeraldo — a sea cave where the water glows an extraordinary emerald green — is one of the coast's most memorable experiences. Go by boat from Amalfi town for the best approach.
Dining in Amalfi Town
The town of Amalfi itself is often overlooked in favour of Positano, but its restaurants — particularly those serving fresh-caught seafood with house-made pasta — are among the coast's finest.
Where to Stay
Hotel Santa Caterina
LuxuryThe grande dame of Amalfi — a clifftop hotel with a private sea elevator, saltwater pool, and one of the finest restaurants on the coast. Timeless and impeccably run.
Le Sirenuse, Positano
IconicThe most famous hotel on the Amalfi Coast. Pink-washed, terrace-stacked, and overlooking the entire bay of Positano. The bar at sunset is non-negotiable.
Monastero Santa Rosa
Boutique LuxuryA converted 17th-century monastery perched above Conca dei Marini. The infinity pool is one of the most beautiful in Italy.
The Verdict
Italy's most dramatic coastline — best explored slowly, by boat, in May or September.