Amalfi Coast: The Drive Is the Problem and the Point

The SS163 coastal road is a single lane in each direction, carved into cliff faces above the Tyrrhenian Sea, with hairpin bends designed for donkey carts rather than tourist coaches. In July and August it reaches a condition somewhere between gridlock and a slow-motion fistfight. The Amalfi Coast is beautiful in the way that things are beautiful when they were designed without reference to the number of people who would eventually want to see them.

Go in May, early June, or September. The sea is warm enough to swim, the road is navigable, the lemons are ripe on the terraces, and the restaurant you want will have a table. The coast was designated UNESCO World Heritage in 1997, protecting not just the towns but the terraced agricultural system – the millennia of stone walls cut into cliff faces to create the lemon and olive groves that give the coastline its particular vertical density.

The Towns

Positano is the most photographed: pastel-coloured buildings cascading down a steep cliff to a pebble beach. It is densely beautiful and densely crowded in summer. The Church of Santa Maria Assunta has a majolica-tiled dome visible from the ferry. The beach is narrow and the deckchair rental in peak season costs more than the boat that brought you from Sorrento.

Ravello sits 350 metres above sea level and requires a steep drive up from the coastal road. The altitude rewards: views from Villa Cimbrone’s Terrace of Infinity, which extends on a promontory above the sea, are among the best on the coast. The Ravello Festival (June through August) brings classical concerts to outdoor stages with the sea behind the performers. Wagner composed the second act of Parsifal here in 1880.

Amalfi town has the Cathedral of Sant’Andrea, a 9th-century foundation with an Arab-Norman bronze door and a striped Baroque facade. The town was a significant maritime power in the 9th and 10th centuries, rivalling Venice in Adriatic trade, and its legal code (the Tavole Amalfitane) was used by Mediterranean traders for centuries. The Cloister of Paradise, a Gothic courtyard with ancient sarcophagi, is attached to the cathedral.

Praiano and Furore are smaller and less visited, with the quieter coves and an absence of tour-bus infrastructure. If you are staying on the coast rather than day-tripping, consider basing here.

The Path of the Gods

The Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods) hiking trail runs from Nocelle above Positano to Bomerano above Furore – or in reverse – along the cliff tops. The walk takes three to four hours and covers some of the most dramatic clifftop terrain in Italy, with the sea 400 metres below and the towns visible in the distance. Technically moderate; steep in sections and exposed to sun. Take water and start early.

Getting There

No train serves the Amalfi Coast. The practical approaches are: from Naples by train to Sorrento (50 minutes from Napoli Centrale, 4 euros), then bus or boat along the coast; from Salerno by ferry to Amalfi or Positano directly; or by private car accepting the road conditions in exchange for flexibility. Ferries between towns run from April through October and are a better option than buses when they operate – faster, scenic, and avoid the traffic entirely.

Eating

Spaghetti alle vongole (clams), fresh grilled fish, and sfogliatelle (shell-shaped pastry with ricotta) are the Campanian standards available on every menu. The local lemons, grown on the terraced groves above the road, are bigger and sweeter than anything sold elsewhere, and the limoncello made from them is correspondingly better. Buy it direct from the producers on the terraces rather than from tourist shops.