Amalfi Coast
The Italian scenery around the Amalfi and Sorrento coasts is one of the prettiest in Europe, heck around the world. Colourful little villages are constructed on the slopes of the mountainous region with incredible views over the blue Med Sea.
I went this summer for the first time in the famous Amalfi Coast. We made our base the famous and picturesque little village of Positano and spend each day discovering a different village or island around the area. The scenery reminds that of Santorini. Amalfi is in the bay of Naples area, with the mountain of Vesuvius not far away, making the land very fertile, and close to the antiquities of Pompei, Herculaneum and Baie. The roads surrounding the coast are very narrow and with turns, so the best way to move around is by boat; it’s indeed faster, easier, safer and sometimes cheaper.
Amalfi is the more luxurious, high-end touristic and expensive section and Sorrento is the more affordable and less touristic sister. They both have incredible beauty to see whatsoever.
Positano is the prettiest village of them all, full of colour, mostly pedestrianized where the little shops, restaurants and bars are located. You go around by foot, but bare in mind the road is steep. Our hotel, Casa dei Saraceni, was located on the beach of Positano, which is great for sunbathing most days except the busy weekend, but not the best for swimming, as it is a port. The hotel was really nice, with friendly staff, and affordable comparing to the very expensive ones around town.
The two other most famous and luxurious hotels in Positano are La Sirenuse, very central, and San Pietro di Positano, which is a bit further out. They are both a great choice for dinner, with award winning restaurants(the Sirenuse has a view of Positano and San Pietro of the entire region) and if you can’t afford them, you can always go for a drink. I loved the food in San Pietro; they brought a slice of pizza as an amuse-bouche and it was a slice of heaven! Best I had in Amalfi coast!
Don’t forget to visit Franco’s Bar for sunset drinks; it’s near the Sirenuse.
Other great choices for dinner are Max restaurant, which has an outdoor seating and is inside an art gallery, in the heart of Positano, with amazing dishes and L'Ancora restaurant in the L'Ancora hotel, located near the Sirenuse, with amazing bay views from high on the hill and good quality ingredients.
Other wonderful little towns worth visiting and walking around the pedestrianized old streets are the music inclined Ravello, with its famous music festival every year, and the capital of the region, Amalfi. If you have time pass through the port of Praiano for walking and lunching.
Ravello was chosen for its location from the locals in ancient times for safety, as it is tucked in some very tall and steep mountains. It is also famous for Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone, the little piazza with the stunning mountainous and sea views filled with cafes and gelaterias, its quirky tiny shops and the ceramic factories. In Amalfi coast you will find amazing colour scheme ceramics with local designs. There is an amazing ceramic shop in Positano, near the Sirenuse, that also ships worldwide, or you can shop from the factories of Ravello. You will find the famous local designs and colours in most tourist shops of the region, but you ought to go for the original ones. Also, don’t forget to notice the huge, juicy lemons in all around the region that are the base of the famous local limoncello or go for the lemon sorbet served inside the giant lemons.
The Italian scenery around the Amalfi and Sorrento coasts is one of the prettiest in Europe, heck around the world. Colourful little villages are constructed on the slopes of the mountainous region with incredible views over the blue Med Sea.
I went this summer for the first time in the famous Amalfi Coast. We made our base the famous and picturesque little village of Positano and spend each day discovering a different village or island around the area. The scenery reminds that of Santorini. Amalfi is in the bay of Naples area, with the mountain of Vesuvius not far away, making the land very fertile, and close to the antiquities of Pompei, Herculaneum and Baie. The roads surrounding the coast are very narrow and with turns, so the best way to move around is by boat; it’s indeed faster, easier, safer and sometimes cheaper.