The charming shoreline of the Amalfi coast, together with its famous lemon groves, has been a source of inspiration to many artists and authors. In the XIV century, Boccaccio wrote “fairly close to Salerno there is a coast that looks out over the sea, which the inhabitants call the Amalfi coast, that is full of small towns, gardens, and fountains, and men rich and proficient like no others in the act of mercatantia”. No wonder that the entire Amalfi Coast is an UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997 and that, today, it is one of the top destinations in Italy. The pearls of the Amalfi Coast are thirteen (Vietri sul Mare, Cetara, Erchie, Maiori, Minori, Atrani, Amalfi, Conca dei Marini, Furore, Ravello, Scala, Praiano, Positano), and our itinerary will guide you in the discovery of the most enchanting and secret treasures of this wonderful stretch of coastline. As many of you known, this coast is not the cheapest destination in Italy, but you do not need to worry! As a solution, we suggest that you book an accommodation in Salerno, from which many ferries provide a service to Amalfi. In this way, you will enjoy the coast during the day, and Salerno by night!
Day 1
From Salerno to Positano and Amalfi
Your trip starts in Piazza della Concordia, a square overlooking the sea in Salerno. From this square, every day many ferries from different companies secure a connection to the Amalfi Coast. Although this service is more expensive than the service offered by bus, it is faster (a commuter bus takes more than 2 hours). Furthermore, ferries offer a spectacular view of the coastline from the sea! Our tip is that you book your ticket online here and take the first ferry to Positano (12€), leaving the square at 8.40 am (other ferries leave at 09, 09.40, 10.10, 10.40, 11.40, 1pm, 2.10, 3, 3.30, 4.40, 6). The ferry takes 70 minutes to reach Positano, therefore remember to apply your sunscreen cream before leaving in order to avoid unpleasant surprises! From Positano, you can reach Amalfi taking another ferry at 12 (8€, 25 minutes). Finally, from Amalfi you can return to Salerno at 6 pm(8€, 35 minutes). In total you will spend 28€ to visit both the towns in one day!
Positano
This cascade of colourful buildings clinging impossibly to a cliff face is one of the coast’s most picturesque towns. These houses, together with the no less colourful steep streets flanked by flower houses, stylish restaurants and trendy boutiques, contribute to make Positano a sort of heaven on earth. Overlooking the crystal sea, the town offers also fabulous beaches, including those of Marina Grande and Fornillo (both can be reached on foot). Positano offers not only a wonderful sea and luxury boutiques, but also historical sites: we recommend that you visit the Saracen Towers. Built in medieval times, they allowed the Positans and all the inhabitants of the Coast to defend themselves against the incursions of the terrible Saracens. In the past, they were used to send signals to the nearby towers, but today those towers are the perfect to enjoy the enchanting scenery of the Amalfi Coast with its steep cliffs and small villages on the sea.
Our tips: to start the day in the best possible way, go to La Zagara (Via Dei Mulini 8/10, Positano) and ask for a slice of torta Positana, a traditional delicious chocolate cake!
Amalfi
After Positano, it is time to visit Amalfi! This is the coast’s busiest town, but it remains a very pretty small Italian town set between sea and mountains and fringed by lemon terraces. Amalfi is a bit cheaper than Positano, therefore it is the best moment to buy you souvenirs, but we suggest that you wait for Vietri if you want to buy ceramics! Amalfi welcomes its visitors with its festive atmosphere and its magnificent Arab-Norman cathedral. Its spectacular structure, overhanging the small square, includes a staircase with a Arabic-facade façade, elegant arches to the oak and beautiful triphors.
Lunch in Amalfi
In the heart of Amalfi, you will find Da Maria Trattoria, a delicious and typical restaurant-pizzeria that, despite the crowds of tourists from all over the world, is also frequented by locals. You can try a truly classic Pizza Napoletana with the best seasoning of this region, or the always fresh fish served according to the tradition. Ask to the staff to have the best freshly caught and seasonal fish. The restaurant is simple and casual, with an informal and fun atmosphere, and we are sure you will love it. Despite the location, in fact, prices are reasonable and the food is outstanding! One Pizza Margherita costs just 6€ and it is as good as the pizza you can eat in Napoli!
Salerno by night
Salerno has a vibrant historical centre, where medieval churches are side by side with traditional trattorias, wine bars and trendy boutiques. After an intensive day visiting the Costiera, you will find this charming and full of life city the ideal place to have dinner and enjoy a relaxing walk along the waterfront promenade. For your dinner, try the Osteria dei Sapori (Via S. Maria de Domno 4, Salerno), a small Osteria with utterly fantastic food. This restaurant is family run, and will allow you to experience Italy in a very warm and authentic way. Nice staff, very good food, and good prices: a delicious seafood pasta costs just 9€!
Accommodation
B&B Forte La Carnale(Via Carlo Pisacane, 14) is just 200 metres from the beach in Salerno and offers free private parking (a rarity in Salerno!) and wonderful bedrooms with a sea-view balcony. WiFi is free and every bedroom is air-conditioned. The location is very good: the centre is within a 10-minute walk, Salerno Train Station and the ferry harbour are within a 15 minute walking distance, and the Amalfi Coast is only 7 km away! Double bedrooms from 60€, more info here (the website is in Italian). If you are looking for something cheaper, try the B&B Luxory Salerno Central(Piazza Sedile di Porta Nova, 10), 10 minutes walk from the harbour and 1 minute walk from the sea. Free WiFi, great staff and breakfast served in your bedroom! Double bedroom from 40€.
Day 2
From Salerno to Vietri and Ravello
This day you will take advantage of the UNICOCOSTIERA day ticket to visit Vietri and Ravello. The UNICOCOSTIERA ticket is valid for all the SITASUD buses operating in the Coast and costs just 7.60€. During the summer, it might be difficult to find a seat, especially during the peak hours. For this reason, we recommend that you follow our tips: first, take one of the first buses of the morning, before 9 am. Second, do wait for the bus at the first stop in Salerno: via Vinciprova. Tickets cannot be purchased on board, here you can find the list of the bars in where you can buy them. Our recommendation is that you take the bus at 8.30am: at 8.45 you will be at Vietri! From Vietri, take the bus to Amalfi (45 minutes) and then the bus from Amalfi to Ravello (30 minutes). It takes more than one hour, but trust us, Ravello is simply amazing! To go back, it should be better being in Amalfi at 8pm to take the bus to Salerno, therefore you can leave Ravello at 6.15 pm.
You might be tempted to rent a car. Although having a car would allow you to have no time restrictions, there are some considerations you should take into account. First, if you are not an expert driver, it is perhaps better to take the bus. The Amalfi Coast is wonderful, but its roads are very dangerous. The road along the Coast is well-known for its hairpin turns and the narrowness in some parts. Furthermore, during the summer it is always crowded and locals on scooters tend to overtake the cars even when it would be better not to do so. Finally, parking fares are very expensive (sometimes more than 5€ per hour). For all these reasons, we suggest that you consider to take the bus.
Vietri
Since Medieval times, the pretty seaside town of Vietri sul Mare has been famous for its wonderful ceramics. For centuries, its inhabitants have been producing, generation after generation, precious porcelain decorated in perfect Mediterranean style with bright colours. It follows that the main attractions of Vietri, rather than being monuments, are represented by lovely ceramic ornaments. In Vietri ceramics is everywhere, but dot not miss the occasion to visit one of the workshops of the town: each of them has its own laboratory and ideas, and it is often possible to find artists decorating their ceramics while waiting for visitors.
Ravello
At more than 1200 feet above the Mediterranean, and far from the crowds that cram the towns of the Coast, Ravello is definitely the hidden treasure of the Amalfi Coast. It is not a secret that its elegant villas and stupendous views have charmed famous visitors for centuries (both Wagner and Virginia Woolf spent time here). Luckily, Ravello’s splendour has endured, if not grown with time. Today, thanks to its summer music festival, this enchanting town cannot but be one of the best Italian destinations for your holiday. If you have time, do not miss the magnificent Villa Cimbrone. The villa boasts a huge garden and a terrace overlooking the coast, which are worth the price of the ticket! The villa is open every day from 9.00 am to 8.00 pm (last entrance at 7.30pm), and one ticket costs 7€ (5€ for under 25, free for under 12).
Lunch in Ravello
Ravello is full of nice restaurants, therefore finding a place for lunch should not be problematic. Our tip is that you avoid the top restaurants with terraces if you want to eat an authentic Mediterranean lunch: you might be lucky and get a wonderful view with a lovely pasta, but sometime the food is not worth the price. You might try a restaurant called Enotavola(Via della Marra, 7): high quality products, brilliant service and hearty staff. It does not have an amazing view over the coast, but the menu is great (try the caponata!) and prices are good, cheaper than many other places in town. Additionally, they have a very extensive wine list at very reasonable prices!
Last pizza and gelato in Salerno
Salerno has many authentic restaurants usually full of locals. Among them you should try thePizzeria Vicolo della Neve(Vicolo della Neve 24), in the historical centre of Salerno. Here, they have an amazing, full of flavour pizza (also the other dishes, however, are very good)! Prices are good: one pizza costs around 7-8€ .
Before flying back home, why not take a last Italian gelato? Try Giallo Limone(Via Giovan Angelo Papio 15), an hidden gem in Salerno, with delicious gelato and granita. What is more, they sell also the brioche with gelato. That is typical of Sicily, but according to many it is very similar to the original one! Our tip: try the almond granite!
Transportation
The closest airport is Napoli. The ride from Napoli Capodichino Airport to Salerno and vice versa lasts approximately 65 minutes by bus and the service is secured by Buonocore group. Races are carried out from Friday to Saturday at 9.15 am and 1.30 pm, excluding Sundays and public holidays. The ticket, costing around 4€ per track, can be purchased directly on board. From the airport you can also take the bus called Alibus, costing 3€, to reach Naples central station (stop P.zza Garibaldi), and then you can take one of the regional trains connecting Naples to Salerno. In total, you should spend around 7€.
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