The best places to visit on the Amalfi Coast
Our journey along the Amalfi Coast began in Naples—we flew from Munich to Naples to embark on a grand trip through southern Italy. The plan was to travel from Capri through Positano and Ravello to Salerno, then continue through Calabria to Bari and on to Gargano National Park. But in this blog post, I’ll focus on the Amalfi Coast; otherwise, it would be far too long.
MY FAVORITE LOCATION: CAPRI
Capri was our first destination. In Sorrento, we rented a motorboat and circled the entire island. It was really just a brief encounter with Capri, and I saw most of it from the water. We only docked our motorboat on Capri’s coast for a few hours to have lunch at a restaurant. I think I would have needed at least a week to fully explore the island. But knowing how many beautiful spots along the Italian coast were still waiting for me, we decided to do just a short tour of the Capri waves and head to Positano after lunch.
POSITANO – OLD CHARM AND BIG LEMONS
Positano, one of Europe’s most beautiful locations, was a place I’d only known from Instagram photos until now. Although I had always wanted to visit, we mostly spent our summer vacations in France or Greece. My knowledge of Italy was limited to Verona, Florence, Milan, and Tuscany. But surprisingly, 2019 turned out to be a very Italian year for us: in March, we went on a road trip through Western Sicily, and in summer, we decided to fly to southern Italy to travel through Campania and Apulia.
We headed to Positano directly from Capri by motorboat. After exploring Capri, we sped over the waves back to Positano. It was my first time seeing Positano, and from the water no less. I could sit there forever, letting the waves rock me, and admiring the fairytale-like Positano coastline. Positano is a true gem of the Amalfi Coast! In fact, the entire coast is a dream: it’s composed of small coves, beautiful mountain landscapes, and many white houses. Picturesque winding roads, bright blue water, and numerous white yachts make this area charming and romantic.
If you want to visit Positano during peak season, there’s one thing to keep in mind: parking—or rather, the lack of it. We had no idea about this and naively drove straight to Positano in our car. We got incredibly lucky — we found a parking spot immediately! Positano is very small, with essentially no streets, just narrow winding alleys. The only drivable road circles the town and is a one-way street. After parking, we had to walk down thousands of steps to reach the center of Positano. After this tour, I avoided stairs for a week. But seeing Positano made it all worth it!
From our parking spot, we walked directly to Spiaggia Grande beach, passing numerous boutiques selling fashion, accessories, and ceramics. Everything in Positano is colorful, very Italian, and makes you want to buy it. I would have loved to take some things from these shops, but the thought of carrying everything back up the stairs to the car stopped me.
Our hotel wasn’t directly in Positano but in a nearby town—Praiano, just 8 km from Positano. Despite the short distance, it took us more than an hour each time to get from Praiano to Positano. All the towns along the Amalfi Coast are connected by a single road that runs along the sea. It probably hasn’t been modernized since it was built. It’s still extremely narrow. During peak season, traffic in both directions is just a continuous jam. Tourists cross the road in every direction, and huge tour buses try to squeeze through the narrow streets—it’s typical peak-season chaos. It took us so long to drive from Praiano to Positano that I suspect we would have been faster on foot.
Despite the traffic jams and the difficulties with the overcrowded coastal road, I never regretted going to Positano. Today, I’d say it was one of the most unforgettable trips ever! Aside from the natural beauty, Positano itself is absolutely unique: the town has fully retained its old charm, and everything is as it was back then. As I wandered through the alleys, I saw many decoration shops and clothing stores selling the typical Positano ceramics and summer dresses with lemon motifs. Lemons are a hallmark of Capri and Positano, and there isn’t a single corner of the Amalfi Coast where they aren’t present in some form. There are many authentic grocery stores, like small family-run shops, where you can buy fresh fruits and vegetables. The lemons there are monstrously huge! In a grocery store in Positano, I found lemons that weighed almost a kilogram.
Positano seemed absolutely magical to me—the place is full of beautiful cafés and restaurants with sea views, charming little shops are everywhere, and the air is filled with the scent of pastries and croissants. We walked through the entire town and had dinner at a restaurant on the other end, with the most breathtaking view ever. And when night fell and the lights came on, Positano turned into a glowing fairy tale! I was, of course, sad to leave, but it was late, and we still had to drive all the way back to Praiano through the mountain curves. We returned to the car, stopping every 10 meters to take in the sight of the glowing town and the yachts in the bay.
FIORDO DI FURORE – THE HIDDEN GEM OF THE AMALFI COAST
Our next stop was Fiordo di Furore. It’s an absolute highlight—a hidden, narrow gorge carved deep into the steep cliffs, ending in a tiny beach. The bridge spanning the Fiordo makes Fiordo di Furore a perfect postcard setting. It used to be a fishing village, and the small, colorful houses are still inhabited.
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