The Amalfi Coast is more than the “Amalfi Coast.”
Let us explain…
It’s easy to look at the Amalfi Coast and see it all as one long strip of villages, beaches, and cliffsides. To group everything from Sorrento’s peninsula to Salerno’s port as “one place” is to risk missing out on what makes the Amalfi Coast so special in the first place.
Ravello is the City of Music and throws one heck of a music festival.
Cetara will make you swear off ever eating tuna from a tin can again.
Atrani has hid in humbleness for ages but is now center stage as a filming location for Netflix series like Ripley and big-budget movies like The Equalizer 3.
When you visit the Amalfi Coast, it’s just as important to focus on the “why” as it is the “what” and the “where.” Here’s our two cents on where you should go, what you should do, and why an Amalfi Coast journey is worthy of more than a day trip from Rome.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Francesco Riccardo Iacomino. Image Location: Atrani, Italy
Amalfi Coast villages, towns, and cities
Visit any Amalfi Coast village, town, or city: they’ve all got views, seafood, and limoncello. But if you need a suggestion on where to start…
- Amalfi: The namesake town, good for the museum crowd.
- Positano: The popular town, a must for shutterbugs.
- Praiano: A quiet town, great trail access for hikers.
- Atrani: An under-the-radar town that cinephiles are about to swarm.
- Ravello: A hilltop haven, especially for music lovers.
- Maiori: A medieval town, made for beachgoers.
- Minori: A small village surrounded by lemon groves, a perfect place for pasta.
- Cetara: A longtime fishing village, a perfect place for the pescatarian.
Image Credit: Getty Images, James M Davidson. Image Location: Path of the Gods, Praiano, Italy
Amalfi Coast attractions
Town hopping alone will fill up your itinerary; make sure you know what there is to see and why you want to see it when you get there.
⛰️ Hike the Path of the Gods above Praiano.
🛖 See a 1st-century Roman villa in Minori.
📜 Explore the history of paper production in Amalfi’s Museo della Carta.
🌳 Stroll the gardens of Villa Cimbrone in Ravello.
🍲 Eat a Michelin-starred meal in Conca dei Marini or Furore.
🏰 Tour Castello di San Nicola de Thoro-Plano in Maiori.
Image Credit: Getty Images, iiievgeniy. Image Location: Positano Beach, Positano, Italy.
Amalfi Coast beaches
You bring the tanning oil; the sun will do the rest.
🛟 For a quick dip at a public beach…
- Duoglio Beach has a cozy free stretch of sand near Amalfi, as long as you don’t mind a walk down quite a few steps.
- Atrani Beach in Atrani has a free section that will no doubt be the next influencer hotspot.
🍸 For soaking up sun and drinks at the beach club…
- Marina Grande Beach in Amalfi has endless beach clubs for every budget (and every umbrella color preference).
- Positano Beach has no shortage of beach clubs, including Arienzo, which comes with a private waitstaff and complimentary shuttle boat to Lucibello Company pier.
🏖️ For picture-perfect private beaches…
- Hotel Cetus in Cetara has a private pebble sand beach accessible via elevator, providing towels, sunbeds, and umbrellas.
- Hotel Pupetto offers a private slice of the splendid Fornillo Beach, complete with a snack bar serving fruit, drinks, and fish.
- Hotel Panorama in Maiori is, well, just that: an Amalfi Coast hotel with a private beach that has panoramic views for you to gaze at from the comfort of your sun lounger.
Image Credit: Getty Images, AngelPietro. Image Location: Amalfi Coast, Italy
Amalfi Coast tours
The Amalfi Coast is one place where your budget can runneth over if you’re not careful. The best bang for your buck is to take an Amalfi Coast tour that combines a unique experience with the wow factor the area is known for.
🛥️ Amalfi Coast boat tours are laid-back options that let you relax in tranquility or absolute opulence, if you desire. Taking a boat tour or ferry from the Amalfi Coast to Capri is one way to see the coastline from the water and make a proper day trip out of it. Charting a private boat — or yacht — is the ultimate way to experience the sea however you see fit.
🚗 Amalfi Coast driving tours are for the landlubbers who want to explore as many towns as possible without sea legs. There are bus tours in the typical group tour style and there are private tours in much smaller vehicles for smaller groups. Our advice? Stay at a hotel like Hotel Poseidon in Positano or Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento, which let you take their luxury sports cars and vintage collectible cars out for a spin around the coast.
🚆Trainline Tip: The best hotels in Positano and the Amalfi Coast book up fast, so snag a room as early as possible. Train tickets increase in price, too, so buy those through our app right after you book your hotel.
Image Credit: Getty Images, John Harper. Image Location: Positano, Italy
Where is the Amalfi coast?
The Amalfi Coast is just south of Naples, Italy, located on the southern shore of the Sorrentine Peninsula. Strictly speaking, it begins at the town of Vietri sul Mare to the east and ends at Positano to the west.
Why is Positano so famous?
Positano is gorgeous, plain and simple. Blame its beauty (and social media) for its popularity (and high prices). But don’t for a second forget that Positano is far more than a pretty face. Families, foodies, and festivalgoers will find plenty to do besides look at a view.
Can you walk around Positano?
Yes, you can walk around Positano, and many people choose to because driving is intimidating. The single narrow street winds around the cliffside, which is crazily congested in the summer. Thankfully, you can step out of your hotel and make your way around the pedestrian-only streets that run throughout the town.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Francesco Riccardo Iacomino. Image Location: Positano, Italy
What is the famous street in Positano?
Positano has more than one notable street. Amalfi Drive is the main roadway that runs across the Amalfi Coast, connecting all the towns and giving anyone with a window seat an unforgettable view of the sea. Via dei Mulini and Viale Pasitea are the go-to shopping streets where you’ll find boutiques, artisan shops, and more.
Can you take a train to Positano?
You cannot take a train directly to Positano, or most towns on the Amalfi Coast, but you can take a train to Sorrento or Vietri sul Mare-Amalfi. Both bookend the Amalfi Coast and both have taxis, buses, and bicycle rentals that make it easy to get to Positano, Amalfi, and beyond.
Let us get you as close as possible to the best sights to see and things to do in Positano. Download the Trainline app and take advantage of Italy’s extensive railway network that runs (almost) everywhere.
Header Image Credit: Getty Images, Sharon Lapkin. Image Location: Positano, Italy