Inside Amalfi

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The Amalfi Coast is 50 kilometers of coastline that should not exist. Villages cling to vertical cliffs above the Tyrrhenian Sea, connected by a single winding road that was carved into the rock by hand. Lemon trees grow on terraces cut into the mountainside. Fishing boats sit in harbors directly below cathedrals. The whole thing is so dramatic it looks more like a painting than a place.

Positano is the most famous town and the most photographed. Ravello sits high above the water with gardens that feel like the edge of the world. Amalfi town itself is underrated and calmer than both. The best approach is to pick one as a base and take ferries and buses to the others. The road is too narrow and too chaotic to drive comfortably unless you already know it.

Photos

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Top Activities

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Take a boat along the coast

The only way to fully understand the scale and drama of the coastline is from the water. Private boat rentals and shared day tours depart from Amalfi, Positano, and Sorrento. Stop at sea caves, swim in open water, and see the villages from the angle they were meant to be seen.

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Walk the Path of the Gods

A cliff top hiking trail between Agerola and Nocelle with views straight down to the sea and across to the islands of Li Galli. One of the finest walks in southern Europe. Takes about three hours at a relaxed pace and ends just above Positano.

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Spend a day in Ravello

Perched 350 meters above the sea, Ravello is quieter and more refined than the coastal towns below. Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo have gardens that look out over a panorama that has no equal on the coast. Richard Wagner composed here. It shows.

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Explore the town of Amalfi

Most visitors pass through on the way to Positano but Amalfi rewards a slower visit. The cathedral steps, the paper museum, the small streets behind the main square, the harbor in the early morning before the day boats arrive.

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Swim at Furore Fjord

A narrow crack in the cliffs where a small river meets the sea. Tiny beach, extraordinary geology, almost no facilities. One of the most dramatic swimming spots in Italy and still relatively unknown compared to the main towns.

Food & Dining

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Spaghetti alle vongole

Spaghetti with fresh clams, white wine, garlic, and olive oil. The definitive pasta of the southern Italian coast. Every restaurant on the Amalfi Coast does a version. Order it for lunch at a table that is close enough to the water to hear it.

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Scialatielli ai frutti di mare

A thick, short pasta unique to the Amalfi Coast, served with a mixed seafood sauce. Richer and more substantial than standard pasta dishes. The local specialty that does not exist anywhere else.