Welcome to the 'prettiest' Amalfi Coast Towns! Ask anyone what they think about when you mention Italy, and chances are some of the first things that come to mind will be its amazing landscapes. ‘Romantic’ is a word that leaps to many minds too. And the Amalfi Coast is romantic through and through: a rugged, ravishing ribbon of land that thrusts out into the Tyrrhenian Sea with all the impunity and seductiveness of a siren’s call. Join us as we unearth the must-sees and the little-known secrets of the 7 most seductive towns along the Amalfi Coast.
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The Amalfi Coast, a wedge of heaven squeezed between mountainside and Mediterranean in the Italian region of Campania, unfolds roughly 50km of wild terrain from Positano in the west to Vietri sul Mare in the east. As a place, it has a certain je ne sais quoi.
It’s not just that the terrain is stunning, not just the local culture rich or the views aplenty, but that there’s a sturdiness, a grit to this UNESCO World Heritage Site that goes beyond the scenery and seems to pervade it.
Here you come for the beauty, sure, but you stay for the unexpected accumulation of depth, the baked-in weirdness, but also because there’s never anything that’s too easy or too hard, too uneventful or too nerve-racking. At every level, from seaside café to craggy trail, it’s the perfect mix of chill and thrill.
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1. Discovering Ravello: A Haven of Beauty
Ravello, high above the Amalfi Coast, with vistas to die for, offers a welcome respite from the hubbub of the cities far below. And with a history stretching back to Ancient Greek, Roman and then medieval times, here you can hear some of the most sublime music ever written, in surroundings of stunning architecture. For centuries it has also attracted artists, musicians, and writers – Richard Wagner among them.
Must-sees in Ravello:
Villa Rufolo: A salacious 13th-century mix of Moorish and medieval, with gardens that drop like waterfalls to a view that will take your breath away.
Villa Cimbrone: The ‘Terrace of Infinity’ really is that – there are crazy views into forever here. The 11th-century building is pretty old, and now it has a garden full of classical statues to meander and zone out in.
Ravello's Views, Gardens, and Cultural Events:
Both villas enjoy death-defying vistas of the Mediterranean: their jagged coastline appears at its best in the early hours of the day or as the sun is setting – it’s quite a sight. The gardens – manicured to perfection, with a choice local flora that seems to drink in that sun-drenched Mediterranean light, and punctuated with fancy statuary and splashing fountains – are another matter, too. And if you are around during July to September, be sure not to miss the Ravello Festival – an artsy melee of symphonies, jazz and solo piano performers, all mixed up and showing off in front of Ravello’s dramatic panoramas.
2. Exploring Atrani: A Colorful Escape
Atrani, the tiniest scrap of a town on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, has all the punch of a bantamweight. It feels the fulsomeness of Italy’s deep, naked sensuality, and is hemmed in by the kind of coastal medieval architecture that speaks without speaking. Atrani is a short bus ride along the coast from Amalfi, the much-visited town named after the place. Atrani feels like a coastal retreat from Amalfi’s pulsating liveliness.
How to Get to Atrani
The fun of getting there is half the journey, be it a bolting descent from Rome, or a pick-up stick of navigating the wider Amalfi Coast towns. If you are traveling by car from the capital, drive or jump on the bus, and as each snake-like switchback of the road beckons, your anticipation grows. Eventually, you start to glimpse the coastline.
At Amalfi, it’s a simple hop by bus, taxi or a jaunt on foot to Atrani. If you are traveling from further up the coast – from Positano or Salerno, for example – you can catch a ferry to Amalfi, before making the last leg to Atrani.
Transportation Options: Bus, Car, Ferry
Bus: Hop on one of the local buses that wind their way through the cliffs and up, down and around the Amalfi Coast towns, stopping in Atrani. It’s by far the cheapest option (and most enjoyable!), not to mention the fact that you get an eye-watering free panoramic view of the landscape.
Car: You are free to start and stop wherever you feel like (and speeding is rather common on those tight, curling roads that characterize this region). The downside is that it will take a certain time to master your driving skills. Oh, and parking in Atrani is scarce, seeing as Atrani is anything but big.
Ferry: We suggest a route that is as captivating as the destination itself – a ferry ride to Amalfi, followed by a short whisper to Atrani.
Must-Visit Spots in Atrani
Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maddalena: This 13th-century slice of Baroque is an architectural wonder in itself, but more than that – it’s a belfry, protecting this city from raiding pirates.
Spiaggia di Atrani (Atrani Beach): Between the high cliffs lays this little haven of tranquility. Clear waters, golden sand and the need to leave only your footprints behind so you can take your worries back with you.
Piazza Umberto I: The heart of Atrani beats strongest here, in this central piazza. In its cafés, shops and in the ancient church of San Salvatore de Birecto, this is the place to have an espresso, while watching the world go by and absorbing the local color.
3. Experiencing Amalfi: Culture and History
Amalfi is that shimmering ribbon of coastline in Italy, and it has a rich and layered history, a complex plot in the style of an elaborately spiced dish that is simple at its core. It was, to begin with, a Roman settlement, but by the Middle Ages it had swollen into a powerhouse: Amalfi was a bustling hive of sailors and merchants, its docks a jangle of commerce; a genuine rival to Pisa and Venice. By the 10th century, Amalfi was a maritime superpower.
The Amalfitani Tables that were composed in this, its heyday, codified the rules of the sea for the first time, and the compass was said to have been invented by a local man called Flavio Gioia. But as in all middens – and fortunes – tides turn. The city was slaughtered by Pisan rivals in 1135, and then battered for centuries by the twin scourges of earthquakes and plagues. What arose from the ruins was a quieter place, a more humble Amalfi that settled back into the rhythms of a fishing town.
Unique Experiences in Amalfi
Architectural Tours: Amalfi’s houses, palaces and cathedrals provide an architectural cocktail of antiquity: Byzantine dazzle, Arab flourishes and Romanesque lines. Don’t miss the Amalfi Cathedral (Duomo di Amalfi), whose dramatic façade is complemented by the Moorish-echoing Cloister of Paradise, which is a quiet spot within the city to stop for a breath.
Beach Life: Sitting on a beach where the cliffs behind you are ancient sentinels of the past and the green trees speak of centuries gone by. Amalfi. Marina Grande Beach – a lively beach with turquoise Mediterranean views and lots of watersports. The view is fine – and so is the water.
Limoncello Making: In every glass of Limoncello swirls not just a citrusy liqueur but also a long history of southern Italian tradition. These terraced lemon gardens that snake up the hillsides aren’t simply for show, but are the lifeblood of this iconic drink. You can visit any local distillery to nose your way through, taste what you like, and learn the alchemy of steeping those oily lemon rinds into gold.
Paper Making: Amalfi has a lovely little gem of a museum called the Paper Museum. Here you don’t just see paper being made – you watch it bring the Middle Ages to life, live and sheet by sheet. Don’t stand by looking: roll up your sleeves, and get your hands dirty.
4. Enjoying the Views in Praiano
Less well-known and more tranquil than its neighbors, the southern Amalfi Coast gem of Praiano occupies a staccato stretch of land between Positano and Amalfi. Here the lanes are steep and narrow, and as they unfurl, they open out onto spectacular panoramas of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Off in the distance you can see Positano Bay, the Li Galli islets, Punta Campanella, and, when the visibility is good, the outline of Capri, too.
The real spectacle, though, comes in the shape of sunsets. The best ones occur from Cala della Gavitella, which can be reached by a downward-spiralling flight of stairs that unfurls along the sloping ground, under the shade of the pinewood, with the promise of views that are so magnificent that they make you stop, hold your breath, and reach for your camera.
Best Places to Stay in Praiano for Sunset Views
Hotel Margherita — This family-run spot owns the killer views of the Amalfi Coast, with a balcony for every room to drink in the sea, or the gardens below, which have a sun terrace where you can soak both yourself and your panorama in the hydromassage pool.
Grand Hotel Tritone — Located on a cliff face, this place is all about the views, and the privacy that goes with them: most of the rooms are sea-facing, and there’s a private beach that you can descend to via lift, should you be in the mood to avoid the crowds and get up close and personal with the coastline.
Hotel Villa Maria Pia — Quaint and elegant. Rooms are comfortable and stylish, and there is an emphasis on fine dining and breathtaking views. You come here for a more intimate experience of the Amalfi Coast towns.
Recommendations for Boutique Hotels with the Best Vistas
Casa Angelina — All chilly white-on-white sleek modernity, this boutique hotel delivers the soothing sense of calm from the moment you walk through the door. The food: gourmet and executed with perfection. The views? Well, they won’t disappoint, for they are some of the best in the region.
Hotel Tramonto d’Oro — Picture yourself swimming in a rooftop pool, overlooking the Med. That’s Tramonto d’Oro. The sea views might be what it’s best-known for, but it also has a reputation for superb cuisine and a down-to-earth ambience; a hotel where you feel like both a holidaymaker and a favorite guest.
Hotel Pellegrino — Hotel Pellegrino takes hospitality personally, and offers service that is attentive but never intrusive, dining that will ruin you for other places, and a sense of place and people that makes you feel like family.
5. Rural Charm in Tramonti
Tramonti is a mountain hideout tucked into the hills above Italy’s Amalfi Coast, where the landscape is hewn into a place where nature breaks breathlessly against the sweep of deep history. It’s more than a town; it’s a village of 13 hamlets tied together by mountains jutting from vineyards, chestnut forests, and draping lemon orchards. Without a busy tourist shoreline, away from the coast’s dizzying energy and traffic, Tramonti is a deep breath into an Italy that time travels to the beat of agricultural cycles and the clunk of its Roman past.
Activities Available in Tramonti
And in Tramonti the biting opportunities for experiencing the region’s abundant culture and nature are as diverse as the local wine:
Vineyard Tours and Wine Tastings: Tramonti’s vines are the conveyers of their heritage, bursting with wines of denomination of guaranteed origin (D.O.C.), that connoisseurs and love-to-sippers alike hold in awe. The stroll, therefore, is a true sensory experience, a spiritual journey, and a tasting is a moment in which you have the possibility to savor the nectar obtained by these lands.
Cultural Gems: From 12th-century churches, still as centuries-old as the day they were built, to the Regio Conservatorio dei Santi Giuseppe e Teresa in Pucara.
Hiking and nature walks: For ramblers, a canvass of trails and horseback journeymen await to see the country’s its expansive scenery of coasts, and its love-hate reliance on the striking hold of the Lattari’s summit. It’s a chance to tempt and lose oneself (as others do regularly) in the open expanses of Italy at its untamed best.
Getting to Tramonti
Tramonti isn’t tucked away at all, really, but easy to fall into, tucked only a toss from the Amalfi Coast’s manicured calling cards of bars, boats and boutiques. Fly into Naples International, and a spectacular driving tour of the country that is Campania — with its canalside coast drives and mountainous twists and turns — can begin with the rental of an automobile.
If driving isn’t your thing, the local bus lines offer their own thrifty-chic style. Board a bus from Amalfi or Salerno, and it’ll drop you right into the heart of Tramonti. And, with towns such as Ravello and Minori right on its doorstep, Tramonti is also a great base for those who want to make their way through the richer, broader tapestry of the region without a car.
6. Culinary Delights in Minori
Minori’s cooking, at least on the surface, is decidedly close to the Italian model, with a heavy emphasis on the fresh, local stuff that comes direct from the source. A couple of miles from the sea, you might suspect it to have a veritable bounty of fish and seafood, which, more often than not, show up as elements of larger concoctions, although they do lead a few dishes. This, of course, is not surprising when you consider that citrus, olives, and other greens that thrive in the area’s volcanic soil amplify the intensity of flavors, whether they come from the land or the sea. At the centre of things are the handmade pasta and homemade sauces.
Culinary Highlights of Minori
Keeping it real and doing it the old-fashioned way is the key to Minori’s food culture. The lemon reigns supreme here, especially when transformed into that sharp, citrusy, limoncello liqueur everyone raves about. Seafood’s another winner, and easy to find in handmade pasta dishes like the ‘scialatielli ai frutti di mare’. And then there’s the sweets. At Christmas, the town has its own speciality pastries and treats that can stand on their own, regardless of what else is on the table.
Best Traditional Italian Restaurants and Local Specialties
Minori is absolutely stuffed with excellent eateries serving the usual Island specialities: ‘parmigiana di melanzane’ (eggplant parmesan for the uninitiated), seafood platters that allow the fruits at sea to parade in their full glory, and the wines squeezed from the grapes that cling to those same coastal terraces which are the perfect accompaniment.
Minori's Sal de Riso Pastry Shop
Sal de Riso is the shop that put this small town on the map, a pilgrimage destination for dessert-loving foodies across Italy. Founded by Salvatore De Riso, it is famous for modernizing classic Italian pastry recipes with nuances of local ingredients – the Amalfi Coast’s lemon and chestnuts, for example.
7. Scala: A Historical Journey
With roots in the steep mountains above the Amalfi Coast that reach to the mythic 4th century AD, Scala is the oldest town in this beautiful part of Italy. According to legend, it was first settled by Roman families. In the ensuing centuries, Scala has been invariably tied to the fate of the powerful maritime Republic of Amalfi, and has been a major factor in its evolution and cultural identity.
Ideal Town for History Enthusiasts
For anyone with an interest in history, Scala is a wonderland of the past. The town has some magnificent medieval buildings that take your breath away. The Cathedral of San Lorenzo, for example, is a baroque and renaissance masterpiece of glittering decoration. Or what about the ancient frescoes in the Church of the Annunziata? Scala is also a place filled with many other historical treasures.
And anyone who hovers between nature lover and historian can visit the Valle delle Ferriere, a nature reserve which, besides containing parks of exuberant vegetation, has remains of ancient iron works and is an ideal place not only for hiking but for discovering Scala’s natural and historical assets.
Less touristy than its flashier siblings – Amalfi and Positano – Scala is a deeper, richer dive into the region’s pre-modern past, as well as its natural terroir. A delightful site for anyone who wants to get at the history and culture of this place.
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