Our big summer trip was a week on the Amalfi Coast, and with the Greek Islands setting a high bar last summer, we were hoping Italy’s “coast with the most” would live up to its reputation. We flew into Naples, met up with our cab driver (thoughtfully arranged by our Airbnb host), and set off for the 90-minute drive past Vesuvius, up over the mountains at the base of the Sorrentine Peninsula and back down toward the glittering blue waters of the Mediterranean. While we typically set up a home base in at least a couple of different places within a week’s trip, we opted instead to stay in Amalfi for all 8 nights. This worked out well on the Amalfi Coast as everything we wanted to see was a quick bus or ferry ride away. We did not rent a car (hence the cab ride) and, in the end, we were happy we didn’t. Transit options are aplenty, parking is scarce and expensive, and driving the busy coastal road with the plethora of unpredictable, overconfident scooter drivers darting around cars and squeezing between buses and guardrails would have been a headache!

Amalfi

Our apartment was set a few minutes’ walk from the center of Amalfi on Via Roberto Il Guiscardo and was the perfect home base for our stay, between the balcony offering beautiful views over the water (yes, we spent many an evening there) and the calm, quiet setting. Once we dropped our bags off, we couldn’t contain our excitement to go explore! We went to Duomo di Amalfi, the town’s imposingly beautiful cathedral, to orient ourselves. As stunning as the church itself is, most impressive is what lies down below—the crypt of the apostle Andrew. From there we walked along the coast for a bit, taking in the views out on the jetties and scoping out the main beach, Marina Grande. We got to know the beach pretty well over our stay, making it a habit to go for night swims after long, hot days sightseeing and hiking. We would go to Mare di Cobalto (“Blue Beach”), one of the many private stretches of beaches in Amalfi, during the day to lay out in our chairs, dip into the water and grab quick bites to eat from the attached restaurant.

Back in town, we circled Piazza Duomo (the main square) and also poked into Piazza dei Dogi, a smaller square just west from the main square. As is often the case with cities and towns blessed with beautiful squares, we found ourselves here almost every evening, usually with gelato in hand. We even grabbed our trip’s souvenir from a small paper shop right off of Piazza Duomo. Curving northward from the main square is Amalfi’s main drag, Via Lorenzo D'Amalfi, flanked on both sides by restaurants, cafes and shops. There are a handful of captivating side streets that run directly off the main road, so don’t be afraid to wander off—you may even discover the most delicious pizza on Earth (more on that in a bit…). It was our first day wandering the side streets that we met a fellow couple that are American expats living in London—and on this particular day visiting Amalfi! We have since become friends and they are now an important part of our London family. You never know who you’ll meet in your travels!

Our first night in Amalfi coincided with the Euros quarter-final where Italy faced off against Germany, the winner of which would be moving on to the tournament’s penultimate games. We walked around town trying to find a good place to watch the match, settled for a bit on a small TV set up outside of a shop on the main street, but decided to go back to our apartment only 15 minutes into the game. On our way back, we heard some suspicious noises down on the beach and looked over the edge of the street to find that the town was projecting the game onto a large wall by the water and there were dozens of locals hanging out and watching! As fate would have it, we ran into our friends from earlier in the day, so we all went down to root for Italia with the home crowd. It was quite the atmosphere, with little kids running around (some of whom were kicking around soccer balls emulating their heroes), pizza deliveries by rope and basket from the beach-side street 30 feet up, and enough food and drink to feed at least twice the number of people. It was a very close match that ultimately came down to a dramatic series of penalty kicks. The crowd roared, then hushed, then jumped up, then slunk down in their chairs. Unfortunately, the game ended with everyone slunk in their chairs as Germany fired the winning kick, thus knocking Italy out. It didn’t quite go the way we, or anyone else there, wanted, but the experience was amazing nonetheless!

As we do when it’s merited, we’re saving a whole paragraph at the end of the post to talk about food! We had plenty of it in Amalfi (and the rest of the Amalfi Coast which we’ll discuss in upcoming posts). We made it a habit to grab marmalade doughnuts and croissants from Panificio Apicella each morning and enjoy them on our balcony as the sun shot up from behind the mountains in the east. We also enjoyed lots of food on the beach, from raw, chilled coconut supplied by a lone man walking the beach rhythmically chanting “cocco, bella cocco!” to light sandwiches and lunch fare from Mare di Cobalto. Dinner at Ristorante L’Abside (Mama’s lasagna, tagliatelle with Bolognese, ravioli with tomato sauce, spaghetti carbonara, shrimp risotto in a lemon sauce, tiramisu—all of which we would recommend) in Piazza dei Dogi merited multiple visits and the beachside dining at Silver Moon (spaghetti Bolognese and mussels) was a nice change of pace, but nothing beat the magic of pizzeria Donna Stella. Set away from the main drag under a tangle of lemon trees, this little pizzeria served up the best pizza we’ve ever had, period. It was so good that we came back three or four times and ordered the exact same pizza every time! We are suckers for potatoes on pizza, and this was the mother of all of them: mozzarella, ham and potato. God bless us if we can ever find pizza that beats it, because it would have to be pure bliss! Finally, dessert was not spared, and as mentioned, we had quite a sampling of gelato from the various gelaterias in town. Pastries from Pasticceria Savoia and Pasticceria Pansa were very nice. We also had some of the local lemon almond candies and lemon chocolate (more lemon-flavored food to come in future posts!) which were both delicious (though Rico liked the almond candies more than Britt…).

As beautiful and packed with sights and experiences as Amalfi was, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Public transit options along the Amalfi Coast are aplenty. We ventured furthest away from our home base in the town of Amalfi with our visits to the captivating island of Capri and the colorful town of Sorrento (and a hidden swim spot nearby!), utilizing ferries and buses respectively.

Capri

We grabbed return ferry tickets to Capri the morning of departure with ease from the booths right next to Amalfi’s port. Sit on the right side on the ride there and the left side on the way back for dramatic views of the coast. Upon arrival, we figured the best way to orient ourselves was with a boat tour looping around the whole of the island. Laser Capri was our tour operator of choice, but there were plenty of options in booths by the port. The tour brought us clockwise around the island, from Villa Jovis, in toward Grotta Bianca, under and through the famous Faraglioni rock formations, around to Marina Piccola, back out and around to Grotta Verde, past the southwestern tip crowned by the 19th century Punta Carena lighthouse, and finally to the world-famous Grotta Azzurra (“Blue Grotto”). We hemmed and hawed leading up to this moment about whether or not we wanted to put up with this tourist trap of an experience, but in the end, we decided we couldn’t leave Capri without having done it!

It certainly was a pain waiting the hour behind the plethora of tour boats that had arrived before us, slowly and gingerly offloading their passengers into smaller row boats in batches of two or three. After bouncing up and down with the waves and soaking in the sun for what seemed like an eternity, it was finally our turn. We hopped into our rowboat, made our way to the tiny opening to the grotto, waited for the right moment, and then were slung into the cavern. It took a moment for our eyes to adjust, but once they did and once we turned our gaze back toward the tiny hole through which we entered, we quickly realized why this little cave is so famous. As our skipper sung a sweet-sounding song at the top of his lungs, we laid there in a deep blue-colored trance. And just as quickly as we were in, we had made the loop around the cavern and were back out in the bright sun. Though it’s expensive and a bit of a time-sucker, it is absolutely worth it.

Once back at Marina Grande, we made our way to funicular up to the island’s namesake town. The main square, Piazzetta, is beautiful with views back down toward Marina Grande and the seemingly-endless Mediterranean Sea. We freshened up with some suspiciously delicious (but outrageously expensive!) watermelon lemon drinks from tacky Gran Caffe and with recharged batteries walked up and down the side streets emanating out in every direction from the square. We stopped into Chiesa di Santo Stefano but otherwise just took in the sights of the streets and took refuge in the shade when we could. Unfortunately, the boat tour had taken up so much time that we didn’t have a chance to do a couple of the other things on our list (the town of Anacapri and the chairlift to Monte Solaro)—next time! After a refreshing gelato we hopped on our return ferry and enjoyed the view of the coast bathing in late afternoon light.

Sorrento

We took one of the many SITA busses to get to the large town of Sorrento on the northern coast of the eponymous Sorrentine Penninsula. We got an early start, and after a two-hour bus ride along the coast and up and over the mountains, arrived at Sorrento’s Piazza Tasso mid-morning. The piazza offers an enchanting view down to a cobbled hairpin turn set in a small valley-like cropping of the rocky hills upon which most of Sorrento sits—in fact, it was a photo of this view we saw many years ago that put this town on the wish list in the first place. The town’s old quarter west of the piazza is a pleasure to stroll, and we looped through just about every street (Via San Cesareo in particular was a favorite). We slowly made our way seaside, stopping at the Church of St. Francis for a peek at its beautiful courtyard and, to our surprise, a wedding!

Sorrento’s seaside is split in two. Marina Grande, on the west side, is a gritty, fisherman-dominated area with pretty houses worn by centuries of storms and salty air. As you move eastward, you pass a series of colorful beach shacks and swimming spots toward Marina Piccola. We grabbed lunch at Ghibli on the Beach (gnocchi with tomatoes and ravioli with shrimp in a cheese sauce), walked back up to the town center, and had dessert in the form of gelato (salted caramel and coffee) from Raki. Before heading back to Amalfi, we wanted to try our hand at finding a secret swim spot we had heard about.

We hailed a taxi and asked for him to take us to Bagni della Regina Giovanna. He knew exactly where we wanted to go and dropped us off a 10-minute walk from the spot as he couldn’t bring his car any further. Bagni della Regina Giovanna, at the tip of land jutting northwesterly from Sorrento, is shrouded in unverifiable legend—as the story goes, Joan II, Queen of Naples, would bring her lovers to this spot for rendezvous (and of course a swim!). Whether the story is true or not, the spot is an absolutely divine one and is easily one of the coolest swim spots we’ve ever come across. There is a shallow pool surrounded by the forest with a small opening out to the open sea. Once on the other side, there are jagged rocks jutting at least 20 feet straight out of the water, perfect for cliff jumping. There is not really a beach, but we left our stuff on the rocks (as everyone else was doing) and swam freely between the pool (which had very warm water) and the open sea. After a few hours, we walked back up to the main road and considered how to best get back to Amalfi (Sorrento and the main bus stop was at least a 45-minute walk away). Rico noticed on the way to Sorrento that there technically was a stop nearby the swim spot, so we walked another ten minutes to that point with a careful eye on the schedule for buses leaving the station in Sorrento toward Amalfi. This rarely-used bus stop is at 40.626090, 14.360088. As planned, the bus came by, we waved frantically, and were let on board (phew). What a day!

We spent the rest of our time in Amalfi swimming, hiking and exploring along the string of towns on the south coast of the Sorrentine Peninsula.

Atrani

Atrani is a small village directly northeast of Amalfi accessible by a short walk through the tunnels dug into the mountainside for the Luna Rossa car park. The town is noticeably slower paced and less visited than its big brother, especially on the beach, which is where we spent most of our time while visiting.

Cetara

Cetara is a charming fishing town a 40-minute bus ride east of Amalfi. Picking the buses up from Amalfi can be a bit hectic because of the large crowds and the fact that Amalfi is the terminating stop for many of the routes, but we learned a little trick that made things much easier. Instead of waiting for the bus to pick you up at the designated pick-up bus stop (40.633769, 14.602907), wait instead around the drop-off bus stop (40.633539, 14.602105) where passengers are let off and the busses turn around to start their next journeys. In addition to making the bus boarding experience much smoother, getting on early allows you to snag the best seats (on the right when travelling eastward and on the left when travelling westward). After a quick stop in the beautiful San Pietro Apostolo and taking the view of the town in from the end of the Via Galea jetty, we set up shop on the beach to sunbathe. We grabbed lasagna and gnocchi takeaway from Punto e Pasta—eating pasta on the beach is something that feels OK only in Italy!

Ravello

While the seaside towns are an obvious draw in this part of the world, do not miss out on the views and cool breezes awaiting you up in the mountains. No visit to the Amalfi Coast is complete without some time in sky-high Ravello, famous for its summertime music festival. Once again, the reliable (which isn’t standard for public transit in southern Italy) SITA busses whisked us from Amalfi’s port up a series of winding roads and deposited us right near Ravello’s center. We visited Villa Rufolo (well worth the price of admission for the views alone), the elegant Duomo, and enjoyed gelato in Piazza Centrale. Rather than taking the bus to get back down to Amalfi, we walked down a series of streets, alleys and staircases. The path is well marked, but be sure to bring water!

Path of the Gods

Arguably our most memorable day started with a hike on the Sentiero degli Dei (“Path of the Gods”). The name is no joke. We have done many scenic walks and hikes in our travels in the last year and a half, but this one has to be very near to the —if not the—top. Ride the bus 40 minutes from Amalfi to Agerola (Bomerano) and then walk from there to the trail head (40.625050, 14.534750). Do the hike early in the morning before it’s too hot, though be sure to bring plenty of water either way. There are a couple of fountains along the way where you can top up your bottles. We did the hike from east to west as it’s more downhill that direction (though still moderately strenuous, especially in the summer months), ensures the best views (along the coast pointing toward Capri) are always right in front of you, and also means that the morning sun is always behind you. The path ends just before the town of Nocelle at 40.629110,14.506810 and is well marked. It took us about 2 hours, but plan anything from 2 to 3 depending on how often you stop to rest (while admiring the views of course!) and also how fit you are. We could write and write and write about what we saw, but we’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Once we recharged with a funky lemon drink from a strategically located stand in Nocelle, we set off to get back to sea level. There are 1,700 steps down to the coast from Nocelle and they are a pain after the strain of the hike, but we powered through, especially since we knew we’d be rewarded with Bagni d’Arienzo, a beach hidden away not far off from the picture perfect town of Positano. Our bodies have never before (or since!) needed a dip in the sea as much as they did that day. We also recharged with some food at the beach’s restaurant—captivatingly good ravioli with lemon in a red sauce. Feeling refreshed, we grabbed a small boat to Positano.

Positano

Positano is perhaps even more famous than Amalfi and rightfully so. The town is just straight out of a postcard, with a perfectly manicured beach, stacks of colorful houses rising up into the mountains, and a web of little streets to explore. Our legs weren’t quite in the shape to explore a hilly town, but we did our best! We started in the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta, walked through the grounds of Palazzo Murat, and then looped up some of the smaller streets and alleyways to Nana di Caiazzo Anna. You’ll find these little custom shoemakers all over the Amalfi Coast and we had heard good things about this one. Britt ordered some custom sandals and we got to watch them made right before our eyes! They are now a staple in her wardrobe that remind her of our trip with every wear. After making our way back down to the center, we walked up and down the beach and grabbed gelato and lemon sorbet (served in a lemon!) at Brasserie del Covo before hopping on the ferry back to Amalfi.

Italy was host to our very first European trip together back in 2013 and has since held a special place in our hearts. Our trip to the Amalfi Coast was our first time going back to the country since and we were both a bit afraid that it wasn’t going to live up to our expectations. We think it’s safe to say that Italy once again shattered our expectations and proved, as it always does, why it’s one of the most visited countries on Earth. This was truly the perfect trip—warm weather, good food, friendly people, nature, hiking, swimming, picturesque towns. The list goes on. Luckily Italy has a lot to offer and we know we’ll be back to another region of this boot-shaped peninsula someday in the future!