Amalfiküste, Positano & Ravello — UNESCOs Malerischste Strecke
The Amalfi Coast (the 'Costiera Amalfitana' — the UNESCO World Heritage coastline on the Sorrentine Peninsula south of Naples, the 50-km coastal road that winds between the cliff-top villages (Positano, Amalfi, Ravello) and the Mediterranean Sea, the most scenic coastal road in Europe) is 60 km south of Naples and the most popular day trip or extended excursion destination from the city.
- 1
Positano — The Vertical Village of the Amalfi Coast
Positano (45km south of Naples, Amalfi Coast, UNESCO) is built vertically down a cliff face — the village's 4,000 residents are connected by 1,500+ steps and the single hairpin road (SS163); the beach (Spiaggia Grande, pebbled, beach chair rental €25/day) is dominated by the dome of Santa Maria Assunta church; John Steinbeck wrote of Positano in 1953 that 'it is a dream place that isn't quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone'; summer population 50,000+.
- 2
Ravello — Gardens Above the Clouds
Ravello (350m above the Amalfi Coast, accessible from Amalfi by bus or 1,500 steps on foot) is the cultural capital of the coast — Villa Rufolo (1270, Arab-Norman garden, the terrace where Wagner was inspired to create Klingsor's garden in Parsifal in 1880) and Villa Cimbrone (1904, the Terrace of Infinity belvedere, the most-photographed balcony in Italy, looking across Positano) are the two essential sites; the Ravello Festival (July) stages concerts on the Villa Rufolo terrace.
- 3
Amalfi — The Medieval Maritime Republic
Amalfi (the town, 5,000 residents, the seat of one of Italy's four ancient Maritime Republics 839–1073 CE) has the most dramatic townscape on the coast — the Cathedral of Saint Andrew (9th century Byzantine, renovated in Arab-Norman style, gilded bronze doors from Constantinople, 1066) rises above the central piazza at the end of a 62-step staircase; the Paper Museum (Museo della Carta, working paper mill from the 13th century) demonstrates the Amalfi tradition of handmade paper production.
- 4
Path of the Gods — The Sentiero degli Dei
The Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei, 7.8km hiking trail, Bomerano to Nocelle above Positano, 3 hours) offers the most spectacular views of the Amalfi Coast — the trail traverses cliff faces above the sea with continuous panoramas of Capri, Li Galli islands, and the coastal villages below; the path requires good footwear and descends 600m vertical to Nocelle, from which a staircase or bus reaches Positano; the trail is impassable after heavy rain (January–March); best April–October.
- 5
Praiano and Furore — The Lesser-Known Amalfi Villages
Praiano (between Positano and Amalfi, population 2,000) is the quietest and least-touristic village on the coast — the Vettica Maggiore and Marina di Praia (a fjord-like inlet 100m below the road, reached by a path) are two distinct sections; Furore (the 'Fjord of Furore' is a narrow gorge 40m wide with a beach accessible only by boat or a precipitous staircase) is frequently photographed but rarely visited; the Emerald Grotto (Grotta dello Smeraldo, sea cave, accessible by boat or lift from the SS163) is between Praiano and Amalfi.
- 6
Ferry Network — Connecting the Amalfi Coast by Sea
The Amalfi Coast is best experienced from the water — ALILAURO and Travelmar ferries connect Salerno, Positano, Amalfi, and Capri (April–October); the 35-minute Positano-to-Amalfi ferry (€8) avoids the SS163 traffic completely; private boat rental from Positano (€300/day, including skipper) is the premium experience; the view of the coast from 500m offshore (seeing the villages as they appear from the sea, as travelers have for 2,000 years) is the essential Amalfi Coast perspective.