Things to do in Amalfi Coast

In case you hadn't followed our previous posts on the Amalfi Coast and food in Amalfi, the Amalfi Coast is a beautiful stretch of coastline on the southern side of the Sorrentine Peninsula in Southern Italy. It stretches from Salerno to Sorrento through Ravello, Praiano, Amalfi and Positano.

1. Explore Amalfi town

Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore (Church of Santa Maria Maggiore) lies in the heart of Amalfi at Piazza Duomo. The front facade of the cathedral was rebuilt in 1891. Standing on the top of the steps of the cathedral, you will be able to see the layout of the small piazza, surrounded by shops with Via Lorenzo d'Amalfi (the main street in Amalfi) starting on your right.

Take a slow walk along Via Lorenzo d'Amalfi and explore the hidden alleys. Trying the Limoncello is a must when you are here, a local produce in Amalfi. Limoncello is an Italian lemon liquor mainly produced in Southern Italy and is usually served chilled in a small glass. Go on a food tour and satisfy your stomach with the local foods. The pizzas, pastas and gelatos are to die for! No trip to Italy is complete without indulging yourself in these delicacies. Besides, there is probably nothing more important than gelato in Italy. A simple rule of thumb is to have at least 2 scoops a day!

2. Positano

Positano is one of the coast's most beautiful town and can be reached from Amalfi via the SITA bus or ferry (Metro del Mare). Positano has become increasingly popular and we can certainly understand why  having been there. The colorful town is perched on a hill starting right from the beach, which makes for a picturesque town with expansive views of the Mediterranean sea.

We took the ferry, costing us 7 euros per person. It took just 30 minutes to reach Positano from Amalfi, giving us some gorgeous views from the ferry. The Metro Del Mare connects Salerno, Amalfi, Positano, Sorrento and Capri. The ferry schedule can be found at the ticket office at the pier.

We spent most of our time at Positano walking randomly through the little streets and sunbathing on its popular beach (Spiaggia Del Fornilo). You can also purchase a tourist map from the shops, which will save you some walking if you know how to get to your destination, as there are numerous flights of stairs and slopes in this beautiful town. There is also an old cathedral (Church of Santa Maria Assunta) which was built way back in the 1920s.

3. Ravello

Ravello is perched high on top of a hill overlooking the Amalfi Coast and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996. The Cathedral of Ravello, which was built in the 11th century, is located at Piazza Del Duomo, where the heart of the town is. The town offers some stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea from various viewing points and is renowned for their gardens, Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo. Ravello felt especially quaint and would definitely be the place for people who are looking to escape the tourist crowd and I loved walking through the small streets.

There's much more to the Amalfi Coast. You could take a hike along the coast, travel to the beautiful island of Capri, or go to the ruins of Pompeii, amongst many other things to do in Amalfi.

Which is your favourite town in the Amalfi Coast and what do you love about it?

YJ

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7 Local Foods on Amalfi Coast

Eat like a local when you're on Italy's Amalfi Coast. We'll let the images do the talking.

1. The Italian croissant (cornetto) or a sweet pastry (sfogliatella) for breakfast.

2. An espresso that accompanies every meal. Although I skip the coffees at dinners because I do need the sleep :)

3. Spaghetti alle Vongole, seafood of the Mediterranean, makes a good lunch, don't you think so?

4. Pizzas are not to be missed! This was so good. I love cheeses.

5. When you're on the Amalfi Coast, taste the locally made limoncello, they make great souvenirs too!

6. The typical arrabiata and risotto for a quick hunger fix.

7. Be sure to try the pastas at Il Grottino Azzuro. So good you'll find yourself lickin' off the plate.

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Amalfi Coast: An escape from the crowd into the rustic

Fancy a trip to a pretty seaside Italian town away from the major tourist cities? Be sure to head down south of Italy to the Amalfi Coast. We took the SITA airporter bus from Naples airport to Salerno Piazza della Concordia (7euros, approximately 70 minutes), then connected to Amalfi via the ferry (6 euros). Do prepare the exact change for the airporter bus fare to be paid directly to the bus driver! The ferry departure timings from Salerno at that time were given as 1035, 1245, 1410, 1615, 1745, 1910. No worries about missing your boat ride to Amalfi unless you arrived really late!

The Amalfi coast is made up of various towns, with Amalfi, Ravello and Positano the more popular ones among visitors. We chose to stay in Amalfi because of its convenience to explore the surrounding towns, and we absolutely loved it! Within minutes of us looking like lost sheeps with our luggages while trying to locate our B&B hotel, we were approached by a man who kindly offered to bring us to our hotel and helped with X's luggage. Alarm bells may be ringing at this point for those who have spent hours reading up on tourist scams in Italy, but we were more than glad to have met him. It could have been the atmosphere surrounding this beautiful little town, that made us feel really welcomed and safe.

I absolutely loved the rustic feel of Amalfi, and we were fortunate that we had arrived in May, before the peak summer season in July which our hotel owner described as unbelievably crowded with throngs of tourists. While tour buses still came and went while we were there, it was nothing like a crowded tourist attraction and we enjoyed the peace in the town.

Hoped the photos here made you think about hopping onto a trip to the Amalfi coast, otherwise, stay tuned for our next post to further convince you about visiting this beautiful area in southern Italy!

If you have visited the Amalfi coast, let us know why you love the place and if you haven't visited, feel free to hit us up with any questions that you may have!

YJ

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