The Amalfi Coast, which is unquestionably one of the most beautiful spots in Europe.
When To Go
The best time to visit is from April to June. Late July and August is the time to avoid Italy altogether – the weather boils, prices are inflated and the whole country swarms with holidaymakers. Most Italians go on holiday in August, abandoning the cities and leaving many shops, hotels and restaurants closed.
The summer leads to a jam-packed coast; you’re much better off coming in autumn and spring. The coast all but shuts down in winter.
Getting There
Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com) flies direct to Naples for about €84 each way, but only Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday, March to October.
Package Deal
7 nights to Amalfi Coast
Stay in 3* Lidomare Hotel including B&B
Flights Ex Dublin & airport taxes
Return airport transfers
2 sharing fr €685pp
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What to Do:
Pompei:
Pompeo is Italy’s Number One Tourist attraction, with over 2.5 million visitors annually. If you’re into ruins, you should also visit Herculaneum, much closer to Vesuvius and Naples.
Positano:
Positano has a unique atmosphere – exclusive, chic, full of fashionistas, celebrities and wealthy jet-setters. But at the same time, this is an authentic Italian family holiday resort, with sunbathers eating pizza on the beach, kids pestering parents for gelati and Milanese women deciding which is the most fashionable boutique this year.
Food
Trattoria Grottino Azzurro
Chiesa Nuova, Positano, 0039 089 875466
Rather than eating overpriced pasta at one of the tacky seafront restaurants, jump on a bus in the centre and ask for the Chiesa Nuova, high above town. This no-frills trattoria – there is not even a written menu – features cucina casalinga, simple home cooking, at its best. Try regional favourites such as a tortino d’alici, baked anchovies with herbs, or rigatoni with a seafood sauce.
Sleep
Casa Cuccaro
Village of Nocelle, 0039 089 875458; www.casacuccaro.it, Double €80
Above Positano, the picturesque hamlet of Nocelle is a great place to base yourself and has some wonderful rustic restaurants. Peppe Cuccaro has lots of experience in pampering guests: he worked for 25 years at the legendary San Pietro Hotel in the town. With his son, he has turned an old farmhouse into a charming B&B. For those interested in hiking, this is the beginning of the Sentiero degli Dei, a breathtaking 11 km mountain trek.
You can get there by road, or, more interestingly, by a short walking track at the end of Positano’s Via Mons S Cinque. While there, have lunch at the excellent Trattoria Santa Croce and enjoy the panoramic views from the terrace.. You can also get there by bus from Positano.
Amalfi:
The first view of Amalfi is unforgettable, with its tightly packed villas and palaces seeming to tumble down the cliffside into the fishing port and shingle beach below. Amalfi was once a maritime power to rival Venice, and its golden age is symbolised by its stunning cathedral: its Arab-Norman facade dominates the Piazza Duomo, the unofficial town centre that is always pulsating with people. When visiting the cathedral, don’t stay too long in the main building, as the highlight is walking around the back into the Chiostro del Paradiso, a magical Moorish-style cloister, with a lush tropical garden, and then down into the opulent Cappella del Crocefisso in a subterranean crypt.
Incredible to think that this small seaside town of no more than 5000 people was once a major Mediterranean naval power with a population of more than 70,000. Then, in 1343, a massive earthquake, when most of the old city, and its populace, just sank into the sea.
Amalfi is always filled with day-trippers, but quietens down in the evening. Choose a table out on the terrace of a bar, order an Americano or a fine local wine such as Greco di Tufo, and sit back and watch the dolce vita pass by as the sun sets over the Mediterranean.
Food
Ristorante Eolo
Via Comite 3, Amalfi, 0039 089 871241; www.marinariviera.it
Less well known than Amalfi’s Michelin-starred Caravella or the horrendously expensive Trattoria Gemma, the Eolo is the perfect choice for adventurous gourmets. This is one of the few coastal restaurants which attempts a fusion-orientated menu. Think baby ravioli stuffed with potato and black truffle. An exquisite three-course meal will cost €50, but you’re also paying for the ultimate view over Amalfi – so be sure to book a window table!
Sleep
Locanda Costa Diva
Via Roma 12, Praiano, 0039 089 813076; www.locandacostadiva.it; Doubles from €110
The tiny bay of Praiano is along the coast road from Amalfi, and this pretty B&B is a good alternative to staying in town. You don’t need your own transport, as the local bus passes through, and boats can take you to Capri. The beach is free, unlike in the more fashionable resorts. The menu changes daily depending on what the fishermen bring in that morning.
Ravello:
Ravello sits like an ornate decoration atop a fancy wedding cake in the hills above Amalfi. Every villa has picturesque gardens, and two that are open to the public, Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone, are among the finest in Italy, with perfectly laid-out flower beds, palm trees, sculptures and fountains. Rufolo has a vast terrazza that seems to hang right over the sea far below and is the venue for the renowned concerts of the Music Festival. To secure tickets, book as long as possible in advance. For all its genteel airs, Ravello has a lively street market every Tuesday morning, where you will find wine, fresh mozzarella and olive oil, but also discount designer clothes from Milan.
Food
Ristorante Salvtore
Via della Repubblica 2, Ravello, 0039 089 857227; www.salvatoreravello.com
A far better choice than the touristy places in the centre of Ravello, this excellent restaurant combines a romantic view, smart service and dishes that surprise with both creativity and quality. Try the tender totani squid on a bed of pureed chick peas with a hint of spicy peperoncino. In the evening, part of the Salvatore is transformed into a casual pizzeria and, frankly, you won’t taste a better wood-fired pizza anywhere on this coast.
Sleep
B&B I limoni
Via Gradoni 14, San Cosma, 0039 089 858056; www.bb-ilimoni.com; Doubles from €70
Up in the hills above Ravello, this B&B is part of an organic farm producing lemons, olive oil and honey. Its lovely terrace overlooking the sea is the ideal place to try the lethal local after-dinner liqueur, limoncello. Room rates include a hearty breakfast, and the location is ideal for country walks.
Minori:
This quiet bay lies on the unfashionable side of Ravello, seemingly a world away from elegant Amalfi. In summer, there is a high-quality jazz festival, while in September a week is spent celebrating local food and wines in the Saporèarte (‘taste is art’) festival. Minori is also the location of the coast’s only archeological site, the Villa Romana, hidden in a back street.
Food
Ristorante L’Arsenale
Via San Giovanni a Mare 20, 0039 089 851418; www.ristorantelarsenale.it
The Arsenale is one of the great gastronomic finds on the Amalfi coast. Although the surroundings resemble a run-of-the-mill trattoria, the cuisine is of Michelin standard and the wine list is stunning. Run by the four Proto brothers – two in the kitchen, two running the restaurant and wine cellar – the restaurant uses the locally caught seafood and adds a light, modern touch to traditional recipes, such as smooth ricotta and seafood mousse, and seared tuna with an intense red wine sauce. Their delicious pasta dishes cost less than €15 a head.
Sleep
B&B Palazzo Vingius
Via San Giovanni a Mare 19, 0039 089 8541646; www.palazzovingius.it; Double room from €95
This family-run B&B, surrounded by lemon gardens, is in a modern block of flats, all recently renovated, but considering the price and location – five minutes’ drive from Amalfi and Ravello – this is a very good deal. There is a small pool and Turkish bath and sunny terrace with great views. Be prepared for a long walk back from the beach up steep steps.
Sorrento:
Sorrento may no longer be the exclusive resort it once was – it is now more popular with tour buses and cruise lines than Hollywood royalty – but remains an obligatory stop on the Costiera. Take its pulse with an aperitivo on the terrace of the Fauno Bar on the bustling Piazza Tasso, then wander down Corso Italia, with its tempting boutiques. In the narrow Via Casareo is the beautiful Sedile Dominova, a frescoed terrace where nobility met in the 15th-century – today it is a working men’s club, where pensioners sit around playing cards.
Food
Circolo Dei Forestieri
Via Luigi de Maio 35, 0039 081 8074033
Although Sorrento’s famous ‘Foreigners’ Club’ may not serve the best food in town, it is the best value for money and an unmissable experience. In a sprawling villa that also houses the tourism office, the Circolo resembles a scene from a Graham Greene novel, with British tourists ordering gin and tonics. There is live music at night and delicious pizza and pasta, but don’t expect to see many Italians. Brilliant views over the Bay of Naples.
Sleep
Casa Astarita
Corso Italia 67, Sorrento, 0039 081 8774906; www.casastarita.com
Doubles from €85
The grand hotels of Sorrento can be horrendously expensive, so the Casa Astarita, in the heart of the old town, is a splendid surprise. Housed in an elegant 18th-century palace, home of the Astarita sisters, it has only six rooms, so book well in advance. The B&B has a comfy lounge, with free internet access, where homemade limoncello is served at night as guests come home after a long day’s sightseeing.
Nerano
A picturesque, sleepy fishing village, Nerano is far from the glamour resorts, but is the ideal place to stay to explore the Massa Lubrense national park. This is a paradise for nature lovers, who can choose from more than 100 kilometres of marked pathways. One unforgettable walk is from the village of Torca, down to the coastline of the Marina di Crapolla and the ancient San Pietro church, looking out over Li Galli islands, once the hideaway home of Rudolf Nureyev.
Food
Ristorante Baia Nerano
Via Marina del Cantone 49, 0039 081 8081113
Most discerning diners visiting Nerano end up reserving a table at the chic Taverna del Capitano, where waiters wear dinner jackets and tables are set with crystal. But if you just come for a swim and sunbathe, a better idea is to eat a simple al fresco lunch of seafood, spaghetti and salad on the bamboo terrace of the informal Baia Nerano.
Sleep
B&B L’Isca
Via Cantone 3, 0039 081 8081779; www.casalevillarena.com; double from €90
Housed in a 19th-century palace once owned by the Marchese di Villarena, the Isca has B&B rooms and spacious flats. Although it is in the heart of Nerano, the property resembles a hidden oasis, with a lemon grove, pool and play area for smaller children.
Cilento: The coastline the Italians prefer
Just two hours south of Naples (and an hour south of Sorrento), the Cilento region is one of the most remote parts of Campania. Instead of turning right off the A3 and heading to the undeniably beautiful but often crowded and pricey Amalfi coast, continue on past Salerno, leaving better-known resorts behind.
Much of the area is covered by the Cilento national park – the second largest in Italy – and it boasts 100km of coastline and a wild, mountainous interior sprinkled with historic villages still wedded to a traditional way of life.
This is where ordinary Neapolitans escape to in the summer and is still largely off the tourist radar, granted little more than a passing mention in most guidebooks.
Follow the coast south from here and you’ll discover a mix of sandy bays, rocky coves and imposing cliffs, dotted with fishing villages and tiny holiday resorts. Acciaroli was a favourite of Hemingway, who came here in 1952 after he’d finished writing “The Old Man and the Sea”, spending hours in the cafe-bars along the seaside promenade.
Tiny Marina di Pisciotta is famous for keeping centuries-old fishing techniques alive, using the moon and the stars to determine where the anchovies will surface. Visitors can go out with the fishermen at night and then dine with them on the catch, dressed simply in extra virgin olive oil and lemon (the fish, not the tourists).
If you’re looking for ancient sites to rival the best-known in the region, top of the list is ancient Paestum (originally Poseidonia), with some of the best-preserved Greek temples in Europe. Paestum was founded by the Greeks in the 7th century BC and colonised by the Romans in 273 BC; malaria and Saracen raids left the town almost deserted by the 9th century – only to be “rediscovered” amid the thick forest in the 18th. Writers, poets and artists from Goethe to Shelley flocked here for inspiration. “Inexpressibly grand,” concluded Shelley.
But for more recent history, the Certosa di San Lorenzo, a sprawling monastery to the northeast in Padula can’t fail to impress. Begun in the 14th century, but finished only 500 years later and used as a prisoner of war camp in the second world war, you can wander the huge central quadrangle and check out frescoed chapels, the colourfully tiled kitchen and beautiful library.
Sleep
The Palazzo Belmonte (00 39 0974 960211; palazzobelmonte.com) is an elegant country-house hotel by the sea, five minutes’ stroll away from the picturesque village of Santa Maria di Castellabate. Doubles from €186, B&B.
For something simpler, the Agriturismo Sant’Agata (00 39 0974 931716; agriturismosantagata.it) offers farmhouse accommodation perched above the town of Palinuro, with impressive sea views.
La Fattoria (00 39 0974 971020; lafattoriadelcilento.com) is another agriturismo in the heart of the Cilento national park, with nine comfortable rooms, a good-sized pool walks from the door and bike hire. Doubles from €70 B&B.
Food
La Taverna del Pescatore (00 39 0974 968 293) in Santa Maria di Castellabate does fantastic seafood – if you’re feeling brave try the spaghetti with raw sea urchins. Maratea has a clutch of excellent restaurants; a long-established favourite is La Taverna Rovita (00 39 0973 876588), which serves up Lucanian specialities such as game, local salamis and spicy fried calamari. Perennially popular, it’s essential to book.
U’Zifaro (00 39 0974 986397) is perfectly situated in a former boathouse on the esplanade at Scario and serves up zingy puttanesca with fresh pasta and excellent local wines.
The Best Pizzeria in Italy?
Pizza is from Napoli, therefore the best pizza in Naples should also be the best pizza in Italy, which really means the best in the world. Pizzeria Anna (+39 0974 823763, ristorantepizzeriaanna.it) is in the town of Agropoli, about an hour south of Sorrento in the Cilento National Park. It’s right on the seafront. B&B Anna (www.bbanna.it; +39 0974 823763) above the restaurant has doubles from €65-€100.
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