Amalfi Coast cliffs and sea
Italy · Summer 2025

Amalfi
Coast

"Every corner you turn here looks like someone painted it. I kept thinking I was dreaming."

The Itinerary

Six days on the world's most dramatic coastline.

Day 1 — Positano Arrival
Morning
  • Train or ferry into Positano — arrive early before day-trippers descend
  • Pasticceria Pansa in Amalfi town for a sfogliatella and espresso first
Afternoon
  • Check into your hotel, then wander Positano's staircase streets
  • Bagni d'Anna beach club for a first swim in that insane blue water
Evening
  • La Sponda at Le Sirenuse — dress up, splurge, this is worth every euro
  • Walk the seafront after dinner, get gelato, breathe it all in
Day 2 — Positano Day
Morning
  • Bar Calypso for a coffee with a view before the piazza fills up
  • Wander the side streets before the tour groups arrive — buy ceramics
Afternoon
  • Lido Azzurro beach club on the water below town
  • Or hike the Path of the Gods trail — insane cliffside views
Evening
  • Ristorante Max for dinner — great wine list, rooftop terrace
  • Music on the Rocks for dancing — it's literally inside a cave
Day 3 — Amalfi Town
Morning
  • Ferry to Amalfi town — 30 minutes, better than the bus
  • Duomo di Amalfi first thing before the crowds arrive
Afternoon
  • Wander into the limoncello distilleries uphill — free tastings, be careful
  • Ceramica Assunta for hand-painted tiles and pottery — the real stuff
Evening
  • Lo Smeraldino for dinner — waterfront tables, fresh catch, great pasta
  • Pasticceria Pansa for dessert, then evening passeggiata on the piazza
Day 4 — Ravello
Morning
  • Bus or taxi up to Ravello — 300m above the sea, total perspective shift
  • Villa Cimbrone gardens at opening — walk to the Terrace of Infinity alone
Afternoon
  • Lunch at a simple trattoria in the village square
  • Villa Rufolo and its famous clifftop garden
Evening
  • Da Adolfo for dinner — boat picks you up from Positano dock, so worth it
  • Next Positano bar after for late drinks with a younger crowd
Day 5 — Boat Day
Morning
  • Rent a small motorboat or join a group boat tour for the day
  • Grotta dello Smeraldo (Emerald Grotto) — worth the tourist tax
Afternoon
  • Anchor at secluded coves not accessible by land
  • Swim, snack, repeat — bring your own wine and cheese
Evening
  • La Bottega di Brunella in Positano for last-minute shopping
  • Aperitivo at any cliff bar watching the sun hit the water golden
Day 6 — Last Morning
Morning
  • Final sunrise walk down to the beach before checkout
  • Bar Calypso one more time — order the same thing you had on day one
Afternoon
  • Browse La Bottega di Brunella for linen resort wear — beautiful quality
  • Pack ceramics carefully, buy a bottle of local limoncello for the flight
Evening
  • Ferry or bus toward Naples or Rome depending on your connection
  • Mandatory cry on the boat leaving — this happens to everyone
Where to Stay, Eat & Play

My favorite spots.

Hotels
Il San Pietro di Positano
$$$$
Carved into the cliffside with elevator access to the private beach. Each room faces the sea, breakfast is served on your terrace with the Tyrrhenian below.
"Walking into this hotel for the first time is genuinely surreal. It's like being inside a painting."
ilsanpietro.it →
Le Sirenuse
$$$$
The most iconic hotel on the Amalfi Coast. White-washed terraces, that famous pool, La Sponda restaurant, and views that photographers dream about.
"Even just having dinner here is transformative. If you can swing a night or two, do it. You won't regret it."
lesirenuse.com →
Hotel Santa Caterina
$$$$
A 19th-century family villa on the Amalfi cliffs. Lemon gardens, a saltwater pool carved into the rock, and the kind of old-world service that actually still exists.
"The lemon grove walk down to the sea is one of the most beautiful things I've ever done in the morning."
hotelsantacaterina.it →
Restaurants
La Sponda at Le Sirenuse
$$$$
Candlelit terrace, a thousand flickering lights, impeccable pasta, and the best sea view on the coast. This is the dinner you'll talk about for years.
"I wore a dress I'd been saving for a special occasion. This was absolutely the right moment."
lesirenuse.com →
Ristorante Max
$$$
Upstairs from the main piazza in Positano, with a terrace draped in bougainvillea. Homemade pasta, fresh fish, great wine, no attitude.
"The pappardelle with swordfish changed my understanding of what pasta could be. I've been chasing it since."
ristorantemax.it →
Da Adolfo
$$$
A secret cove accessible only by their free boat from Positano. Wooden tables under a pergola, fresh fish grilled simply, cold white wine all afternoon.
"The mozzarella wrapped in lemon leaves. Nothing else needs to be said. Go here."
daadolfo.com →
Lo Smeraldino
$$$
Waterfront dining in Amalfi town with fishing boats bobbing next to your table. Simple, beautiful, honest Italian food at its best.
"Ordered the catch of the day, didn't ask what it was, ate it with crusty bread and cold Falanghina. Perfect meal."
Amalfi Town →
Beach Clubs
Bagni d'Anna
$$
One of Positano's classic beach clubs — wood-decked platforms over crystal water, striped umbrellas, and that specific Italian beach energy you'll miss forever.
"Spent four hours here my second day and completely lost track of time. The water is so clear it almost doesn't look real."
Positano Beach →
Lido Azzurro Amalfi
$$$
Right below the Amalfi cathedral stairs, this beach club offers sun beds, kayaks, and a bar where the Aperol spritzes arrive in proper time.
"After a morning of walking uphill through town, arriving here and jumping in the water is peak travel bliss."
Amalfi Town →
Nightlife
Music on the Rocks
$$$
A legendary Positano nightclub literally carved into a sea cave. Starts late, goes until dawn, split-level dancefloor, waves crashing outside.
"Danced until 4am inside a cliff cave with strangers from six different countries. I'll never top that night out."
musicontherocks.it →
Next Positano
$$
More relaxed than Music on the Rocks but still lively — great cocktails, outdoor terrace, younger local crowd that spills out into the street by midnight.
"Perfect if you want to feel the local nightlife without committing to a full cave rave situation."
Positano →
Coffee
Bar Calypso Positano
$$
Terrace bar perched above the main beach, perfect morning coffee stop with sea views that wake you up better than espresso. Also does decent aperitivo.
"My morning ritual the entire trip. Coffee, cornetto, big view, no phone. The perfect start to a perfect day."
Positano →
Pasticceria Pansa Amalfi
$
Historic pastry shop on Amalfi's main piazza since 1830. Sfogliatella, lemon granita, little almond pastries. This is non-negotiable.
"Had the lemon granita in the middle of a hot afternoon and it was a religious experience. Queued twice."
pansa.it →
Shopping
Ceramica Assunta
$$
Family-run ceramic shop in Positano with hand-painted tiles, plates, and vases in the classic Amalfi blues and yellows. Watch them paint in the back.
"Bought a set of lemon plates I use every single day. Best kitchen purchase of my life, worth every kilo in my luggage."
ceramicassunta.com →
La Bottega di Brunella
$$$
Positano's most beloved boutique for hand-sewn linen resort wear. Dresses, trousers, blouses — all made locally in the most beautiful colors.
"Bought a linen dress that I still wear three years later. It's my most-asked-about piece of clothing, always."
Positano →
Limoncello Distilleries
$
Walk uphill in Amalfi town past the duomo to find small family distilleries offering free limoncello tastings and bottles to take home.
"The free tastings are generous and the bottles cost almost nothing. I brought home four and regretted not bringing eight."
Amalfi Town →