Travel:Amalfi Coast& Town, ITALY 04/23/2026

A continuation of a trip which started on April 14th

London   04/15-20 (here)

South West Italy.    04/20-21 (here)

Sorrento 04/21-25. (here)

While staying in Sorrento, a day drive trip from there, along the mountainous narrow meandering

Amalfi Coast, (SS163 Amalfitana state road), toward Amalfi Town is a must, for the brave ones...

Views of Sorrento

The Amalfi Coast- an iconic international tourist destination and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, (since 1997) stretches over 50-km over the dramatic mountainous coastline, along the southern edge of Italy’s Sorrentine Peninsula,

Amalfi Coast is one of the most popular holiday destination,of Campania and in the world, and feasters in many books and films for its breathtaking views, of the enchanting coastal landscape and sea

Atrani and Vietri sul Mare are marketed as "The most beautiful villages of Italy" on that coast

The only Amalfi Drive land route (Strada Statale 163) runs along the coastline from the town of Vietri sul Mare in the east to Positano  which we visited in 2023, so we skipped stopping there, on this drive.

Instead we drove straight to Amalfi Town in the west

where by sheer luck, managed to find a parking spot, thus further explored the town.

Piano Sorrento

A charming, largely residential town on the Sorrentine Peninsula, located just 4 km (2.5 miles) southeast of Sorrento. with ,volcanic sand beaches, beachfront dining, and piers on the route

With high cliffs, and villages hanging off cliff-side or snuggled into coves ,and small bays along the Mediterranean rugged shoreline and mountains in the background towering over them, the scenery is mesmerizing

The Amalfi Coast is known for its production of limoncello liqueur, made between February and October from lemon (known as sfusato amalfitano in Italian or Etrog in Hebrew) grown in terraced gardens along the entire coastline

The natural beauty and picturesque landscapes of the Amalfi Coast have made it one of the most popular destinations of the world's jet set, earning it the nickname of "Divine Coast" (Divina costiera)

The Amalfi coast was controlled by the Principality of Salerno - centered on the port city of Salerno., a medieval Southern European state, formed in 851 out of the Principality of Benevento after a decade-long civil war.

Praiano

The coastal road winds past grand villas, and cultivated terraces of vineyards, citrus fruit and olive trees groves.

There are 13 municipalities located on the Amalfi Coast, many of them centered on tourism

The small beaches and pastel-colored fishing villages offer high-fashion shops, artisan workshops, endless trinket/present stores and restaurants / bars.

Conca dei Marini

The village situated on a hill close to the coast and between Amalfi and Furore was once a trading base of the Republic of Amalfi. sacked by Turkish pirates In 1543

Driving along the Amalfi Coast is not for the faint at heart. The roads are extremely curvy and narrow with vertical rock faces on one side and sheer drop-offs on the other.. Furthermore, sharing the narrow road with crazy drivers and full-size buses. is a true challenge

Parking in the towns/villages and even in some of the less populated areas. is another serious challenge,

With all of that being said, I wouldn't miss this amazing drive experience, for at least once in a life time.

And this drive was our third time.. Small car can make navigating around the area as easy as possible.

For future visits, using private and local buses that take one anywhere, or spectating the coast by sea off a boat, is a less strenuous solution.

Buses and ferries run along the Amalfi Coast as well as boat excursions from Positano and Amalfi.

Positano

More on Positano from my previous post 2023 (here)

Atrani

The village of Atrani is of Roman origin, at which time it was called Atranum

Once a power that rivaled its mighty neighbor Amalfi, the small, hidden gem Atrani of traditional, medieval layout features narrow alleys, hidden staircases, and houses clinging to the cliff,.

It is located just a short 10-minute walk from bustling Amalfi.

Stunning Amalfi Coast Beaches

One of the most picturesque and photographed beaches of the Amalfi is located between Praiano and Conca dei Marini, a stunning 25-m pebble beach, hidden inside a dramatic gorge carved by the Schiato stream.

It is famously spanned by a 30-m-high arched bridge along State Road 163.

Best and most accessible way to reach the fjord's pebble beach and clear turquoise waters is by taking a boat tour or water taxi from Positano or Amalfi

The beach was a hideout for legendary director Roberto Rossellini and actress Anna Magnani in the 1950s. One of their fishermen's cottages is now a small museum

Duoglio Beach Furore Fiordo di Furore (Fjord of Furore)

(Special Amalfi Coast Beaches)

Amalfi Town

The town nests at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto (1,315 m), surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery. The town was the capital of the maritime republic known as the Duchy of Amalfi,

During the 10th–11th centuries, the Duchy of Amalfi  - Republic of Amalfi, was an independent maritime state i on the territory of the Amalfi Coast, centred in the town of Amalfi. Its merchants dominated Mediterranean trade, connecting the Arab world and the Byzantine Empire with Western Europe, trading silk, grain, salt, and spices, It founded the first trade colony in Constantinople of the world.

Flourished between 839 and roughly 1200. Amalfi rivaled Venice, Pisa, and Genoa, making it one of Italy's four great Maritime Republics, Amalfi Republic pioneered the widely used maritime law code, the Tavole Amalfitane, and is traditionally credited with European adoption of the nautical compass, before it lost its autonomy felling to Norman conquest in 1073. and subsequently sacked by the the Republic of Pisa in 1137.

Tumbling into the Sea

The most catastrophic event- the 1343 Tsunami occurred when a major earthquake beneath the Tyrrhenian Sea triggered a massive tsunami. The giant waves decimated the city, parts of the town of Amalfi have tumbled into the sea, dragging the lower town and the bustling harbor directly into the water. The former maritime republic of Amalfi, which once had a population of 70,000 people was effectively wiped out and its status as a premier maritime republic was sadly destroyed.

The town became a popular seaside resort beginning in the Edwardian era, with members of the British upper class spending their winters in Amalfi

During the more recent 2021 Landslide,  a large portion of a cliff alongside the SS163 state road crumbled. sending tons of rock, earth, and boulders tumbling down the clif-fside, with a significant amount of the debris crashing onto the beach and into the sea.

Plazza Flavio Gioia

The town's center vibrant square with the bus terminals. taxi stands. and endless caravan of approaching private cars, looks more like a parking lot swarming with lots of people.

According to tradition, Flavio Gioia was an inventor and navigator born in Amalfi between the 13th and 14th c, who was long believed to be the inventor of the compass.

The bronze sculpture monument, (restored in June 2022,) was only positioned in the piazza overlooking the Sea of Amalfi, .depicts Flavio Gioia staring at a compass..

The artist Alfonso Balzico, was awarded a gold medal at the Universal Expo of Paris in 1900,

Plazza Flavio Gioia

The stunning large colorful multi-paneled wall map crafted from bright majolica tiles, is a famous ceramic panel created (1968) by artist Diodoro Cossa,.It Illustrates significant historical stages of It is located along the busy thoroughfare just past the tourist office on Corso delle Repubbliche Marinare, just steps away from the bustling roundabout of Piazza Flaviothe Republic, ancient trade routes, and its founding

The main pedestrian road in Amalfi Town is Via Lorenzo d'Amalfi. which transitions into Via Pietro Capuano as it winds its way up through the historic center. It is being lined with colorful shops, local cafes, and historic architecture. This main road was mobbed with visitors on the day we were exploring the town's center.

At the historic cafe from 1830 we enjoyed

the best Neapolitan pastry Sfogliatella -

 a legendary, crispy layered pastry invented by nuns, generously filled with Ricotta cheese or with rich pastry cream and topped with black cherries .

Pasticceria Andrea Pansa.

Located in Piazza Duomo next to the Cathedral

Amalfi Cathedral 

Cathedral of Sant'Andrea Saint Andrew, 11th C

The external facade of the impressive cathedral is Byzantine in style and is adorned with various paintings of saints, including a large fresco of Saint Andrew.

its interior is adorned in the late Baroque style

At the top of a flight of steps, Saint Andrew's Cathedral (Duomo) overlooks the Piazza Duomo, the heart of Amalfi.

The drive back to Sorrento on the same meandering narrow Amalfi Coast road, during lunch time and before traffic swelled, was much shorter, but as breathtaking.

TO BE CONTINUED....