The Open Road Travel

The Amalfi Coast is a beautiful destination that is visited by people from around the globe each year. However, despite its popularity, most visitors will be able to tell you very little about the destination, aside from its reputation and iconic views.

In reality, the Amalfi Coast is brimming with attractions of historical and cultural significance that are just waiting to be explored. With that in mind, I want to show you what I consider to be the 10 best things to do in the Amalfi Coast.

These will be attractions that cover a range of different tastes, from historic buildings and towns to natural beauty spots, to make sure we offer something for everyone.

So, if you are planning to visit the Amalfi Coast and want to ensure you make the most of your trip, then this is the article for you.

The Amalfi Coast is a stretch of coastline on the Sorrentine Peninsula in southwest Italy, which overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Gulf Of Salerno. Named after the town of Amalfi, the area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been listed as such since 1997.

Consisting of 13 municipalities, as well as many more villages and hamlets, the Amalfi Coast covers a little over 43 square miles.

With many of the inhabited areas being small and extremely traditional, the region provides a fabulous opportunity for an authentic experience.

Among the most popular reasons people visit the Amalfi Coast are the stunning views available along the waterfront, as well as an incredible collection of churches, religious buildings, and Roman sites and artefacts.

Despite being an area relatively devoid of agriculture, due to its steep, rocky landscape, the Amalfi Coast is well known as a producer of lemons, as well as the signature limoncello drink they make from them.

Other popular products from the region include anchovies, colourful handmade ceramics, and a traditional style of paper known as bambagina.

Since the 18th century, the region has been a popular destination for tourists, particularly with wealthy Europeans. Since opening the Salerno – Costa d’Amalfi Airport in 1926, the area now welcomes thousands of international visitors each year.

With a Mediterranean climate, the Amalfi Coast features pleasant temperatures throughout the year and is one of the sunniest regions in all of Italy. That means it is a destination you can visit at any point and still have a wonderful time.

However, for anyone looking to identify the absolute best time to visit the Amalfi Coast, there are two suggestions I have that you may want to take into consideration.

The first is that, while still warm, the winter months do cool off somewhat compared to summer and can also get extremely windy. As a result, I would recommend late April to mid-November as the peak time to visit for those looking to enjoy the very best weather.

The other consideration is that, as an incredibly popular destination, it can get very busy at peak times, such as the height of summer or during school holidays. For anyone hoping to have a relaxing, authentic experience, I would highly recommend avoiding these periods.

As we move on to our list of the 10 best things to do in the Amalfi Coast, I am going to suggest a broad range of options.

These will include things to appeal to travellers of all different interests, while ensuring you have something to cover everything that the Amalfi Coast is known for.

Originally settled in the 5th century, Ravello is a historic destination that offers some of the most scenic views anywhere on the Amalfi Coast.

The town is filled with attractions from numerous different periods throughout history, making it a great place to see the evolution of Italy.

Perhaps the most famous attraction is the Villa Rufolo, a 13th century building that was designed as a fort. Originally owned by the Rufolo family, it is a beautiful destination filled with rich history and beautiful architecture.

The oldest remaining structure on the site is the watchtower, while the ruins of many other buildings from the period have been converted into features in the garden.

Throughout the years, numerous exhibitions and concerts are held at Villa Rufolo, with everything from music and art to historic artefacts being displayed. The most famous of these events is the Ravello Festival, which is held each summer.

Also known as the Wagner Festival, to honour the legendary German composer Richard Wagner who visited Ravello in 1880, it has been held annually since 1953. Originally intended to bring in money to help restore the area after World War II, it focused largely on Wagner’s music.

However, in the years since, it has expanded into a 2 month extravaganza, with chamber groups, jazz bands, and orchestras, as well as art and dance shows, photographic exhibits, and discussion groups, plus the chance to meet the performers, many of which are highly respected around the world.

The Museo Arsenale Amalfi is a naval museum located in an old armoury in the town of Amalfi.

The historic building features two large, vaulted stone walls, and was originally used for the building, maintenance, repair, and storage of Amalfian warships, which were among the largest in the Mediterranean at the time.

With both the remains of historical vessels and recreated models, as well as artefacts, documents, and statues, it is the perfect place to learn about the maritime history of the region, in a building synonymous with everything you will be hearing and seeing.

Since 2010, the site has also been home to the Compass Museum, giving you another side of naval exploration to learn about and understand.

Grotta Dello Smeraldo, which translates to Emerald Cave, is a marine cave partially submerged by the sea that appears to glow green, due to the light reflecting off of the walls and the water.

Located on the outskirts of the town of Conca Dei Marini, the light seeps in from an underwater fissure and shines against the roof 24 metres (79 feet) above the surface. With impressive stalactites and stalagmites, the cave has a natural, rugged beauty all of its own.

Despite its popularity, the cave has no opening above the water level, meaning anyone who wants to see its wonders needs to swim down to emerge in it. As a result, it remains a little less busy than similar attractions.

With boat tours available to take you to the grotto, it makes a perfect day out for those who enjoy natural beauty but don’t want to be surrounded by tourists the entire time.

The town of Minori is recognised as the first permanently inhabited location on the Amalfi Coast, with humans residing here since at least the 1st century AD. While most remnants of this period have been lost to time, large parts of a two floor Roman villa still remain.

Believed to have been in use between the 1st and 4th centuries, much of the upper section was destroyed by eruptions from Mount Vesuvius. However, the lower sections are incredibly well preserved.

With many of its features, as well as décor including frescoes and mosaics, remaining intact, it offers an incredible glimpse back in time, allowing you to see exactly how the Romans would have lived.

Another, slightly younger, attraction in Minori is the Basilica Di Santa Trofimena. A beautiful building dedicated to Saint Trofimena, who was from the town of Patti in Sicily, the relics of Trofimena are now venerated within.

The church of Santa Maria Assunta is a stunning, 13th century cathedral, located in the town of Positano. With its fabulous architecture, majolica tile dome, beautiful gold and white décor, it is truly a sight to behold.

Among its incredible collection of works of art is a piece that is perhaps as famous as the cathedral itself, the Black Madonna. A Byzantine icon from around the time the cathedral was founded, it is believed to have been imported by pirates after it was stolen from Byzantium.

In the grounds of the cathedral, you also have the MAR Positano Villa Romano, an archaeological site and museum from the Roman period.

With two crypts and a room from the Roman villa, it provides an incredible opportunity to experience an ancient dwelling and artefacts in their original location.

The frescoed walls of the room in the villa are also the only known example of wall paintings in a Roman villa anywhere on the Amalfi Coast, making it a truly unique attraction for the region.

Surrounding these two historic locations, you then have a stunning array of multicoloured pastel houses. A tradition that the Amalfi Coast is known for, Positano is among the best representations of this practice, so is worth visiting for these alone.

The Salerno Cathedral De San Mattheo was built in the late 11th century and consecrated by Pope Gregory VII in 1084. It is dedicated to Saint Matthew, whose remains and relics are considered among Italy’s greatest religious artefacts and housed within its crypt.

Built in the Romanesque style, it boasts features including an Arabic-Norman bell tower and Byzantine bronze doors depicting the story of Jesus’ life. It is a fabulous attraction for fans of both architecture and religious history.

The adjacent courtyard features 28 columns and 14 sarcophagi taken from the ancient Greek town of Paestum, while the nearby Duomo Museum boasts works of art from across the centuries, making it a destination rife with things to do and see during your visit.

The isle of Capri is an exclusive island located just off the Amalfi Coast, in the Tyrrhenian Sea, that is only accessible by boat or helicopter.

A popular destination with celebrities, it features a relaxed and upper-class environment, perfect for those who want to spoil themselves.

Inhabited since the Roman times, Capri has a rich history much like the rest of the Amalfi Coast. However, with significantly fewer people around, it provides the opportunity to explore the historic sights, as well as the island’s stunning scenery, at your own pace.

Capri is best known for the festivals that take place here, with many prominent occasions dedicated to film, dance, and the arts.

Another popular attraction is the Blue Grotto cave, Grotta Azzurra.

Carved into the ancient Roman rock and featuring narrow caverns, this natural beauty spot is one of the most visited locations in Capri, to the point that officials are considering capping daily visitors to preserve its atmosphere.

With regular connections from the nearby major cities of Naples and Sorrento, even just a day trip to Capri is an experience you simply have to have if you truly want to see the best of the Amalfi Coast.

Although technically located a short way out of the area officially designated as the Amalfi Coast, no trip to the region would be complete without a visit to the legendary remains of the city of Pompeii.

A Roman city settled in either the 6th or 7th century BC, it was abandoned in 79 AD, due to a major eruption of Mount Vesuvius. With most of the city buried beneath 4 to 6 metres (13 to 20 feet) of volcanic ash, it has created a perfectly preserved location, forever frozen in time.

Everything from the buildings and their furniture to even human bodies and graffiti can be seen exactly as they were at the time of the eruption, nearly two millennia ago.

While much of the organic matter has rotted away, archaeologists have been able to use the voids left behind to mould recreations of the people of Pompeii in their final moments.

For anyone who wants to see first hand what Roman life was really like, there may not be a better place to do so left on earth.

The Fiordo di Furore is located in the town of Furore and is considered by many to be the only fjord in Italy. However, it is technically a coastal inlet known as a ria, which was formed by the flowing of the Schiato torrent.

Nevertheless, what visitors will find is an iconic beach sat between two sheer cliff faces and crossed by a stone arch.

A picturesque location, surrounded by a wonderful town, beautiful churches, and an open-air museum, it is ideal for relaxing, taking in the views, and exploring, in a unique destination.

Herculaneum is much like Pompeii, in that it was buried and preserved by the same eruption of Mount Vesuvias. While somewhat less famous than Pompeii, Herculaneum has been more extensively explored, having been discovered some 40 years earlier.

While smaller than Pompeii, Herculaneum was buried by a slightly different combination of matter, which has better preserved the organic items in the city. From wooden furniture to bodies, paper and food, Herculaneum truly looks like it did nearly 2000 years ago.

Herculaneum was also a much wealthier city, meaning a grander selection of buildings and statues can be seen here. This allows visitors to experience the way of life for nobles and upper-class citizens of the Roman era.

While many people argue over which of the two cities is better to visit, those with enough time should consider visiting both.

That way, you will see the full picture of Roman life for people of all classes, allowing you to get a better understanding than you ever could from any textbook.

The Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel & Spa is a stunning, 5-star hotel, perched high atop a cliff in Conca Dei Marini.

Its towering location offers guests breathtaking, panoramic views of the entire Amalfi Coast, while being centrally situated allows you to easily explore the whole region.

Located in a former monastery, the hotel retains its original style, with elegantly decorated rooms and beautifully manicured gardens.

The hotel spa is free for all guests to use, with facilities including a tepidarium, Turkish bath, and whirlpool bath all on offer. Services including massages and beauty treatments are also available, although these will usually incur an additional fee.

Other options available to help you relax at the property include an outdoor swimming pool and a beautiful bar.

The on-site restaurant serves traditional Neapolitan pastries and savoury dishes each morning for breakfast, while gourmet local and international cuisine is available thereafter.

The rooms all boast incredible views, helping you to make the most of your iconic location. They also come with amenities including air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and a flat screen TV.

A free shuttle is also available to take guests to and from the town of Amalfi, ensuring the property is suitable even for those without access to a car.

That concludes our list of the 10 best things to do in the Amalfi Coast. Hopefully, this will have helped you to fill out your itinerary and fit in a little bit of everything that the region is known for.

All that’s left now then is to start getting things booked, which is particularly important in such a popular location. After all, the last thing you want is to plan the perfect vacation and end up missing out on your favourite hotel or attraction because you left it too late.