The Amalfi Coast is one of the few places on earth that actually looks like its postcards — which is both its gift and its problem. The months from June to August are a beautiful queue; May and October are when the people who know the coast best go. The food is a revelation when you get off the tourist strip, the sea is a colour that doesn't exist anywhere else in Europe, and the hotel question reduces to one: Le Sirenuse or not Le Sirenuse.
A genuine Amalfi family operation — three generations — with a pool cut directly into the limestone cliff. The location is ten minutes from Amalfi town on foot, which means you escape the crowds but can access them when you want. The restaurant uses the fishing boats that dock below.
Room tip: Ask for a sea-view room with a terrace. The cliff-facing rooms are beautiful but miss the direct sea view.
The pink palazzo that defines what a coastal hotel should be. Fifty-eight rooms, Franco's Bar with the best spritz on the coast, a pool suspended over Positano, and the kind of staff who remember your name from the previous visit. The Michelin-starred La Sponda restaurant is the reason to stay at least three nights.
Room tip: Junior Suites with sea views and a private terrace — particularly suites 106 and 206 — are worth every additional euro.
Carved into the cliff face 300 metres below the road, with a private beach accessible only by elevator through the rock. Sixty rooms over six levels, each with a direct sea view. The garden was built by hand, one terrace at a time, over 40 years.
Room tip: The Superior Deluxe rooms face south and have the full sun from morning to evening. Request the highest floor for the best sightlines.
Spaghetti alle vongole veraci, then the grilled catch of the day. The zucchini flowers are also not optional. Ask for a boat-side table.
Book: Call directly — they rarely use online booking. Request 'al mare' for waterside seating. Reserve two weeks ahead in summer.
The 12-course tasting menu. The pasta course — typically a scialatiello with local seafood — is where the kitchen shows what it can do.
Book: Hotel guests get priority booking. Non-guests should call Le Sirenuse directly 4–6 weeks ahead. Jacket required.
Catch of the day, grilled simply. The frittura di paranza (mixed fried fish) is the order if you're sharing.
Book: Walk-in friendly at lunch. Dinner requires a reservation 2–3 days ahead in season.
Sunset from Franco's terrace, looking over Positano and the sea, with a Positano spritz in hand — this is one of the defining aperitivo moments in Italy. Even if you're not staying at Le Sirenuse, this bar justifies the trip.
Accessible only by the hotel's orange boat from Positano harbour, Da Adolfo has been serving rosé wine and grilled fish on a small pebble beach since 1950. It is exactly as perfect as it sounds.
Carved into a cave below Positano's breakwater, this legendary club has been the anchor of the coast's nightlife since 1980. Not subtle. Essential.
The Amalfi Coast is best understood from the water. A private gozzo with a captain takes you into grottos and coves inaccessible by road, past the Li Galli islands where Nureyev lived, and to swimming spots that have no name on any map.
How to book: Book through your hotel's concierge 2–3 weeks ahead in season. A six-hour hire with captain and fuel runs €600–900 depending on the boat. Non-negotiable experience.
The Sentiero degli Dei links Agerola to Nocelle — a 7.8km ridge walk with continuous views of the coast 600 metres below. One of the finest walks in Europe. Best done in May or October.
How to book: Start at Agerola (bus from Amalfi town). The walk is 3–4 hours. Wear proper shoes; the path is well-marked but steep in sections. End in Nocelle and take the steps down to Positano.
Ravello sits above everything — 350 metres above the sea — and Villa Cimbrone's Terrace of Infinity has been described as the finest view in the world by people qualified to have an opinion. Greta Garbo hid here in 1937. The gardens are extraordinary.
How to book: Arrive when the gardens open at 9am. The Villa Cimbrone is now a hotel — consider staying one night for access after the day visitors leave.
Positano is best in May or October — July is a beautiful queue. The real Amalfi Coast is the stretch from Praiano to Vietri sul Mare: smaller, quieter, more local. Atrani, 10 minutes from Amalfi on foot, has a perfect main square, three restaurants, and almost no tourists. Eat there at least once.
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