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Amalfi coast


The dramatic Amalfi Coast stretches from Positano to Salerno; head here to enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery in Italy. The thrilling Amalfi Drive doggedly follows each frightening twist of the shoreline, with fabulous views at every turn. Pastel-painted houses cling to the slopes, and lush gardens descend in tiers to the sea. The Bay of Naples and Amalfi Coast are part of Campania, one of the four provinces that make up southern Italy. The landscape is volcanic, its topography formed by ancient craters and the deposits left by thousands of years of volcanic activity. The most prominent landmark on the bay is Vesuvius (1,017m/3,336ft), dormant since its last eruption in 1944 (the only active crater in the region today is the Solfatara in the Campi Flegrei). The southern end of the bay is bounded by the Monti Lattari, a hill range that forms the backbone of the Amalfi Coast.Best places to visit on the Amalfi Coast Positano Positano, with its cute cottages clustered on a steeply shelving slope, enjoys a mystique at odds with its self-conscious simplicity. Although beloved by the dolce vita crowd, picturesque Positano is best appreciated out of season or reached on a summer boat trip from another Amalfi Coast resort. Positano's charms have secured its place as the coast’s most chichi resort, but stroll along the beach and you’ll see that it’s not entirely geared towards high-end tourism: among the serried ranks of pricey sunloungers, local families still spread out their towels en masse and tuck into picnics. The town became fashionable after World War II. ‘Positano bites deep,’ wrote a spellbound John Steinbeck. ‘It is a dream that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.’ Positano’s quiet romance disappeared with the tourists that followed in Steinbeck’s wake, though something of its old magic remains, especially after dark, when the town is lit up with twinkling fairy lights and the restaurant tables spill out on to the stepped streets. Amalfi The precipitous Positano–Amalfi road passes through several tunnels before reaching the Grotta di Smeraldo, a cavern bathed in emerald-green light. (The cavern can also be reached on a boat trip from Amalfi.) Through yet more tunnels (watch out for cyclists) lies Amalfi, a major trading centre in Byzantine times but now visited for its cathedral, picturesque alleys and engaging seafront. From the main piazza, adorned by a fountain, a flight of steps ascends to the 11th--century bronze door of Amalfi’s Duomo. The cathedral is a Romanesque affair complemented by Saracen-influenced cloisters. In the crypt lies the body of St Andrew the Apostle, delivered from Constantinople in 1208. Before leaving, linger over a limoncello or window-shop for Vietri ceramics and Amalfi handmade paper. Ravello The loveliest town on the Amalfi Coast is Ravello, which luxuriates in lush gardens and vertiginous views, the best on the coast. Ravello’s Duomo is celebrated for its Romanesque bronze doors and fine marble pulpit, held aloft by six roaring lions. The pulpit was presented to the church in 1272 by the Rufolo dynasty, who built the splendid Villa Rufolo opposite. The villa’s romantic gardens and Moorish cloister overlook the sea and are the setting for the Ravello Festval, a highbrow summer music celebration (tel: 089-858 422). But the most memorable views are from the extensive gardens at the Villa Cimbrone (daily 9am–8pm, until 6pm in winter; charge), built at the end of the 19th century by a wealthy Englishman, Ernest William Beckett.
Amalfi coast view from Agerola

 
 
 

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