Amalfi Coast Travel Guide: Positano, Ravello, and Beyond

The Amalfi Coast is one of those places that looks almost too beautiful to be real. Pastel villages stacked impossibly on cliffsides, winding roads that hug the Mediterranean, lemon groves clinging to terraced hillsides, and some of the best food in Italy. It’s the kind of destination that shows up in daydreams and screensavers.

But here’s what the photos don’t show you: the narrow roads packed with tour buses, the crowds flooding off cruise ships, the challenge of getting from one town to another, and the logistics of actually experiencing this stunning coastline without losing your mind.

We’ve planned dozens of Amalfi Coast trips and spent considerable time exploring the region ourselves. This is everything you need to know to actually enjoy the Amalfi Coast, from choosing the right base town to navigating the coastal road to finding the perfect beach club.

Understanding the Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast stretches roughly 30 miles along the southern side of the Sorrentine Peninsula. The main coastal road, the SS163, connects a string of towns, each with its own character and appeal. This isn’t a place you “do” in a day trip from Rome (though people try). It deserves at least 3-4 nights, ideally more.