Holiday in the Amalfi Coast

What makes Amalfi Coast special as a destination?

The Amalfi Coast is the epitome of Mediterranean drama — a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997, the only 50-kilometer-long coastal road winds between Positano and Vietri sul Mare along vertical cliffs, where pastel-colored villages cling to the rocks like swallow nests and lemon terraces scent the air at dizzying heights. Positano is the glamour star of the coast: A waterfall of pink, white, and terracotta houses cascades down from the bell tower of Santa Maria Assunta to the dark pebble beach. In the 1960s, artists and writers discovered the village — John Steinbeck wrote that Positano is a dream that initially seems unreal until you realize you never want to leave. Ravello sits 350 meters above the sea and offers panoramic views from the gardens of Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone that inspired Richard Wagner for the music of his Parsifal. The Ravello Festival brings world-class musicians to an open-air stage above the cliffs every summer. The town of Amalfi itself was once a powerful maritime republic, whose cathedral with its Moorish-inspired facade and the Cloister of Paradise recalls the Arab-Norman golden age. The winding SS163 road is an experience in itself: Each curve reveals a new panorama of turquoise sea, rocky cliffs, and terraced lemon groves, from which the famous Limoncello of the coast is produced. Between the main towns, quieter treasures hide: Furore with its dramatic fjord gorge, Praiano as a sunset hotspot, and Cetara, where the best anchovies in Italy are caught and fermented into Colatura di Alici. By water, the coast reveals its most magical side: Boat tours lead to hidden caves, secluded bathing bays, and the Emerald Grotto near Conca dei Marini, whose green glowing water resembles Capri's Blue Grotto.