Where to Stay on the Amalfi Coast
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First order of business for anyone heading to the Amalfi Coast is choosing a town or village in which to stay. I’ve been traveling to the Amalfi Coast for many years, since a time when I could actually afford hotels in Positano and Ravello (yes, the Amalfi Coast was once quite a bit more affordable than it is these days), and I can honestly say I’ve never stayed anywhere I would not recommend. As I say below, I do have some preferences though, and for various reasons.
Where you stay will depend on what you want to do and the atmosphere in which you’ll feel most comfortable. Lie on a beach, sip wine on a colorful terrace, explore seaside villages? Actually, these top the to-do list just about anywhere along the coast.
You’ll be surrounded by international glamor in Positano, local life in Cetara or Vietri sul Mare, refined luxury in Ravello, easygoing beach culture in Minori or Maiori, and a little bit of all these things in Sorrento.
Amalfi, with its central position on the coast and excellent bus and ferry connections to other towns, is probably the best base for exploring the rest of the coast, and it’s also handy for hiking along a network of coastal paths.
Sorrento is the best choice if you want to expand your wanderings to Capri, a short ferry ride away, and to Naples, Pompeii, and Herculaneum, all easily accessible by train.
Or, maybe you just want to settle in and stay put in relaxing surroundings. In that case, Positano and Ravello are your best bets.
There’s lots to think about, so to help you decide on which of these lovely towns is right for you, I’ve put together more complete descriptions of each of them below, and have also weighed out the various pros and cons.
Table of Contents
Amalfi Coast planning cheatsheet
Plan your itinerary with expert advice
- Book an Italy travel consultation with a local expert
My favorite hotels on the Amalfi Coast
- Maison La Minervetta - clifftop luxury overlooking Sorrento. $450/night
- Palazzo Marziale - gorgeous rooms in a restored palace in Sorrento. $200/night
- Casa Santangelo Suites - opulent style in the heart of Salerno. $250/night
- B&B il Duca d'Amalfi - excellent value in Salerno's old town. $110/night
Guided tours and activities
How to get around
- Car rentals with DiscoverCars
- Train tickets from Trenitalia and Circumvesuviana
- Bus routes at SITA
- Ferries with FerryScanner
A few things to consider
As you set out to choose your base on the Coast, there are a couple of key things that you need to consider:
Will you have a car or not?
My suggestion would be to avoid renting a car while here. Driving on the curvy, traffic-clogged Amalfi Drive is slow-going at the best of times, and even illegal on certain summer weekends and all of August, when only even-numbered plates are allowed on the road on even-numbered days and odd-numbered plates on odd-numbered days.
Parking is scarce and incredibly expensive and most villages are off-limits to cars. So, acquaint yourself with the excellent public transportation network and plan accordingly. You can reach Sorrento or Salerno by train from Naples, and you’ll need to take a bus or ferry from either to other towns.
In smaller towns, your accommodation may be reachable only on foot, so you may have to lug your bags up some steep streets or even flights of stairs—pack accordingly, and in advance of arrival ask your host how to get where you’re going.
Travel here is always slow - no matter how you do it
Whether you have a rental car, hire a driver/taxi, or use public transportation, getting around on the Amalfi Coast is simply slow going. The road is winding, there’s always traffic, and traffic jams are the name of the game.
When it comes to the bus, here are some examples for travel times: the trip from Sorrento, at the western end of the Amalfi Coast, to Salerno, at the eastern end, takes almost 3.5 hours. Even much shorter segments still take quite a bit of time: expect about 40 minutes to cover the 6.5 miles between Sorrento and Positano, and 1.5 hours for the 19 miles between Sorrento and Amalfi.
With the above in mind, the best base if you want to do a lot of exploring is Amalfi, at the midpoint of the coast. Alternatively, you might want to consider staying in two places. In that case, I’d suggest a few nights in Sorrento (especially if you also want to visit Capri and Pompeii), and then a few nights in Amalfi, from where you’ll be well positioned to explore the other towns and sights along the coast.s
This is an expensive part of Italy
There are no two ways about it: the Amalfi Coast is expensive, especially when compared to the prices that you’ll see elsewhere in southern Italy. This is a premier global tourism destination, and prices are accordingly high, especially if you visit during the busy season in the summer and early fall.
Positano and Ravello top the list of the most expensive towns here, and you wouldn’t find it hard to drop 1,500 euros for a hotel room in either town. Of course, you can spend considerably less though, and towns like Salerno, Maiori, and Minori, which are much less-known than their more famous neighbors, can be especially budget-friendly.
The atmosphere changes a lot from season to season
If you’re planning a visit any time between late October and Easter, my recommendation would be tothink again, because most of the Amalfi Coast shuts down and closes up shop between mid-fall and late spring.
Should you decide to visit during this time anyways, your best bet for a base in the off-season is Sorrento or Salerno, two reasonably sized cities/towns that have a year-round local population and where a good number of hotels and restaurants remain open.
Mid-April through May and mid-September through late October are considered to be shoulder season on the Amalfi Coast, and this is a really good time to visit as the crowds are minimal, prices for accommodation drop considerably, traffic is much less bad, and you can do a lot without having to make reservations super far in advance.
Meanwhile, the weather is usually delightful in these periods, all the restaurants and tourist amenities are open for business, and the sea is chilly but approachable in the spring and delightfully warm in the fall. If you can swing an early fall visit, that’s always my top recommendation.
Quick overview of my recommended towns
1. Sorrento
Pretty Sorrento, one of my top choices for a place to stay, is a pleasant, centuries-old resort that’s well poised for touring and touristing. It’s perfectly located for making day trips to Capri, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and even Naples, as well as taking the bus or ferry to Positano and other towns on the western end of the Amalfi Coast.
Here, tourists mingle with locals in some excellent restaurants, including seaside trattorias serving the catch of the day, and the town has some nice sights, inlcuding quirky museums, an amiable old town, and lush gardens.
2. Positano
Postcard-perfect Positano, the first town on the Amalfi Drive west of Sorrento, is for many visitors the most charming spot on the Amalfi Coast. But when the visiting hordes squeeze onto the wisteria-shaded main street, this onetime fishing village turned chic and expensive resort can seem way too popular for its own good.
Even so, it’s hard to deny the perennial appeal of the pretty, pastel-hued houses, the stepped lanes, the two excellent beaches, and the many fine places to eat and drink.
3. Amalfi
Amalfi, midway along the coast, is an ideal base for touring and a wonderful place to spend time, with a tangle of lanes and stepped alleyways that open into quiet squares and airy viewpoints.
In fact, convenient and charming Amalfi is my favorite place to stay on the Amalfi Coast, and there are other reasons to recommend it, too - the picturesque village of Atrani is just next door, beautiful, serene Ravello clings to a nearby mountainside, and a network of hiking trails plunges into the countryside from the edge of town.
4. Ravello
Refined, beautiful Ravello, on a hillside 1,100 feet above Amalfi, was a retreat for the medieval rulers of the Amalfi Republic and this elegant town of pink-hued palaces is still a preferred getaway for a who’s who of film stars, dignitaries, and other celebrities—as well as just plain folks who come up here to take in the knockout views, lush gardens, and rarified surroundings.
But the polish and sense of remove come at a price: Ravello is expensive, and the remote location can make getting to places on the coast below time-consuming and difficult. But if money is no object, and you don’t mind being far from a beach, Ravello is a memorable place to get away from it all.
5. Minori and Maiori
Minori and Maiori sit alongside each other on uncharacteristically flat stretches of coastline a 15-minute bus ride east of Amalfi. They’re more modern than other towns along the Amalfi Coast, not as picturesque, and a little less touristic, crowded, and expensive than some of their higher-profile neighbors. Aside from the chance to witness the swirl of authentic Italian life, the main attraction in both these easy-going towns are long beaches that are popular with families.
6. Cetara and Vietri sul Mare
Cetara and Vietri sul Mare, a few miles apart at the far eastern end of the Amalfi Drive, are off the radar of many visitors to the Amalfi Coast, and that’s the appeal. Tourism is not the main business on this part of the coast - in Cetara, it’s fishing, and in Vietri sul Mare, ceramics. A stay in either comes with a chance to rub elbows with the locals, along with enjoying some excellent seafood.
These pretty, hill-climbing villages are easy to reach by bus from Salerno, but Amalfi is about as far west as you can easily go while exploring the coast.
7. Salerno
Big and busy Salerno is not on the Amalfi Coast per se and the history-rich port city can seem a world removed from the small, more picturesque villages you’ve seen in a hundred vacation photos. But Salerno has something most towns on this coast don’t have: a good selection of reasonably priced accommodations. A stay here means sacrificing the full Amalfi Coast experience, but that’s near at hand - the Amalfi Drive begins just west of town, and buses, as well as ferries, connect Salerno with its more popular neighbors.
Plus, Salerno is a nice place to spend time, with an attractive old town, a beautiful seaside promenade, some decent beaches, and plenty of good restaurants, along with the experience of being in a real Italian city where locals outnumber tourists.
1. Sorrento
Best for: Anyone planning do to day trips to places like Capri, Pompeii, Herculaneum, even Naples; travelers looking to enjoy a pleasant resort
Pros: Easy to reach from Naples; very well connected to other places on the Amalfi coast and nearby; attractive surroundings; flat, walkable terrain (always much appreciated after climbing steps in other towns)
Cons: Some places, especially the Via Cesaro shopping strip, are very touristic; beaches in town aren’t great; not as quaint as some of the Amalfi Coast villages
Piazza Tasso in central Sorrento. Photo: Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sorrento’s Marina Piccola. Photo: Paul Stevenson from Leeds, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped
One of the town’s lovely pedestrianized streets
The Marina Grande in Sorrento. Photo: Davidhermanns, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
For many travelers, Sorrento lacks the intimacy and quaint-village charm of Positano and some of its other neighbors. To which I say “So what?!”, because this pleasant resort town strung along tall sea cliffs has an awful lot to offer and it’s where I almost always choose stay.
Topping the reasons to stay here is its convenience, as Naples, Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Capri, as well as the towns along the western end of the Amalfi drive, are all within easy reach by train, bus or ferry. If you base yourself in Sorrento, you can actually get around the area quite reasonably by public transportation, which is most definitely not true of many of the smaller and less well-positioned villages. Don’t underestimate how big of a draw this is!
This is also one of the bigger towns in the region, and with a population of almost 20,000 residents, it’s one of the few places where you can actually experience a bit of local life. Being a real town, businesses are open year-round (which is not true everywhere), so if you’re visiting in the shoulder or off-season, it’s a really good choice. Everything from shops to restaurants and accommodations are also a bit more reasonably priced, as the town doesn’t solely cater to tourists. If you’re not trying to splash out on your hotel and every meal, Sorrento makes that possible.
As with everywhere on the Amalfi Coast, this is far from a “hidden gem” though, and it has been on the tourist circuit for almost two centuries at this point. A long-established resort town, it continues to please travelers today with its palm-shaded gardens, an attractive old town, some very nice and notable landmarks, and many excellent hotels and restaurants.
While the town itself is not as pretty as some of the famous nearby villages, you don’t have to go far for great scenery: for a dash of picturesque quaintness, all you need to do is walk down to the town’s Marina Grande, which is a charming seaside spot and a still-active fishing harbor. Or you can make the short trip out along the Sorrentine Peninsula, where Massa Lubrenese, Marina del Cantone, and other sea-facing villages are set amid olive and lemon groves.
Though Sorrento is small, you need to consider the part of town in which you’ll be staying. The city center, the long stretch east and west of Piazza Tasso, is always my top choice as it’s pleasant and convenient, and it puts you near to the train and bus station and close to lots of shops and restaurants.
To the east, Sorrento follows the sea into the pretty suburb of Sant’Angello, where villas and some beautiful seaside hotels are set in lush gardens. This is also a good choice for a stay, though restaurants and shops are scarce out here, and it’s a mile-long-walk to and from town. I actually like strolling along the flat and shady route into town as it takes you past gardens and offers great sea vies, but the trek could be an inconvenience for some.
You’ll also find a lot of hotels nestled in the hills above town, some of them in the middle of olive groves and forests of lemon trees, and dispersed close by between the villages of the Sorrentine Peninsula. The settings and views are often terrific, but these outlying places can be hard to reach if you don’t have a car (which you probably shouldn’t, as driving here is awful).
With that in mind, before you book a stay at one of them, be sure to ask about shuttles and bus service and how long and difficult the walk to and from town is. And keep in mind that taxis in Sorrento are exorbitantly expensive, so you’ll be shelling out a hefty sum if you need to use them regularly.
Where to stay
Parco di Principi - Architect Gio Ponti, who designed Milan’s Pirelli Tower, created this seaside haven where everything, from the tile floors to the restful room décor, are done in restful blue hues that, in combination with the views, create the illusion of floating over the sea.
A private beach and swimming pool set in lush gardens are among the amenities that create a splurge-worthy escape. In Sant’Agnello, about a mile from the center of town. From 275€ low season, from 500€ high season.
Palazzo Marziale - Guests feel like family friends in this charming palazzo in the center of town, the ancestral home of the proprietors. Old-world charm abounds, complimented with many designer flourishes that begin in the dramatic atrium lobby. From 150€ low season, from 320€ high season.
Hotel Antiche Mura - At this beautifully restored and expanded palace just off central Piazza Tasso, attractive lounges and bright guest quarters clad in Vietri tiles overlook the town and gorge. Some especially restful units open to the large garden, planted with lemon trees and equipped with a swimming pool. From 190€ low season, from 275€ high season.
La Badia - A former monastery perched high on a hilltop above town is a restful-yet-handy getaway, with gardens, a pool, a panoramic terrace, and character-filled, pleasant rooms , many with outdoor spaces. A footpath at the end of the garden puts the city center within easy reach. From 170€ low season, from 195€ high season.
Sorrento Relais - A small inn on the lower levels of an apartment building just behind the seafront on the east side of town is short on frills and views. Instead, the extremely pleasant, contemporary-style accommodations, with snazzy, high-tech showers, are very reasonably priced at rates that include a generous breakfast. From 60€ low season, from 120€ high season.
2. Positano
Best for: Luxury vacationers looking for a chic resort lifestyle; beachgoers; those who want to experience a pristine and picture-perfect village
Pros: Beautiful to look at and fun to explore; two nice beaches in town; good restaurants and nightlife; many distinctive and luxurious hotels
Cons: Way too crowded in summer; more international than Italian; extremely expensive
Looking at Positano from just offshore
A seaside vista from up in the Positano hills
Positano is the Amalfi Coast in its most beguiling guise, and the town’s photogenic clutch of pastel-colored houses tumbling down to the sea along near-vertical hillsides has won over legions of admirers for decades now. All the way back in 1953, John Steinbeck summed it up beautifully, writing "It is a dream place that isn't quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone."
The atmosphere in town has changed significantly from 70 years ago, of course, but the setting and scenery have not and they are just as undeniably spectacular as they ever were. And as you’ll see if you visit or stay here, this town is all about “la dolce vita” (the good life), and it overflows with luxurious hotels, fine restaurants, and flashy shops. If you’re looking to experience a bit of the high life while on the coast, Positano is sure to give you what you’re after.
I’m going to level with you though: all that glitz and glamor is actually a downside in my opinion, and it’s why I prefer to stay in other towns along the coast that are more down to earth. Overall, Positano feels much more international than Italian, and you’re far more likely to bump into Americans and other foreigners than locals here. English is also basically the default language in town, and as this is the undeniably the most popular spot in the area, the hotels and restaurants are really, really expensive.
Having said that, if these quibbles of mine don’t deter you, you’ll find it exceedingly easy to fall for this town, which is one of the prettiest seaside villages on earth. And even though I don’t personally love staying here, I do enjoy popping in for a visit and sipping wine on one of the wisteria-draped terraces, lounging on either of the town’s two excellent beaches (not super common along the coast), and wandering up and down the enchanting lanes.
On the far western edge of the Amalfi Coast, Positano is the first town that you’ll reach if coming from Sorrento or anywhere else to the west. It also lies conveniently between Sorrento and Amalfi, making it a a good base from which to explore the coastline to the west (which is not technically the Amalfi Coast) and the nearby Amalfi Coast towns like Vettica Maggiore/Praiano, Furore, and Conca dei Marini.
Where to stay
Palazzo Murat - Among Positano’s splurge-worthy luxury hotels, the former palace of the king of Naples stands out for its center-of-town location, vast garden and lemon grove, and views over the majolica-tile dome of the cathedral to the sea.
Ask for one of the character-filled rooms in the original palace, though those in newer addition are memorably pleasant, too. From 520€ low season, from 720€ high season.
Hotel Buca di Bacco - This much expanded and gentrified onetime fisherman’s dwelling right above Marina Grande should be top choice for beachgoers and is a charming perch for anyone, with views, a bar and restaurant, and nearby conveniences galore. From 500€ low season, from 725€ high season.
Hotel Villa Yiara - A hillside villa comes with flower-filled terraces, sea views, and stylish surroundings. It can be a climb down and up from town and the beach, but a minibus stops nearby. From 250€ low season, from 450€ high season.
Hotel Dormira Fornillo - It’s worth the climb to reach these simple yet pleasant rooms opening onto a cliffside garden high above Fornillo Beach. Like other innkeepers in this vertical town, the staff will meet you and help you maneuver steps and steep lanes with bags. From 250€ low season, from 350€ high season.
La Fenice - My top choice for a stay in Positano is this enchanting, cliff-hanging getaway at the edge of town, where modest but charming accommodations come with terraces and amenities usually found only in the most expensive hotels, including a pool, extensive gardens, and even a private beach at the foot of a long, long stairway. From 150€ low season, from 250€ high season.
3. Amalfi
Best for: Visitors who want to explore a lot of the coast; hikers; travelers who appreciate atmospheric, character-filled surroundings
Pros: Central location makes it easy to visit many spots along the coast; attractive and appealing town; intriguing little Atrani is an easy walk away, and it’s a short bus ride up to Ravello
Cons: Day trippers pour in to see the cathedral (although the town calms down in late afternoon); some parts of town require a steep climb to reach; beaches are not great, but good ones are nearby
The Duomo di Amalfi. Photo: Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped
A thousand years ago Amalfi was the center of a vast maritime empire, and still today, it seems like an invading army has come ashore when the crush of day-tripping tourists squeezes into the Piazza Duomo to admire the town’s magnificent cathedral, with its mosaic-clad façade. Don’t worry though, the mornings are still pleasantly peaceful, and the day trippers all depart by late afternoon.
And just walk a little farther into this town - which follows along the floor of a steep ravine - and you’ll be charmed by quiet squares and pedestrianized streets that burrow beneath houses and wind their way up ladder-like stairways. Keep going and you’ll be in the Valle dei Mulini, where the ruins of centuries-old mills line the banks of the Canneto River as it rushes through a forest of chestnut trees.
In case you can’t already tell, I’m a sucker for Amalfi, mostly because this little town of cliff-clinging houses is just so very attractive and intriguing. Also, with Amalfi you basically get a 2-for-1, or maybe even a 3-for-1, as 2 other lovely towns are right next door: mazelike little Atrani is just down the coast an easy walk away, and it’s only a half-hour bus ride up to beautiful hillside town of Ravello. Here, you’ve got a beautiful and interesting town with two others right on your doorstep. That’s hard to beat!
Amalfi is also right at the midpoint along the Amalfi Coast, which makes it an especially good base for exploring the rest of the area. Heading all the way west, Positano is just 40 minutes away, whie Vietri sul Mare, at the eastern end of the Amalfi Drive, is an hour away. All the towns in between are even closer than these two. And there’s the island of Capri, which can be reached by a very pleasant 1-hour ferry ride right from town.
It’s also easy to explore the surrounding region/natural areas on foot from Amalfi, as there are a series of trails that follow the valleys behind town up into the mountains. One especially popular route even climbs straight up to Ravello!
And wherever you choose to roam along the coast during the day, Amalfi is always a nice place to come home to, with a decent range of accommodations and plenty of friendly little trattorias.
Where to stay
Hotel Santa Caterina - If you feel the urge to splurge big time, find your way to this beautiful and legendary resort set in cliff-hugging gardens and lemon groves just outside the center of town. Refined yet friendly surroundings include sea view terraces, a private beach reached by a glassed-in elevator, and acres of grounds in which to hide away. From 600€ low season, from 1,600€ high season.
Hotel Luna Convento - A seaside monastery turned grand hotel houses guests in monks’ cells now fitted out with stylish luxuries. The delightful surroundings include intimate cloisters, beautiful gardens, and a swimming pool and beach set beneath a 15th-century watchtower. From 450€ low season, from 550€ high season.
Residenza Luce - Many of the bright, comfortable, and attractive rooms in the center of the town have sleeping lofts and balconies, and all share a sun-drenched rooftop lounge and breakfast room. From 200€ low season, from 500€ high season.
La Valle delle Ferriere - This delightful family-run inn is above the valley behind town, where beautifully furnished rooms and bright terraces are set amid lemon groves. It’s a climb up many steps to get here, though the friendly proprietors offer port pick-up and baggage handling, making it easier to enjoy this parcel of paradise. From 200€ low season, from 300€ high season.
Hotel Lidomare - The old -fashioned rooms in a 13th-century palazzo are a bit worn but loaded with charm, and the seafront and center of town are just steps away. From 120€ low season, from 175€ high season.
4. Ravello
Best for: Travelers who want to relax in quiet, refined surroundings; lovers of gardens and awesome views; concert-goers
Pros: Elegant and polished; laced with gardens that open to viewpoints high above the coast; lively cultural scene; beautiful hotels
Cons: Removed from other towns on the Amalfi Coast; very expensive with a limited choice of moderately priced accommodations
Photo: Deror_avi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Looking out over the coast from Villa Rufolo
One of Ravello’s many serene green spaces
Piazza Duomo, Ravello’s central square. Photo: Jensens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
This beautiful hillside town has been said to be poised between heaven and earth, or "where the sky meets the sea," as the writer Gore Vidal - one of the many celebrity residents and visitors here - once said. And I’d have to agree with that description, as Ravello, perched 1,150 feet above Amalfi and the rest of the coast, really is heavenly.
This is a place to get away from it all and walk in the legendary gardens of Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone, take in the views, attend concerts in the stunning hall designed by famed architect Oscar Niemeyer, and, budget allowing, hide away from the masses in your choice of an incredible line-up five-star hotels.
As lofty as it all sounds, there are some practical considerations to take into account when deciding if you want to stay here. First, there’s the location: if you’re hoping to spend a fair deal of time lounging on the beach, mountainside Ravello is not the place for you. And since it takes half an hour by bus or taxi to get to Amalfi (the closest town), Ravello is not a good base for exploring the rest of the Amalfi Coast - travel times are just too long for you to regularly hop back and forth between it and other towns.
Then there’s cost: not all hotels here are five-star, but most are fairly expensive, and you’ll have a much wider choice of moderately priced accommodations in other towns. The hotels are generally really nice, so they’re great if you have the budget for them, but they’ll be out of most people’s reach.
So, if Ravello’s serene beauty appeals to you, here’s my advice: combine your stay in Ravello with a couple of days first spent in another town that’s more conveniently located for sightseeing. That way you can get your “doing and seeing” out of the way at the start of your visit, and then wind down your time on the Amalfi Coast in Ravello amidst its truly transporting surroundings. Ending your trip in this relaxing town is the perfect way to finish a holiday.
Where to stay
Cecco Rooms - These low-key, good-value accommodations occupy prime real estate on a street lined with palace hotels. The pleasant rooms come with valley views and outdoor spaces and are only a short walk away from the center of town. From 120€ low season, from 150€ high season.
Hotel Parsifal - In this former monastery , old-fashioned rooms are enhanced with colorful tiles and many, have glimpses of the sea, while flowery terraces and romantic cloisters are pleasant places to relax outdoors. From 120€ low season, from 200€ high season.
Hotel Rufolo - This friendly pensione, with a pretty terrace and garden out front, has been welcoming guests for well over a century, these days in stylish surroundings that include a pool and spa. From 300€ low season, from 400€ high season.
Palazzo Avino - The most welcoming of Ravello’s 5-star luxury hotels puts a new spin on a 12th-century palace, with handsome, beautifully furnished and well-appointed rooms and suites that look out to sea, a hedonistic spa, terraced gardens, and a highly acclaimed restaurant. A private beach club is a shuttle ride away. From 750€ low season, from 1,300€ high season.
5. Minori and Maiori
Best for: Beachgoers; travelers more drawn to small town Italian life than glamor
Pros: Excellent beaches and low-key beach-town vibe; a good choice of moderately priced accommodations
Cons: Not quite as picturesque as other nearby towns
The western side of Minori. Photo: gian luca bucci, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
An aerial view of Maiori from offshore
Maiori at dawn
Corso Reginna in Maiori. Photo: SabineCretella, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
These two adjacent towns just east of Amalfi are outliers on the Amalfi Coast; they’re not nearly as glitzy and sophisticated as Positano and some of the other towns, and aren’t quite as attractive and charming. But the tradeoff is that they’re a whole lot less crowded, much more affordable, and the atmosphere is more local than international.
They’re still holiday towns, of course, but they primarily cater to vacationing Italian families who choose to stay in them for the long, sandy beaches in both towns. So, both towns are great choices for anyone on a budget, people who don’t like luxury vacation areas, or visitors who want to mix it up with locals (well, Italians from elsewhere in Italy really) rather than fellow foreigners.
I always have a blast when stopping by Minori and Maiori, and of course make it a point to join in with the beachgoers, relaxing by the shore amidst the rows of colorful lounge chairs. The small town and down to earth ambiance in both towns is also super refreshing, and it’s a lovely respite from the extravagance and constant displays of affluence in the higher profile towns.
And on top of that, Minori has what is most definietly the best pastry shop anywhere on the Amalfi Coast, so a stay here means you can stop in regularly at Pasticceria Sal de Riso for one of their delicious lemon pastries.
Whichever town you choose to stay in, you’ll probably spend a fair deal of time in the other as well, and it’s an easy 10-minute walk between them on the coastal road. But there’s also a far more scenic route - the 2.5-mile Sentiero dei Limone (Path of the Lemons), an easy trail that meanders across the headland that separates the two towns.
And when it comes to getting around, this is a central location on the coast, so it’s pretty quick to reach other towns/places of interest, and there are bus and ferry stops/terminals in both Minori and Maiori.
Where to stay
Casa Amorino - Large, nicely furnished rooms are set in a lemon garden in Minori’s pleasant town center, just minutes away from the beach. Friendly service accompanies such perks as a large buffet breakfast and a pleasant bar. From 150€ low season, from 230€ high season.
Hotel Panorama - Large terraces make the most of a prime spot right on Maiori’s beach, and the large, sun-filled units have kitchenettes and other amenities that make it easy to settle in. From €170 low season, from 220€ high season.
Palazzo Vingius - Airy and soothingly appointed rooms share sea-view terraces and a welcoming lounge and are just a flight of steps away from Minori’s sandy beach. From 140€ low season, from 200€ high season.
Villa la Zagara - At this charming old villa, tucked away in Minori’s old town pleasant, colorfully tiled rooms open to a sunny terrace and small swimming pool; the beach is a 10-minute walk away. From 70€ low season, from 150€ high season.
6. Cetara and Vietri sul Mare
Best for: Travelers looking for an authentically Italian experience; lovers of seafood and/or colorful ceramics
Pros: Attractive and lively workaday villages; more relaxed and less expensive than some of the busier, more touristic spots on the Amalfi Coast
Cons: Out of easy reach of Positano, Sorrento, and other stops west of Amalfi
Cetara. Photo: Gianfranco Vitolo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Cetara seen from sea. Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Vietri Sul Mare. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Il Calypso beach beside the harbor of Vietri Sul Mare. Photo: Derbrauni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
These two towns at the far eastern end of the Amalfi Drive might be the best of two worlds - they’re pretty, pastel-hued, hill-hugging seaside villages just like Positano and Amalfi, yet they haven’t sold their souls to the tourist trade. In both of them, you’ll feel like you’re stepping back in time into life on the Amalfi Coast as it was a century ago.
They have small but decent beaches (Vietri’s La Baia, a stretch of soft sand, is the best) but for me the most enjoyable pastime in them is observing local life, as these towns go about their business relatively unbothered by tourism. They’re still touristy of course, but that’s not their defining feature and the residents have other things on their minds.
Cetara is a major fishing town (the name is derived from a type of fishing boat) and the fleets of fishing boats here haul in huge catches of tuna and anchovies that show up in fresh as can be in the pleasant trattorias along Corso Garibaldi. Shops in town sell colatura, an anchovy sauce still made the way the ancient Romans did.
Over in Vietri sul Mare meanwhile, the big trade is in hand-made ceramics, which are fired in bright yellows, greens, and blues - the same way they’ve been doing it since the Middle Ages.
Cetara and Vietri have a good choice of accommodations, and these tend to be a bit less expensive than they are in other Amalfi Coast towns.
Both towns are also well-served by bus and ferry, but do be aware that they’re not very handy bases if you want to explore a lot of the Amalfi Coast, especially the western end. Cetara is 40 minutes by bus from Amalfi and Vietri sul Mare is an hour, but moving on from there to Positano and Sorrento can add several hours to a sightseeing agenda.
On the plus side, Cetara and Vietri are really easy to get to from Naples and even Rome, since Vietri Sul Mare is the only town on the Amalfi Coast that the train passes through. Realistically, you’ll be taking the train first to the nearby city Salerno and then transferring, but even so, it’s nice to have that option. And when you want to get elsewhere in the surrounding region (Pompeii, Herculaneum, Naples, etc.), being able to just hop over to Salerno - from where there are trains and buses all over - is super convenient.
Salerno is a legitimate little city and it has tons of restaurants and shops, most of them not catering to tourists and therefore offering much better value and usually also very good quality. So it’s great to have that right at your fingertips any time you want a break from vacationland and feel like exploring a real city with lots of local life.
Where to stay
Albergo Diffuso Cetara - This inn follows a popular trend in Italy, offering rooms not in one structure but in houses around the historic center. Many of the pleasant, character-filled accommodations have kitchens to help you really settle into smalltown life, and a staff is nearby when needed. From 70€ low season, from 130€ high season.
A Pastaiola - All of the large rooms in this pleasant, family-run inn in the center of Cetara have balconies and share some pleasant outdoor spaces. The beach and the town’s noted seafood trattorias are just steps away. From 80€ low season, from 120€ high season.
Bed and Breakfast Palazzo Carrano - Several floors of a centuries-old palace have been handsomely transformed into pleasant rooms and apartments, many opening to sunny terraces that overlook rooftops, domes, and the sea. From 120€ low season, from 150€ high season.
Hotel Rialto - This stylish hillside hotel at the edge of Vietri has all the resort amenities, including a pool, spa, and restaurant/bar. Best of all are stunning views of the town and sea from the balconies that open off the large rooms and suites. From 70€ low season, from 130€ high season.
Hotel Voce del Mare - A dramatic perch on a Vietri hillside provides stunning views, as well a pool and easy access to the beach. Unlike other towns on the Amalfi Coast Vietri is easily accessible by car via Salerno, and one of the perks here is guest parking. From 120€ low season, from 250€ high season.
7. Salerno
Best for: Budget conscious travelers; those who enjoy a lively small city; anyone with a rental car who plans to continue to other parts of southern Italy (good road connections and ample parking)
Pros: A good choice of reasonably priced accommodations; nice seaside promenade and some decent beaches; pleasant old town; easy train and road connections to Naples
Cons: Less charming and scenic than the Amalfi Coast villages; not as relaxing - this is a busy working city
Salerno at dusk
Piazza Portanova and Corso Vittorio Emanuele II in Salerno. Photo: SOLOXSALERNO at it.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Looking up at the Arechi Castle high above Salerno. Photo: Derbrauni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Salerno is not usually included on a tour of the Amalfi Coast, but this busy port town is very much worth considering as a place to stay. The biggest plus is that Salerno is relatively inexpensive, especially compared to the sky-high prices in most towns along the Amalfi Coast, and it has a good selection of hotels and small inns.
With a population around 100,000, it’s also a real city with year-round activity that has nothing to do with tourism. So if you want to stay somewhere authentic and local while still maintaining access to the Amalfi Coast, I think Salerno is a really good choice. Given its size, it also has plenty to see and do, and there are tons of good (and inexpensive) restaurants, regular shops for everyday life, and lots of little bars and cafes.
What’s the downside, you might ask? Well, the one big negative is that Salerno lacks the charm of the picturesque coastal villages. It’s a regular city and while it’s perfectly pleasant, it does not give you those quintessential Amalfi Coast vibes, views, or scenery. So if you’re after a dream vacation amidst sweeping coastal views and towering cliffs as a backdrop, you won’t find it here.
Also, being at the far eastern end of the coast, this is not a good base from which to explore lots of the other towns. It’ll just take you too much time to get out to the western portions. As an example, it’ll easily take you an hour to reach Amalfi, which is more or less the midway point. The SITA Sud bus company does have buses that follow the Amalfi Drive from Salerno all the way west to Sorrento, but it’ll take 3.5 hours to run the whole route, so if you stay here you’ll probably be confined to exploring only the eastern half of the Amalfi Coast.
When it comes to getting to Salerno, that’s is super easy though, as there are regular direct trains from Rome, and the high-speed options will get you here from Italy’s capital in as little as 1.5 hours. There are also direct connections with Naples, which take less than 30 minutes. And Pompeii, which is hard to reach from much of the Amalfi Coast, is only 40 minutes by train for Salerno.
You also might not be so eager to get out of town anyways, as Salerno is a pretty nice place. It has a beautiful seaside promenade - the palm-shaded Lungomare Trieste -, and a pretty nice sandy beach right in town (Spiaggia Santa Theresa), as well as a couple of nicer ones along the coast just south of the center.
The city has an atmospheric old town, bisected by the lovely and pedestrianized medieval Via dei Mercanti street. Many of the little side streets branching off from it are also reserved for foot traffic only, and they’re very pleasant to stroll through. Meanwhile, the 6th-century Castello di Arechi looms about a thousand feet above town and affords spectacular views over the city and the Gulf of Salerno.
And within a half-hour’s drive or easy bus/train ride is the nearby archaeological site of Paestum, where the beautiful temples of an ancient Greek city still stand above a seaside plains. Head just a bit further south and you’ll reach the Cilento, with its forested valleys and dramatic mountains that drop into the sea. Most people don’t make it there, so it’s pretty awesome to be able to entirely escape the crowds so easily while still being right on the doorstep to the Amalfi Coast.
Also, for anyone who will have a rental car during their visit here/to the Amalfi Coast, Salerno is probably the best place to stay. There is ample parking available (there won’t be elsewhere) and being just off the north–south running highway, you’ll be well positioned for onward travel to other destinations further south or east, such as the regions of Calabria and Puglia.
Where to stay
B and B Amalfi Coast - Pleasant rooms in a modern apartment house on the seafront are bright and colorful, and close to train, bus, and ferry connections for easy exploring. From 55€ low season, from 95€ high season.
B and B la Collina dei Ciliegi - The name is from the title of a popular 1970s Italian folk song that translates as “Cherry Hill” and is about letting go and seizing the moment. The notion may have inspired the extremely pleasant and relaxed décor, with bright walls, kilims on the floors, and armchairs near the large windows. When it’s time to seize the moment and do some exploring the transportation links to the Amalfi Coast and other nearby sights are within easy reach from the seafront location. From 80€ low season, from 100€ high season.
Casa Santangelo - Salerno’s most distinctive lodgings occupy the early 19th-century palazzo of a marquis and you’ll wake up beneath frescoed ceilings, surrounded by antiques, hand-painted tiles, and other remnants of an aristocratic lifestyle. Salerno’s slightly worn but intriguing old town is just outside door. From 110€ low season, from 160€ high season.
Conte di Morelia - Pleasant accommodations, just off the seafront and near the old town and transportation, are lovingly tended by the friendly and attentive proprietor and filled with a smattering of family antiques. An excellent breakfast is included in the very reasonable rates. From 95€ low season, from 120€ high season.
Madegra Seasuite - Chic, modern rooms, done in soothing greens and blues, enjoy sea views and are near the port and beaches. Paid onsite parking makes this a convenient choice if you’re traveling by car. From 130€ low season, from 150€ high season.
Tours & experiences along the coast
Transfers and driving tours
For those with limited time, a full-day driving tour is a great way to see a lot of the Amalfi Coast in a little bit of time. Most driving tours are 8-9 hours and drivers can typically accommodate up to 6-8 guests in their vehicles.
When possible, I recommend doing a driving tour on the day you arrive to the region as it gives you a good introduction to the entire Amalfi Coast and it saves you some money on a transfer as you can get picked up at the train station, airport or ferry terminal in Naples and then finish the tour at your hotel on the coast.
Sorrento-based guide Marco Puglia runs full-day driving tours all around the Amalfi Coast. He’s lived his entire life in the region and a day with Marco is always, fun, informative, and casual.
Walking tours & archaeology tours
If you’re interested in taking a tour while on the Amalfi Coast, you’ll find all sorts of neat experiences.
While there are lots of short walking tours of the individual towns, I usually think that they’re really only worth it for Naples and Salerno.
For those interested in archaeology, you have the ruins of Pompeii, Paestum, and Herculaneum, three of the finest examples of Roman ruins anywhere in Italy.
Local guide Roberto Musio is an archaeologist-guide based in Salerno who runs really fun and interesting tours to the ruins of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Paestum, as well as walking tours of Naples, Salerno, and Ravello.
Boat trips
The Amalfi coastline is stunning, and seeing it from the water really is a unique experience. To explore by boat, you have all sorts of different options.
If you’re thinking about getting out on the water, the most cost-effective thing to do is just a hop a ferry between two connected towns or take a hydrofoil to an island like Procida, Ischia, or Capri. Capri is by far the most heavily visited island, so if you’re looking for something more local in feel, I’d recommend Procida or Ischia.
There are also lots of organized boat tours of the coastline and islands. The most popular tour is a quick trip out to Capri’s Blue Grotto or half-day boat tours that circle Capri.
If taking a boat tour from Capri, be aware that many skip the Blue Grotto. This is because wait times can be absurdly long, meaning that you wind up sitting anchored for half of your tour time or more. Personally, I don’t think that it makes any sense spending so much of your time waiting around to see the Blue Grotto when there are dozens of other grottoes all around the region.
Here are some good potential tours:
Full-day Capri boat tour from Sorrento (small group)
Amalfi coastline boat tour from Sorrento (small group). For the same tour but with departure from Salerno, look at this one. For departure from Amalfi, try this one.
Full-day boat tour of Procida and Ischia (small group)
More Amalfi Coast travel info
For more advice on your trip to the Amalfi Coast (and Italy in general), check out some of our other guides and itineraries!
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