Some Ideas For A Day Tour On The Amalfi Coast

By Author: Nella Sera
Total Articles: 3
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The Amalfi Coast has a very rich cultural and historical heritage therefore it should be visited at a calm pace. This is the only speed possible to fully appreciate it and really understand why this land has been a world-favourite since Roman times. However if a day is all there is to tour this place and say “I have been there!” Here are some advices on how to quickly visit the most relevant features of each town. My idea is to give some heads up on an original journey through the Coast so rather than starting from Positano, I suggest arriving in Vietri sul Mare and starting the day from this town.

I suggest Vietri sul Mare to begin with because it is one of those towns, that rarely gets visited because everyone starts touring the Coast on the opposite side, and by the end of the journey either they have lost interest in yet another beautiful town, or they do not get down here all together. This is a great shame, because Vietri sul Mare is basically an open air ceramic museum, as this craft has been mastered by local artisans for centuries. Streets, shop signs, terraces, everything is decorated with gorgeous majolica. ...
... The sight is simply incredible especially because the resemblance with the colours of the natural landscape create an even more impressive result.

To keep up the spirit of originality which should guide this quick visit, I suggest a lunch stop in Cetara, which is also the next town in line. Here there is one the rarest dishes, which not only is very emblematic of Italian rural culture, but most importantly it is really tasty. This is Colatura di Alici, which is the syrup extracted from the pressing of anchovies in wood barrels. Just try it, and I promise that it tastes as good as the village looks, with colourful boats and houses and lemon scent all over.

Now it’s time to make a decision, either go to Maiori and dive into Rossellini Neorealism film set of Piasà, which was filmed all over town with the participation of locals, or if Italian cinema is not your thing you can move on to Minori to visit a fairly well kept Roman villa from the I century. This type of hard decision making is really emblematic of the world of choices that the Coast offers.

If you are not interested in cinema nor in archeology then I guess you will still be impressed by Ravello’s villas, namely Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone. Since their origins they both belonged to important and rich families, each enriching and transforming villas architectures, with very unexpected results. Since the 19th century Ravello has been source of inspiration for great artists. Namely Wagner and Gore Vidal. The former based Parsifal’s Klingsonr garden on Villa Rufolo’s and the writer once said that the view from Villa Cimbrone was undoubtedly the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in all his travelling. The list of artists who were inspired by the Coast could literally go on forever, but as in a day we do not have time for long lists, I simply advice to understand this phenomenon by continuing your visit. You will soon see Atrani’s houses clinging onto to the Mountain, and at the back of your head you’ll somehow recognize this view! Yes! You have most probably seen it in some art book, as it is one of Escher’s most renown paintings. Once you have filled your eyes with this beauty, you will have finally reached Amalfi. Here a week is not enough to see it all, so in the few hours you have left, you have three choices: a swift visit to the Ppaer Museum to get a sense of Amalfi rural life; a quick visit to the Compass museum to dive into the time of the Maritime Republic of Amalfi or simply have a stroll around town, casually walking into churches, without expecting to learn much about them , just enjoy the atmosphere!

If you manage to pull yourself away from Amalfi in time before the sun goes down, Conca dei Marini will reward you with its incredible Emerald Grotto. This is reached with a lift from the SS163 road, and then with a boat service, which will take you inside the grotto where the sun and the sea playfully interact creating marvelous emerald green effects on the walls of the grotto. Once you come back to surface, try the Sfogliatella di Santarosa, a delicious energy booster to get you through the afternoon, until your well deserved meal in Positano. Before getting to the queen of the Coast I suggest stopping for a few minutes on the bridge above Furore (yes the name means fury!) and discover the wonders of nature. In fact in the middle of the Amalfi Coast there suddenly appears a Norwegian looking fjord! How random and how beautiful! Now it’s finally time for Positano. I’ll stop giving advices and setting rules now, as I think the best way to conclude your tour is by letting free all your whims and dreams of the coast, and go on a wild shopping spree in the gorgeous colorful boutiques in the town centre. Then it will be time to for a nice dinner, and before leaving do allow yourself a walk on Spiaggia Grande where the night will be starting to heat up, have a drink, take a moment for yourself, and start planning when to come back next. For a month at least!