Amalfi Coast

Our favourite places in Bella Italia - part 3

The year 2020 was certainly not the year for travelers. Sadly, all our trips were cancelled. At last minute I decided to book a long weekend to the Amalfi Coast on my own since Clare’s training as a dog physiotherapist and she needed the time at home to study.

First stop was in Naples. I rented a small car and got upgraded to a 'huge' BMW X2. It was the first time that I wasn’t happy with an upgrade: Imagine three cars next to each other on a normal one lane road and motorcycles all around you... Somehow, I managed to get to Posillipo with this beautiful view down to the city and the Vesuvius volcano in the background.

I didn’t plan on discovering this big city, but wanted to see the Toledo metro station which is part of the "Art Stations" of the Naples Metro System. The British Daily Telegraph once ranked it as the most beautiful subway station in Europe. Designed by the Catalan architect, Oscar Tousquets Blanca, the ambience symbolises the passage from the land to the sea.

Next morning - an early start to get to Pompeii just at opening time. This was a great decision since this is the second most visited tourist attraction in Italy with 2.5 million visitors a year. And I was almost alone, most likely due to the virus situation... I had no big expectations but what I saw was really amazing.

The size of the old Roman city is far bigger than I thought it would be. It was destroyed by the Vesuvio volcano in AD 79. Over 10'000 people died in this natural disaster. The eruption was sudden and the old town was covered and preserved for hundreds of years by a 6 to 7 metres thick layer of stones and ashes. An other-worldly atmosphere awaits here and it's a must-visit if you're in the area.

From here I travelled on towards the Amalfi Coast. First stop was in Vietri sul Mare - the city of Ceramics. One very colourful place was down at the Marina. Because the old towns are often on the steep hillsides you have to get used to walking up and down a lot and very typical for the best Amalfi experience.

It's here where the winding Amalfi road starts. I saw a movie team filming a motorcycle on the back of a pick-up car which was quite fun to see. After many bends I passed the villages Maiori and Minori with the typical black beaches of this region. In the distance I could already see my next overnight destination, Ravello on top of the hill.

Ravello is a marvellous place. Of course I had to try a very tasty Pizza Margarita at the Mimi Ristorante since Napoli is the place were pizza was invented. And it really tasted differently to the ones we get at home! There are two beautiful gardens to visit in Ravello at the Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo with beautiful views down to the Amalfi coast.

But I especially enjoyed the view from my B&B (Gala Residence Villa Giovanna) where breakfast was served on the terrace with this amazing morning view. I was lucky to catch this photo of an early morning sun burst.

The next day I drove into the heart of the Amalfi Coast. The roads get very narrow and my car was once again too big. In addition, there are only a very limited number of parking spaces. I have no idea how traffics works in high season because sometimes you have to stop in the middle of the road to take a photo like here in Amalfi.

The next section again, offers many attractions. The lovely town of Amalfi (parking is difficult) followed by the Grotta dello Smeraldo (a great spot for a sunset photo), Fiordo di Furore (no parking at all) and Praiano. This area is especially rewarding in the late afternoon when the light turns golden.

Just outside of Praiano is this sculpture which serves as a signpost for the boutique hotel Casa Angelina with excellent ratings. Certainly a good option for another trip with a perfect sunset location.

Positano is the tourist hotspot of this coast. A gorgeous location with steep and narrow streets, many boutiques, bars and divine Limoncello from all the lemon trees along the coast. I can highly recommend the Hotel Marincanto. Great location with many terraces and places to relax and and a great view.

After Positano the road leaves the sea and turns inland towards Sorrento. Instead of driving to the northern coast of the peninsula I drove further west towards Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi where you can find the world-class restaurant, Don Alfonso 1890 (which I would love to try out together with Clare next time).

I continued towards Termini where you can see a chapel on top of the mountain. There's a hidden road up there and even some parking spaces very near the top. Walk to the left and you will reach the chapel with a great view down to Marina del Cantone and the coast.

Walk to the right and you find yourself in a very different and barren landscape. As soon as you reach the ridge, you have a beautiful view to the end of the peninsula called Punta Campanella and the island of Capri. There were almost no people at all which made the experience even more unique and rewarding.

My final stop on the return journey to the airport was at the Mount Vesuvio (1281m). This is still an active volcano and you wouldn't believe it when you see all the developments around the mountain. The last eruption was in 1944 when 26 people were killed and I can only hope that a bigger tragedy won't happen again.

Nowadays, you can drive almost to the top and only need to walk the last km to get to the caldera. Be aware that you need an entry ticket prior to your arrival - you can only get this online and only for a specific scheduled entry-time vivaticket.com!

The whole trip was very rewarding all round and I will have to go back there with Clare sometime. trip

and after Pompeii...

Our other published blogs of the series 'Our favourite places in Bella Italia' cover the following areas (with links):

Part 1: Milan - Milano

Part 2: Venezia

Part 3: Amalfi

"One crowded hour of glorious life is worth an age without a name"

(The Call - Thomas Osbert Morsdaunt, 1730-1809)

© Aaron Matzinger & Clare Walker

#Italia #Italy #amalficoast