13/08/2023
Heaven is where the sea meets the mountains and splashes into colorful towns.’
After an amazing week in the Alps, it was time to head to the Amalfi Coast on another Exodus Travels holiday (how lucky am I?). One of the most visited coastal areas in Italy, and I can understand why. This area is really well known for lemons (que Limoncello shots), yummy tomatoes, seafood and of course Mount Vesuvius!
August and September are the most popular times for people to flock to Amalfi, so if you have the same idea then just be prepared for loads of people.
The whole area of Amalfi is pretty much built (and developed) on cliffs, so you really do get to take the most amazing pictures. It is crazy how people adjusted their lives to live and farm on these hills. Winding roads through the most beautiful local houses with the ocean as their view, it truly is a beautiful region to visit. Driving on these roads are however a whole different story and, in my opinion, you need nerves of steel to drive here. We stayed in the most amazing family run hotel in a quaint little town called Bomerano, and it is situated between orchards and vineyards. I loved it as it was also away from the hustle and bustle of the popular tourist towns.
Our first day we spent exploring the historical towns of Herculaneum and Pompeii that were destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Herculaneum was completely covered by lava and Pompeii was mostly covered in ash and debris. Both sights were quite amazing and sad, at the same time, to visit. Today the new town in Herculaneum is built on top of the old town and this is also unfortunately the reason why archaeologists cannot continue with excavation of the site. The ocean used to be very close to Herculaneum, but after the eruption the ocean retreated almost 1.5km. Today they need to have pumps running 24hours to pump the ocean water (that is trying to make its way back to where it was originally) away from this site.
On our second day we headed to the towns of Amalfi and Positano. Probably the 2 most famous and popular towns in this area. You can reach Positano by road or by boat, and we were going to go the boat route, but unfortunately due to the water being too rough we had to go the road route. I believe that Positano is probably the most photographed town and most probably if you saw photos of the Amalfi Coast you would have seen Positano. There isn’t much to see and do in Positano, and most people visit this town to go to the beach. One thing that is kind of a trend on the Amalfi Coast is that the public beach areas are really very very small, so it is not quite the same as going to the beach in Cape Town where there are loads of space. If you want to be in the areas where there is a bit of space, you actually need to pay to get access (but you will then also get an umbrella and a lounger). I thought this was a bit sneaky. Shopping in Positano does tend to be more expensive so not the best spot if you are looking for bargains.
Amalfi was kind of the same as Positano with most people visiting the beach. You can do some nice shopping here (more affordable than Positano) but would suggest that you also visit the Duomo di Amalfi Church on your list. Well worth a stop. It was great to see both Amalfi and Positano, but it was just a bit too busy for me.
On our third day we visited Ravello, and this was one of my two favourite towns. Ravello is well known for its cliffside gardens, and the highlight is definitely visiting Villa Cimbrone Gardens with its beautiful infinity garden. Ravello is well known for the Ravello Music Festival that hosts indoor and outdoor concerts during summer. It is also very popular for destination weddings and if you are there at the right time you might see a helicopter landing to drop off a bride for her big day. It is a popular town to visit but as it does not have easy access to a beach it is not as crowded as the other towns.
On our 4th day we walked a portion of the popular Path of Gods hiking trail that starts in Bomerano and ends in Positano. It was really fantastic as you hike parallel to the ocean, and you get to enjoy the beautiful views. And of course, one of the most popular cheeses to have in Italy is Mozzarella and so we visited the Mozzarella Factory in Bomerano. Tasted some yummy ricotta and Mozzarella and that was paired with some lovely wine.
Day 5 was all about the island of Capri. We took a boat from Amalfi, and it takes about an hour and a half to reach Capri. Capri is known for high end shopping, elegant towns, destination of choice for the glitterati and amazing natural beauty. Anacapri is the highest area of the island and from here you will have the most amazing views of the whole island of Capri. One of the must do’s is to take a 15-minute monolift ride to the top of the AnaCapri. Here you will get a panorama of the Gulf of Naples and the Isle of Capri. There are great views to admire around this area and you can easily spend about 2 hours here. In Capri visiting the Gardens of Augustus is worth it and if you do have time, you can also do the Blue Grotto. Shopping here is all about name brands so if you are after bargains, this is not the place to shop. Top Tip: When visiting Capri and you book the boat from Amalfi to Capri, book it with an operator that includes a tour around the island as well as drop off and pick up to and from AnaCapri. To get to AnaCapri by using public transport is an absolute headache and not much cheaper than using the boat operator’s transport. Of course, if you do not want to do this there are also taxi options, but they are quite pricey.
Last day was a visit to Sorrento and this was my other favorite town to visit. Everything just seems a bit more chilled here. There are some beautiful churches to visit in the town, and this is also totally a beach town, but it almost felt like things were a bit more spaced out here. Shopping was the most affordable and enjoyable here, and even the food and drinks were cheaper than in the other towns.
To get to the Amalfi Coast it is the easiest (and most convenient) to fly into Naples and then it is about an hour or so from Naples. You can use public transport (local buses) to get to Amalfi, but this can be quite challenging and there are a lot of changes, so my recommendation would be to rather get a private transfer or taxi, unless you are up for a challenge 😊
And of course, I cannot forget to mention the amazing Italian food. Travelling to Italy and thinking you are going to lose weight is a recipe for disappointment. The food is sooo amazing and almost everything is made fresh, so it just tastes better. Pasta, Pizza, Salads, Desserts and sooo much more. If you are a foodie, you will not be disappointed!
And just like those 5 weeks of travelling is done and dusted. So incredibly thankful for this opportunity and once again feeling so blessed to have been able to experience so many amazing highlights, and of course being able to tick off so many new destinations from my bucket list. In a nutshell London, Pink in Warsaw, Prague, Budapest, Bratislava, hiking Mont Blanc and Amalfi Coast.
Looking forward to going home, and now it is time to save for the next adventure……