An Important Information to the Amalfi Coast—Italy’s Definition of Dolce Vita Glam

Driving to the Amalfi Coast from Naples along a series of hairpin cliffside turns worthy of the finest of Formula 1 drivers, I found myself mimicking a child on a road trip, asking the same question on repeat: “Are we there yet?” It didn’t take long before I was distracted by the lush Lattari Mountains, whose staggering peaks are blanketed in forests as verdant as what you’d expect on a tropical island like Tahiti.

Thick chestnut trees slowly morphed into neatly manicured terraces of olive trees, vineyards, and lemon groves as I ventured closer to the coast. “The most important monument here is the landscape,” the driver said as we squeezed along a narrow bend beside a bus. He also assured me that Ravello—considered the “jewel in the crown” of the Amalfi Coast, where merchant aristocrats constructed cliffside palazzi and composers like Richard Wagner found inspiration—was only five minutes away.

The Amalfi Coast may be located near renowned ruins like Pompeii—and sits catty-corner from the the glitzy island of Capri and its famous Blue Grotto—but the 30-mile stretch of coastline in Campania earned its own UNESCO status thanks to a blend of Tetris-like cliffside towns, Arab and Byzantine architecture, and signature stone terraces producing the region’s prized “yellow gold,” or lemons.

I think one of the reasons Amalfi continues

“I think one of the reasons Amalfi continues to be such a perennial destination is that it has never been only about the view— the landscape is extraordinary, but Amalfi has a depth of history and culture that you can still feel when you walk through the town,” says Alessandro Mansi, owner of Amalfi’s cliffside Hotel Miramalfi. “I think this balance between heritage and evolution is what makes the Amalfi Coast particularly interesting right now—it is no longer simply a place to come for the views and spend a few days by the sea; there is an increasing appetite among travelers to discover the history, food, craftsmanship, people, and traditions behind the destination.”
Running along the tip of the Sorrentine Peninsula, from Vietri sul Mare in the east to Positano, the Amalfi Drive strings together a majority of the coastline’s 13 towns.

While the drive is dubbed one of the world’s most scenic, if you’re not familiar with Italy’s narrow mountain roads (or drivers, for that matter), skip renting a car and explore the region by ferry, taxi, or the main bus line, SITA SUD, instead. Another option? The Path of the Gods hike, a 4.3-mile former shepherd’s trail that ends just above Positano—and you can descend down 1,700 timeworn stone steps to the seaside town below.

Amalfi was one of Italy’s four historic Maritime Republics, together with Venice, Genoa, and Pisa, and that heritage is still celebrated today with the annual May Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics, when traditional galleons representing the four cities compete. “The spirit of the small Italian villages of the south stay true to themselves and remain authentic in their atmosphere,” says Mariella Avino, co-owner and managing director of Ravello’s Palazzo Avino.

This is thanks to the strong spirit

“This is thanks to the strong spirit of the people who live along the coast full time, who are very conscious to keep the heart of the places alive and unchanged.”
Whether you’re visiting in the midst of summer or savoring the seaside in spring or early fall during festival season, here’s how to plan a trip to the Amalfi Coast—and where to go when you want to see a more local side.

The best things to do on the Amalfi Coast
Don’t expect beach clubs to be of the napkin-waving variety you’d find on the French Riviera. The Amalfi Coast is the definition of dolce vita glam, so expect more of a subdued setting that is every bit as see and be seen. Case in point: the highly anticipated Le Sirenuse Mare, a project five years in the making from Le Sirenuse. Arrive by boat and plan to stay until sunset, hopping between a sunbed on the tiered beach club to lunch under the pergolas (the caviar-dolloped langoustine carpaccio is a must-order) and homemade gelato or a granita in the Dolce Far Niente Bar lounge area.

If you’re looking to indulge in retail therapy, there’s also an outpost of ultra chic resort and homeware line Emporio Sirenuse. We intentionally failed to previously mention Palazzo Avino’s Clubhouse by the Sea because this stylish beach club deserves to be in a category of its own. A series of steps lead down to the intimate gardens and sunbeds tucked within the rocky shoreline.

Just a 15-minute drive from the resort, you’ll

Just a 15-minute drive from the resort, you’ll have prime views of the yachts and slick Riva boats cruising by while you dine on freshly baked pizzas and seafood pasta. On the eastern edge of the Amalfi Coast, Vietri sul Mare has a centuries-old ceramics heritage, and small workshops and family factories still produce hand-painted pieces today. If you’re short on time, browse handcrafted pieces in Ravello at Pascal Ceramiche D’Arte or shop artisan-crafted sandals at Bottega Eva Caruso.

“Ravello has long drawn artists, musicians, and writers—Wagner famously found inspiration there—and that creative atmosphere still lingers,” adds Carla Sersale, co-owner of Le Sireuse and founder of Emporio Sirenuse. Artists and writers part of the Bloomsbury Group, such as Virginia Woolf, for instance, once held court at Villa Cimbrone, and now the botanical gardens are one of the most lauded examples of English landscaping in southern Europe.

The belvedere, the Terrace of Infinity, is crowned by a series of marble busts, and while the Amalfi Coast isn’t lacking in postcard-perfect viewpoints, this staggering spot rising nearly 1,200 feet above the Mediterranean is a scene-stealer. After touring the rose gardens and medieval cloister, cool off in town with gelato from Baffone Gelateria Artigianale or head over to Amalfi to Pasticceria Pansa for a taste of the legendary, dome-shaped delizia al limone dessert, a lemon cream-filled sponge cake.

Amalfi’s historic center is compact, and part

“Amalfi’s historic center is compact, and part of the pleasure is getting away from the main streets and discovering the smaller lanes, hidden courtyards, and stairways that climb into the hills,” says Mansi, who recommends visiting the centerpiece, thousand-year-old cathedral and the Museo della Carta, or Paper Museum, set inside a historic, 13th-century paper mill. After a brief history lesson on the region’s papermaking tradition—which dates back to the Middle Ages—pop into La Scuderia del Duca, whose vast selection of handmade paper feels like a museum in itself and makes for the perfect souvenir.

Where to stay
Spectacular views are practically a given, but if you’re staying in a town along the water, be prepared for bus- and boatloads of tourists during the day. The plus side? You’ll be able to skip the Amalfi Coast’s notorious traffic and easily hop onto a ferry or boat from the town of Amalfi to Positano, Capri, or even Naples—the region’s gateway city and main international airport.

The coast is peppered with grande dame hotels housed in former convents, centuries-old palaces, and pastel villas where everyone from Maria Callas and Coco Chanel to Liza Minnelli and Elizabeth Taylor have holed up. And if you’re after practically paparazzi-free privacy, you can even rent your own private island, Isca, near Positano. Unfolding along the cliffside in Ravello in the foundations of the 11th-century Palazzo d’Afflitto, each of the 50 rooms and suites at Caruso, A Belmond Hotel feels like you’re stepping back in time to the fresco-filled palace—where modern amenities include indulgent room service delivered to waterfront balconies.

It’s hard to play favorites with pools

It’s hard to play favorites with pools in a region where they practically define the coast’s hotels, but Caruso’s La Piscina private social club claims the area’s most photogenic infinity pool, where loungers overlook the sea and Ravello’s terraced gardens of lemon trees and vineyards. Next door, the Amalfi Coast’s iconic pink palace, Palazzo Avino, also has aristocratic roots dating back to the Middle Ages and Renaissance, which are intertwined with the contemporary vision of the namesake Avino family.

Cotton candy pink-striped parasols shield sunbeds on the hotel’s terraces leading down to the heated pool, and most guests find it so hard to peel themselves away that they’ll order lunch straight to their loungers. In the evenings, take a seat on the terrace of the Lobster & Martini Bar and sip one of the menu’s 100 different martinis while watching the sunset transform the sky into a hue as pink as the hotel.

While you’re here, make your way to the neighboring town of Scala, just outside Ravello, for dinner at Trattoria da Lorenzo (Mariella Avino’s go-to: tubetti ai totani, seafood pasta with fresh squid). Converting a derelict, 17th-century convent into the plush Monastero Santa Rosa, the secluded escape now features 20 antique-accented rooms—many of which have taken over from original dwellings for the convent’s nuns.

Near Amalfi, you can’t miss Borgo Santandrea when

Near Amalfi, you can’t miss Borgo Santandrea when you’re cruising the coastith a design that feels like a Mediterranean interpretation of Game of Thrones. Arches and stairways lead down to the sea, where you’ll find Marinella Beach, one of the few private stretches of sand in the region (there’s even a private dock, if you want to arrive straight from Naples or Salerno)

The vertical seaside town of Positano is home to the striking rouge Le Sirenuse, a hotel that’s a destination in itself and now run by three generations. Even if you can’t snag a room (this spot fills fast!), head to Franco’s Bar for aperitivo with a view or dinner at La Sponda, where you’ll have a prime shot of the Lego-like buildings stacked on top of one another. At nearby Il San Pietro, Michelin-starred Zass is also draped over the water and sources ingredients from the hotel’s own vegetable garden and local producers.

The pièce de résistance, however, is the tennis court built between the rocks and seaside—often ranked one of the world’s most beautiful. A boutique beauty that gained international attention this summer when superstar Dua Lipa honeymooned, Villa Treville’s 16 rooms are spread throughout four villas (originally Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli’s home), making it feel like you have the entire hotel to yourself.

In Amalfi, Hotel Miramalfi converted the cliffside into

In Amalfi, Hotel Miramalfi converted the cliffside into a natural beach club with a saltwater swimming pool etched into the rocks and sunbed-lined terraces leading down to the sea—plus a ladder leads right into the sparkling turquoise water. In the evening, take a seat at Azur Lounge, the property’s more casual Mediterranean restaurant hovering over the sea, “where the setting is almost as important as what’s on the table,” as Mansi puts it.

Where to eat and drink
Campania’s cuisine is arguably among Italy’s most recognizable: paper-thin, tender Neapolitan pizza; Gragnano’s air-dried pasta; flavor-rich San Marzano tomatoes; and the Amalfi Coast’s protected lemons (a particularly important ingredient in Italian limoncello). In Ravello, no-frills pizzeria Da Nonno Alfonso is considered the best for a slice outside Naples, while family-run La Taverna del Leone, near Positano, is a more spruced-up take on a pizzeria and Italian eatery that’s been a local go-to for more than 60 years.

“In the fishing village of Cetara, Acquapazza is a must for local seafood and dishes celebrating the town’s renowned anchovies and colatura di alici (anchovy-based fish sauce),” advises the concierge team at Borgo Santandrea. “For a quintessential lunch by the sea, Lo Scoglio da Tommaso in Nerano is another favorite, known for its fresh fish, produce from the family’s own farm, and authentic local cuisine.”
Michelin-awarded fare dots the coastline, but La Caravella was the first restaurant in southern Italy to receive a star back in the 1950s and remains family-run today.

There is a beautiful continuity between these places

“There is a beautiful continuity between these places and Miramalfi—they are businesses that have been built by families over generations and where hospitality is still deeply personal,” Mansi says of the Amalfi institution. Family-owned Hotel Villa Maria’s restaurant is one of Ravello’s lesser-known gems, while laidback Da Adolfo is a combination beach club and restaurant a quick boat ride from Positano that’s been popular since the 1960s.

“It’s become very known now, but I have grown up going there, and there are still fewer greater places for me than a long afternoon at Laurito Beach, taking the final boat back to Positano and having aperitivo at the bottom of the stairs at Buca di Bacco,” says Nathan Sharma, managing partner of Monastero Santa Rosa. “Perhaps touristy, but it’s a great way to run into everyone you know no matter where they’ve been out on the water or beach all day.”
After lingering over spaghetti alle vongole at Ristorante Lido Azzurro, which hovers over the sea near Amalfi’s harbor, zip around the coast to sea caverns and grottos, pausing for dips in secluded spots away from the crowds.

Cruise over for lunch at Conca del Sogno, a more elevated take on a beach club with tables scattered along the rocks. Sunsets are as much a draw to the coastline as its jewel-toned water, and Café Mirante claims one of the best views of the show—with 180-degree vistas over the sea. For an evening that starts with cocktails and dwindles into the early morning hours with live DJs and bands, Il Pirata in Praiano is tucked into the historic fishing cove’s cascading cliffs with tables spilling along rocky terraces down to the water.

Source: www.cntraveler.com