Why is the Amalfi Coast so Famous?

When you’re planning a trip to Italy you probably hear a lot about the Amalfi Coast. But why is everyone talking about it and what makes this Italian coast so famous? We wanted to know ourselves so we did some research about the Amalfi Coast.

Why is the Amalfi Coast so Famous? The Amalfi Coast is famous for its winding coastline along the Tyrrhenian Sea. It stretches over 25 miles connecting picturesque villages, lemon terraces, vineyards, and stunning cliffs with beautiful views over the azure blue sea. Since 1997 the Amalfi Coast is listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site

You can easily spend a few days wandering around the Amalfi Coast, exploring the beautiful surroundings and villages. So let’s find out more about this popular Italian coastline.

Where is the Amalfi Coast?

The Amalfi Coast is a coastline on the south-western part of the mainland of Italy. Naples is the closest city, which is only 44 miles away. Salerno is also closeby, which is at the end of the Amalfi Coast. But this city is much smaller.

The coastline is the southern coastline of the Sorrento peninsula. Roughly in between Sorrento and Salerno. The Amalfi Coast begins at Punta Campenella, the most southwestern point of the Peninsula, and ends Vietri Sul Mare, a few miles before the city of Salerno. The villages along the Amalfi Coast are connected by the Amalfi Drive (Road: SS163).

What are the villages along the Amalfi Coast?

There are many villages along the Amalfi coast. Some of them are very small, with only a few inhabitants. Sometimes it feels like you walking back in time while visiting these villages.

The villages along the Amalfi Coast are;

Vietri sul Mare
Cetara
Maiori
Tramonti
Minori
Ravello
Scala
Atrani
Amalfi
Conca dei Marini
Furore
Praiano
Positano

There are many different things to discover in these villages. We cover many of them, including a one-day itinerary in this article.

Famous Italian Cuisine and Hospitality

Since centuries the villages along the Amalfi Coast are famous for its good cuisine and hospitality. Almost in every village, you’ll find renowned Italian restaurants serving fresh Italian dishes.

You’ll find the best and freshest seafood dishes here, but many restaurants are also famous for their classical Italian pasta and pizzas.

Wondering where you need to go for a nice meal? You can’t go wrong in the villages but the most famous restaurants are located in Positano, Amalfi, and Furore.

A great stop and for many unknown, is to visit Agricola Fore Porta an organic farm. They offer several snacks, homemade honey and much more!
It is really a pleasure to learn how local products are made.

Famous local dishes

The Amalfi coast is famous for its cuisine, but it is not only seafood which makes this cuisine so loved by foodies. Many other dishes completing a variety of choices, which makes food lovers go crazy.

Make sure to try one of these dishes;

Melanzane farcite – Stuffed Eggplant
Oven-baked eggplants stuffed with garlic, tomato, oregano, pepper, anchovies and a bit of olive oil.
A real simple but lovely Italian dish. There are also vegetarian versions of this dish, where they replace the anchovies with fresh olives
Crocché di patate – Stuffed potato croquettes
These stuffed croquettes come in many varieties. The most common one you’ll find along the Amalfi Coast are the ones stuffed with several kinds of cheese. Just ask around for this snack and make sure to ask what kind of stuffing they used!
Impepata di cozze – Peppered Mussels
Often fresh out of the sea. A very simple recipe made with lemon and pepper. Often eaten as a snack or a starter.

Hikes along the Amalfi Coast

Most people are choosing for a road trip along the Amalfi Coast, which is a great thing to do. But when you have a bit more time on your hands, park your car, put on your hiking shoes and go around as they did in the old days!

There is only one road (SS163) connecting all the villages on the Amalfi Coast and before this road was made, people get around by walking the unpaved roads through the hills. Often with mules which were used to transport different products.

The Path of Gods
Difficulty level: easy
Length: 5 miles – approx. 3 hours

This is the most famous hike along the Amalfi Coast. It gets its name from the beautiful views and amazing scenery. It is an easy walk, only 5 miles, which will take you around 3 hours to accomplish.

You’ll get amazing views and on some viewpoints, you’re even able to see the island of Capri. For the best views and most fun experience, it is advised to walk from Areola to Nocelle. The pathway is slightly downwards this way. When you walk the other way around the pathway goes up, which is for many hikers more difficult.

Punta Campanella
Difficulty level: easy
Length: 2.4 miles – approx 2 hours

When you don’t have much time but your eager to do a nice walk along the Amalfi Coast we recommend walking Punta Campanella. It is a short walk which starts in Termini and goes to the most southern point of the peninsula, which is called Punta Campenella.

This easy walk is about 2.4 miles and will take you around 2 hours. You’ll have beautiful views over the sea, looking over to the island of Capri. And walking next to olive gardens and lemon fields.

Il Santuario dell’Avvocata
Difficulty level: easy (but you need to be in good condition!)
Length: 10 miles – approx 7 hours

The more experienced hikers will be getting excited by this hike. Walking to the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary Advocate which is located on top of a cliff, looking over the azure blue sea. The sanctuary was built in 1485 and today it is still a very imported building within Christianity.

This hike is for everyone though, it is not a difficult hike in terms of hard pathways you’ll need to cross. But it takes around 7 hours (roundtrip), so you need to be in good physical health to do this.

The walk starts in Maiori and leads you through beautiful vineyards, olive and lemon gardens. All looking over to the sea. It is worth your time!

How to Reach the Amalfi Coast

It is relatively easy to reach to Amalfi Coast, and there are a few different ways how you can travel to this beautiful coastline. Our recommendation is traveling by car around Italy, which gives you a bit more freedom to choose which areas you’re going to visit.

However, when you’re not keen driving around in a rental car in a country you don’t really know, there are many other options you can choose!
The Amalfi Coast is easily accessible via train, bus, taxi, and ferry. Let’s see what is the best way to use these different forms of transport.

Traveling by Car

When you decide to travel by car you can easily drive around the beautiful coastline yourself. Depending on your starting location you’ll either reach the Amalfi Coast via Salerno (South) or Sorrento (North).

Leaving from Naples it will take you around one hour drive to reach Sorrento. You’ll pass the historic site of Pompeii on your way, which is a must-visit! When you stop here, you’ll need to plan an extra hour before reaching Sorrento.

When you’re staying in Naples it is relatively easy to do a roundtrip in one day. The roundtrip is around 100 miles and will take up all day when you stop at the beautiful villages along the coast. Make sure to check out our one-day itinerary for the Amalfi Coast.

Traveling by Train and Bus

Reaching the Amalfi Coast using public transport is easy, but going around the coastline is a bit more of a hassle. The coastline is not connected by train. So you can only reach one of the closest cities with a train. You either stop at Sorrento or Salerno. From there you’ll need to catch a bus to one of the villages.

During the high season buses drive regularly along the coast and it is easy to hop on and off in one of the villages. You’re not able to stop at one of the many viewpoints along the coast, because the buses are stopping only at the villages.

It is not our favorite way of transport because it can be really busy on the buses, especially during the high season, where buses are packed with locals and tourists. Which makes it less comfortable.

Reaching the Amalfi Coast by Ferry

Both the cities of Sorrento and Salerno having a ferry port. So when you’re traveling from Capri or Sicily it is easy to catch a ferry to the Amalfi Coast.
You can even take a ferry from Isreal to Salerno! But this will take you a few days though.

Depending on the season and weather conditions there are a few companies offering boat trips along the Amalfi Coast, so you can enjoy the coastline from another perspective, which is a great thing to do!

Why is the Amalfi Coast so Famous?

Where is the Amalfi Coast?

What are the villages along the Amalfi Coast?