Living La Dolce Vita on the Amalfi Coast
When we began to consider where we would like to go for our honeymoon it was hardly a discussion - we both knew it had to be Italy. Where better to start it off than the most quintessentially romantic area of them all, the Amalfi Coast. We booked 4 nights, split between Ravello and Positano, and spent the days taking boat rides to lidos, hiking along the Path of the Gods, and sipping Aperol spritz as we watched the sun go down over the Tyrrhenian Sea.
You’ve likely seen photos of the Amalfi Coast splashed all over your Instagram feed lately. It’s currently an incredibly popular destination for global and Italian tourists alike. And for good reason; this region of coastline along the Tyrrhenian sea is breathtakingly beautiful. Cliffs rise up from the crystal blue waters and the sun dances over the colourful facades of the vertical towns. The area is rich in history, having been an essential stop on the European Grand Tour and frequented by John Steinbeck.
But for us, the Amalfi Coast represented the opportunity to savour la dolce vita: long sea side lunches of local gamberi and caprese salads with crisp white wine, candy cane sunsets with an aperol spritz, and morning dips in the sparkling sea.
Ravello & Amalfi
We set off from Rome in a rental car, a route that afforded us the opportunity to drive the entire Amalfi coastline up to our destination in Ravello. Driving here is not for the faint of heart. Saying the road is narrow is an understatement, yet public buses, rental cars, volvos and pedestrians somehow manage to squeeze past each other on the winding, cliff side route between towns.
We finally arrived in the picturesque hill top town of Ravello and excitedly checked into the Caruso, a property by one of my favourite hotel groups Belmond. Belmond properties exude that ‘old money’ feeling and staying at any Belmond is always like taking a step back into a more luxurious and care free era. The Caruso did not dissapoint, with it’s 11th century architecture, elegant and airy antique-decorated rooms, and lush private gardens overlooking the sea. We had chosen the more peaceful and quiet town of Ravello for our first couple of nights as we settled into Italian life and recovered from our jet lag. Luckily, the incredible grounds and services of the Caruso mean you’ll hardly want to leave the property. After a beautiful Mediterranean dinner at the Caruso Grill we were asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows.
The next morning we explored Ravello, stopping for macchiattos and sfogliatella in the main square. We had planned to visit Caruso’s private beach club, accessible by shuttle from the hotel, but the weather was not in our favour. Instead we jumped in the car and headed to Bomerano and the trail head of the Sentiero Degli Dei or Path of the Gods. This 8 km trail along ancient mule routes offers incredible views of the coast line and allows you to experience what life would have been like travelling by foot between hill top towns many years ago.
A thick mist blocked our view for most of the morning but luckily cleared as we neared Positano. The trail technically ends in Nocelle, a small town where, depending on the time of day, you can stop for a snack and a drink at a local cafe. Since nothing was opened when we arrived we continued on, hiking down to the main road just outside Positano. We had to descend what felt like endless stairs - warning if you plan to start in Positano, you’ll have a challenging walk up these stairs to the start the trail. Our calves were burning from the downhill. Overall, it is not a difficult hike and has a gentle grade throughout. You can also opt to hike out and back for a 16 km round trip. The trail is slightly more challenging and more uphill going from Nocelle to Bomerano, and more difficult if started near Praino or Positano. Not matter your route, it is a wonderful way to get in some movement and to experience the beauty of the coastline away from the crowds. We saw only a handful of people during our time on the trail. I would recommend turning around at Nocelle and hiking the return trip to avoid the need to take the crowed and long bus ride back up to Bomerano.
Back in Ravello, we spent the afternoon lounging by the hotel’s infinity pool nestled among the clouds. That evening we set off to explore the towns of Atrani and Amalfi, stopping in one of the many cafes for a glass of Franciacorta before heading to Da Gemma in Amalfi for dinner. We dined on local seafood including an incredible lemon and gamberi risotto and grilled amberjack with caper sauce.
Positano & Praiano
After our two beautiful and relaxing nights in Ravello we were moving on to the more lively Positano. I had booked us into the hotel of my dreams: Le Sirenuse, an infintely chic property that exudes la dolce vita vibes and is widely regarded as Positano’s most famous hotel.
It was early in the day so we dropped our bags at the hotel and made our way to the marina to catch a boat to La Gavitella, a lido located on the coast just outside Praiano. If you’re new to the art of the Italian lido let me tell you it is a lifestyle here. We arrived and were shown to our private beach chairs perched only a few feet from the sea where we reclined with peroni’s and spritz before meandering up to their restaurant for a lunch of grilled alici, caprese, and charred octopus. After more swimming and sun tanning we were boated back to Positano and Le Sirenuse.
Le Sirenuse
Back at the hotel, we were shown to our room by a young bell hop with a golden smile. The service throughout our entire stay was superb. The hotel has been family owned and run since its opening in 1951 and you can feel the care and attention to detail in every interaction. We passed through rooms filled with thoughtfully curated antiques, accented by bright pops of blue and yellow, with vintage and modern art lining every wall. Where Caruso is classically elegant in neutral tones, Le Sirenuse isn’t afraid to be a little more cheeky and fun. In our room we popped champagne and began to get ready for our night ‘out’ at Sirenuse’s Aldo’s bar and La Sponda restaurant.
Walking into Aldo’s I was in pure heaven. The narrow outdoor bar opens up onto the most incredible view of the sea and the vertical town that is Positano. To your right, a chef presides over a raw bar stocked with local seafood, from oysters to prawns to tuna crudo and everything in between. As their website states, Aldo’s is dedicated to “all those who love life and the good things in it.” Indeed. We sipped house negronis and felt that life couldn’t be any better.
After an hour we made our way down one floor to La Sponda, Le Sirenuse’s painfully romantic restaurant and, as I’d heard, the best seafood restaurant on the coast. Needless to say, reservations can be tricky to get and window tables overlooking the view are exclusive to in house guests. After perusing the menus with a glass of champagne in hand we decided on the 7 course menu. It was our honeymoon after all. Over the next few hours we enjoyed an exceptional meal of local ingredients while watching the sunset and being serenaded by live Italian guitar. In any other place it would have bordered on being cheesy, but here with this view, this food, and this atmosphere, everything was perfect.
The next day we continue to be surprised by this delightful property. Still full from the evening before, we made our way to the gym for a quick workout before taking advantage of the in house spa complete with sauna, steam room, cold plunge and ice room. Feeling refreshed, we were ready to tackle the spectacular brunch spread that Sirenuse is known for. We enjoyed green juice, local fruit and cheeses, house made pastries and perfectly cooked eggs before lounging by the pool and discussing our plans for the rest of the day.
Da Adolfo
I was keen to get out on the water, to see the coast again by boat, and to dine at the infamous Da Adolfo restaurant for lunch. Little more than a shack on the beach, this rustic restaurant is known to be one of the best on the Amalfi Coast and reservations need to be made months in advance. Since we’d booked our wedding and honeymoon fairly last minute we were out of luck for a booking, but we refuse to take no for an answer when it comes to dining. After being told that their personal boat only picks up guests with reservations, and that the regularly scheduled boats don’t travel between 2 - 4 pm, we were losing hope. We made our way down to the marina in hopes of jumping in with some other restaurant guests heading that way, but after waiting 30 minutes in the heat and no luck we needed a new plan. I approached a few private boat companies and was finally able to book a private transfer for a fair price to Laurito beach, the location of Da Adolfo.
Now we’d arrived, but we still had the issue of no reservation. We decided to swim and wait on the rocky beach, waiting for customers to start trickling out as the afternoon wore on. When we saw a few empty tables around 3:30 pm we meandered over and asked for a table. A tall man in a ripped shirt and no shoes who was clearly in charge nodded in the direction of one of the tables. We were in.
Our afternoon at Da Adolfo was one of our favourite moments from the trip. We ate in plastic chairs on the rocky beach, surrounded by wealthy Europeans all here for this classic Amalfi experience, every table laden with bottles of wine and platters of Italian dishes. We ate an unforgettable meal of grilled shrimp, tuna tartare, spaghetti al la vongole and lemon leaves grilled with mozzerella. The atmosphere here cannot be beat, its a raucous and classically Italian affair, the servers rushing from table to table in their flip flops and everyone calling for piú vino. My only regret was not having more days to return and dine here again.
A late afternoon boat ride returned us to Positano where we explored the vertical streets and shops of the town before arriving at Le Sirenuse to relax and read by the pool. Later that evening we opted for a light dinner and cocktails at Aldo’s bar to conclude our stay on the Amalfi Coast. A short but perfect visit to this unforgettable area. Our next stop would be Capri and then onto Puglia for a road trip through the olive groves and ancient towns of Southern Italy.
Practical Information
When to go - May to October. I have heard of people having incredible vacations here in the off season, although some businesses may be closed.
Where to go - there are many towns along the Amalfi Coast. Some of the most popular are:
Positano - an incredibly picturesque town with a chic atmosphere built vertically into the hill, it is also the most famous and is as a result incredibly packed with tourists. Choose a nice property where you can relax away from the crowds, and take boats by day to other locations.
Praiano - the next town after Positano, it is much quieter and a good mid point between Positano. The town itself is small with not many business to explore, but you can take a boat or shuttle from most hotels to other towns or beaches along the coast.
Amalfi - I will confess that Amalfi was my least favourite of the towns along the coast. It is brimming with tourists, full of shops selling lemon paraphernalia, and in need of a bit of a facelift. That being said, it is also a good mid point along the coast and is a much flatter town than others mentioned here which may be more accessible for older travellers and families. The Amalfi Cathedral in the central piazza is beautiful and Da Gemma is an exceptional restaurant nearby. There are also excellent accommodations along the coast near Amalfi.
Ravello - Ravello is not located directly along the sea, but is tucked up away in the hills. There is a more peaceful and romantic atmosphere to this pretty little town, but it is also more quiet with little night life. More exclusive properties (such as Caruso) have private beach clubs that provide direct access to the sea below.
Transportation - the only reason we rented a car was for the next part of our trip through Puglia. Driving the Amalfi Coast is notoriously challenging and only for very confident drivers. The best option if you can afford is to hire a private driver, or to travel by boat transfer between the towns. Choose your location near to where/what you most want to experience.