Amalfi

The Amalfi Coast is one of the most famous and prestigious tourist destinations in the world. We had planned the visit here for a long time. Unfortunately, after visiting places like Cinque Terre, we already knew what to expect and what to prepare for.


We book a good hotel - Hotel Luna Convento (booking.com). During high season it is unreasonably expensive, but in other months the price is lower. In any case, we can recommend it only if you have extra money. This hotel is not for the middle class, rather pathetic, we are very rare spend nights in such places.


As you might guess from the name, it is located in the building of the former monastery with the courtyard of the 13th century.




Here it is in the foreground, you can also see the pool near the water.


The view from the balcony is awesome.


We book such a hotel not just because we wanted to spend money. There are quite a few hotels in Amalfi with parking and even at this hotel Valet parking is used.

Amalfi has two parking lots. Luna Rossa from Salerno side (N 40 38.047 E 14 36.426), covered parking in the rock, 2-4 euros per hour depending on the month (information). And Berma parking from Sorrento side, on the pier (N 40 37.884 E 14 35.855), the price is the same.


As you can see, parking is quite expensive and there are not so many parking space. We would not go by car during high season. Actually, we would not go there during high season in any case, even by public transport. March, April, October and November are the good months for Amalfi.

Many people use scooters for movement, this is also a good option.


If you decide to go by car, then consider the time of day when you are traveling, since there is only one road and it is very narrow. During the day the traffic is quite large, but towards evening the road becomes empty. Tourist buses, which must be ban here, are the main problem. In some narrow places, two buses can spend 20-30 minutes. We drove 23 kilometers from Salerno to Amalfi for an hour and a half.


In theory, the best option would be an overnight stay somewhere in Salerno and trips to coastal towns on speed boats (information). This is a convenient and budget option.


In Amalfi, we walked along the promenade, together with a million other tourists.


Sidewalks in Amalfi.


Traditional street fresco.




A good view of the town opens from the pier, where parking is located.




Amalfi's main attraction is St. Andrew's Cathedral in the Norman-Byzantine style. The bronze doors of the cathedral were forged in Constantinople around 1065.

The Torre dello Ziro Tower, which is visible on the mountain above, can be reached on foot. See the trails on this map.


The ancient anti-piracy tower of the Saracens (Torre Saracena) is now used as a venue for teambuildings and various events.


Amalfi is a good place to walk early in the morning when there are no tourists yet.




There is a vertical cemetery on a mountain high above the cathedral. There you can find a gorgeous lookout. Moreover, recently you can go up by a free elevator, which is located in a rock (N 40 38.058 E 14 36.269), in the tunnel leading to the parking lot.

We recommend to go downstairs on foot, along the endless paths of Amalfi.


Getting there: Take bus 5120 from the train station in Salerno (timetable) or take bus 5070 from Sorrento (timetable). Using this link you can see information and bus timetables in the region, including buses from Naples (from the train station). There is no ferry from Naples, only a speed boat from Salerno (information) and a ferry from Capri (information).