The Amalfi Coast by bus, boat and stairs
No car, a lot of stairs and the Path of the Gods. Four days on the most beautiful coast in Italy.
Ines Moreau
4 min read
The Amalfi Coast is a line of towns hanging off cliffs above the sea south of Naples, joined by a road with more than a thousand bends. It is famous, expensive and crowded in summer, and still one of the most beautiful places in Europe.
I skipped the car completely and travelled by bus, boat and, mostly, on foot, up and down more stairs than I want to count. This is my four-day plan.
Best time: May, June, September · Days: 4 · Budget: High · Getting around: Bus, ferry and on foot · Currency: Euro
Day 1 — Positano
Arrive by ferry from Sorrento or Salerno. The view of Positano from the water, a pile of pastel houses tumbling down to a small beach, is the best first sight of the coast. Climb up through the town in the late afternoon and have dinner on a terrace.
Day 2 — The Path of the Gods
The Sentiero degli Dei runs high above the coast from Bomerano to Nocelle, with views over the sea the whole way. Take the bus up to Bomerano, walk the path (about three hours), then take the 1,700 stairs down to Positano.
On this coast, the stairs are the price of the view.
Ines Moreau
Day 3 — Amalfi and Ravello
Take the ferry to Amalfi, the town that gave the coast its name, with its striped cathedral at the top of a wide staircase. Try the lemon granita and the delizia al limone, a lemon cream cake. In the afternoon, take the bus up to Ravello, a quiet town with two cliff-top gardens.
Day 4 — By boat
Rent a small boat with a skipper, or join a group, and see the coast from the sea: grottos, hidden beaches and the towns you walked through, all from below.
Where to stay and eat
Hotels on the coast are expensive in summer, and many have long flights of stairs from the nearest road. Amalfi and Minori are the best bases for buses and ferries; Positano is the most beautiful and the most expensive. For food, try scialatielli ai frutti di mare, thick fresh pasta with seafood, fried anchovies from Cetara and a slice of pizza from a wood oven. Finish every meal with a small glass of cold limoncello, made from the coast's own lemons.
Extra day — Capri or Pompeii
From Amalfi or Positano, ferries run to Capri, an island of cliffs, lemon groves and very expensive shops. Take the chairlift to the top of Monte Solaro for the view. Or go the other way to Pompeii, the Roman city buried by Vesuvius in AD 79, which is best visited early with a good guide.
What it cost
Prices per person, for two people sharing, at the time of our trip. Use them as a guide; they change every season.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Guesthouse, 4 nights (shared) | €400 |
| Buses and ferries | €70 |
| Boat trip | €90 |
| Villa Cimbrone | €10 |
| Food and wine | €240 |
| Total, 4 days | about €810 |
What I would do differently
I would stay in two places: two nights in Positano and two in Amalfi or Ravello, to avoid long bus journeys every day. I would also go in May, before the heat and the biggest crowds of summer. And I would walk the Path of the Gods first thing in the morning; by noon, the sun on the open path is intense and there is very little shade.
Know before you go
- The SITA buses are cheap but full in summer. Buy tickets at newsagents before you board.
- Ferries stop in bad weather and in winter.
- Book restaurants for dinner in high season.
- Stay in Amalfi or Minori for the best transport links.
- Wear walking shoes. Every town is stairs.
