With its turquoise waters and colorful vertical towns built on the side of dramatic cliffs, the Amalfi Coast is one of the most stunning places in Italy. There are 13 towns dotted along the coastline so it can be hard to decide where to base yourself. Here are my top three recommendations for where to stay to fully experience what the coast has to offer – ideally with a spritz in one hand and lemon sorbet in the other.
The Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy is like no other place I’ve been. Its increased popularity in recent years has seen droves of travelers come to enjoy the best of European summer, but it’s popular for a reason.
Each town features colourful buildings sprawled down mountain sides and connected with a long windy road. You can swim in clear blue waters, hike through lemon groves, or just sit on a terrace and soak in the unbelievable coastal views.
Along the Amalfi Coast you’ll find the towns of: Positano, Praiano, Furore, Conca de’ Marini, Amalfi, Atrani, Ravello, Scala, Minori, Tramonti, Maiori, Cetara and Vietri sul Mare.
Over our ten-day trip we chose to stay in the town of Amalfi for five days, Positano for three days, and Ravello for two. This was the perfect split, so I’d recommend something similar for first time visitors who want to make the most out of your time.
Amalfi
The town of Amalfi is centrally located on the coast, and we found it to be slightly cheaper with more accessible transport options than the other towns. It has a large port which made it easy to jump on a ferry and explore, as well as good bus connections, great restaurants, and a wider variety of accommodation types.
Logistically it made sense for us to base ourselves here for the first five days and do day trips to the other towns. We also got to experience the beauty of the town itself which has that charm the Amalfi Coast is known for.
It only takes 10-15 minutes to walk to nearby Atrani so you could easily spend a day exploring Atrani’s charming alleyways before walking back to your accommodation in Amalfi.
Or take a short bus ride to the famous Fiordo Di Furore for a dip in the ocean in this hidden narrow cove. I’d also suggest catching the ferry over to the towns of Minori and Maiori because these both were amazing day trips.
Amalfi is also a good base for hiking the Path of the Gods. This well-known hike runs from the town of Bomerano to Nocelle, with an option at the end to continue walking down a lot of stairs to reach Positano. I suggest doing this hike while you’re staying in Amalfi because you can catch a bus to the starting point in Bomerano, then back to Amalfi from Nocelle – avoiding the extra stairs at the end to Positano.
Is Amalfi touristy? Yes, but its location and transport offered the flexibility and convenience to explore more of the other smaller coastal towns.
Where to book: My tip is to book accommodation as close to the center of town as possible. Our hotel was reasonably priced and only a 15-minute walk away from the port. However, the walk along the main windy road with no footpath felt precarious at times so I think it would’ve been more convenient to stay close to the town center.
Positano
We were in Amalfi for the majority of our stay but felt like we couldn’t visit the Amalfi Coast without staying in Positano. Even with less-than-ideal weather at the start of May, Positano was stunning. The narrow alleyways felt a lot busier and be warned the whole town is basically uphill.
We saw a lot of day-trippers come over on the ferry, but I think it’s worth staying here, even if only for a few days. Positano’s charm really comes out at night – the whole town lights up and you can see why this is one of the most beautiful places in Italy.
The main highlights of Positano are its beaches and shopping. While there are souvenir shops, we found a more high-end shopping culture here.
Its main beach Spaiaggia Grande is one of the largest on the coast and has the iconic view of the colorful sloping buildings. This is also where you’ll find beach clubs where you can book umbrellas and sun lounges for the day.
If you walk ten minutes further along the coast, you’ll find the quieter and more tucked away Fornillo Beach. It doesn’t have a view of the town but it’s just as pretty as Spaiaggia Grande and provides a good escape from the crowds.
Positano also provides a fantastic base for day trips to Capri Island and Sorrento as they are much closer than Amalfi. You should definitely add a full day in your itinerary for a trip to Capri.
Where to book: We stayed at Hotel Pupetto which is the only accommodation directly on Fornillo Beach. It is only a ten-minute walk to main part of town and had a popular bar and restaurant.
Ravello
It seems like a lot of travellers overlook Ravello when planning their itineraries, but this town was my favourite. It’s different to the other towns on the Amalfi Coast because it’s not actually on the seaside.
Ravello is located high in the mountains and looks out on to endless stretches of coastline and lemon groves. We stayed here for two nights, and it felt quieter and more authentic than the other towns. The mountain views are incredible.
Ravello is accessible by bus which means you can still visit any of the other towns, but we choose to use our full two days to remain in Ravello and explore it more in-depth.
Where to book: We stayed at Hotel Bonadies which had an incredible view of the mountains, coastline, and is directly above the town of Minori. We booked a room with a terrace view, but this wasn’t necessary as you can see the amazing views from the main breakfast buffet. This 4-star hotel is a ten-minute walk to the town square Piazza Duomo, and it has a gorgeous pool, so you won’t miss out on swimming even though there’s no beach nearby.
What about the other towns?
Amalfi, Ravello and Positano are my recommendations for the best places to stay on the Amalfi Coast for a first-time visitor, however the other towns all offer different benefits.
Maiori has a lot of accommodation options; Praiano is the only town that gets a full unobstructed sunset due to the direction it faces; and Cetara has great food. I suggest saving these for day trips as they are all accessible by ferry and bus.
You could also choose to stay in one of the major cities at either end of the Amalfi Coast – Sorrento or Salerno. Both towns are entry points to the Amalfi Coast as you need to go there first and transfer to buses or ferries to go to any of the other towns, except if you’re driving.
Unless you were specifically planning to explore these cities, I wouldn’t recommend basing yourself here because it takes around 45 to 60 minutes to get to the towns I’ve mentioned from either direction e.g. Salerno to Amalfi, or Sorrento to Positano. So, if you were staying in Sorrento or Salerno and wanted to do day trips to places like Amalfi and Positano, the commute would be time-consuming.
Recommendation snapshot
Amalfi: Go for the central location, transport, accommodation options, and lemon sorbet.
Positano: Go for the food, rooftop bars, iconic views, and beach clubs. Watch out for the stairs. Seriously, so. many. stairs!
Ravello: Go for the quiet, quaint, and authentic vibes. Enjoy the mountain views.