It’s true. The Amalfi Coast has lots of tourists and always will. After 13 years of travelling Italy, it is still a place I can’t wait to return to. Once upon a time, there was a quieter time at the beginning and end of the season, but not anymore. At the end of the season on 31st of October everything shuts down – accommodation, restaurants, ferries, shops. So how best to have amazing experiences on the stunning Amalfi Coast without being swamped by tourists? Of the 13 towns and villages on the Amalfi Coast, the big three are Ravello, Amalfi and Positano. Add Capri as a popular day excursion. The key to life changing travel is complete immersion in the culture of your destination which means at least three days in one place.

RAVELLO, an island in the sky 

Enchanting Ravello is so high up that you feel completely removed from the crowds only six kilometres below in Amalfi. For bluer-than-blue vistas of sea and sky, Ravello will capture your heart and soul. In the 14th century, Italian writer and poet Boccaccio described the Amalfi Coast as “the most delightful place in Italy . . . a coast covered with little towns and gardens and fountains, amongst which there is one called Ravello.” Even the views from la fermata (the bus stop) make it one of the most beautiful places in the world to wait for a bus. In 1953 in honour of Richard Wagner and the 60th anniversary of his death, the Ravello Festival was inaugurated as an annual celebration that is held every summer during July and August. The festival hosts artists, directors, orchestras, solo musicians, actors and dancers from around the world. It is truly a special time to visit la citta della musica, the city of music. Besides stunning ceramics from the two factories in town and the beautiful gardens of Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo, Ravello is a great base for a not to be missed adventure walking The Path of the Gods.

After catching the local bus down to Amalfi, buy a one way ticket to Agerola which is a thirty minute on the edge of your seat bus trip climbing to the mountains. Hop off the bus in Bomerano, a small hamlet of Agerola. The stunning walk takes around three hours and is quite achievable with a moderate level of fitness. Finishing in Nocelle, perched high above Positano, you can descend 1,700 steps or catch a bus down to Positano which departs Nocelle every hour. From Positano you ferry back to Amalfi. Walking the ‘Sentiero degli Dei’, Path of the Gods, is easier from this direction.

POSITANO, picture perfect postcard destination 

To walk Positano is to climb Positano via a myriad of alleyways and stairways, but this is how you escape the throngs of tourists. This little piece of heaven with its dramatic cliffs, shimmering sea, wisteria and lemon trees personifies ‘la dolce vita’.

Aside from the fashion phenomenon that began in the fifties and continues to this day with the buzz of sewing machines in many boutiques, Positano is also a melting pot of art and culture.

The Roman Archaeological Museum of Positano is the result of years of excavations and restorations to reveal a Roman Villa dating back to 1st century AD. Located in the centre of tiny Positano and easily missed, it is an amazing piece of history and has walls of frescoes that are extraordinarily well preserved.

AMALFI, once a proud and glorious maritime republic 

Hard to imagine, but between the 9th and 12th centuries, Amalfi was one of the world’s great naval powers with a population around 80,000 compared to 5,000 now. The Amalfitani learnt to make paper from the Arabs, producing bambagina, a thick heavy parchment made from cotton and linen rags. Beginning in the 12th century, former macaroni mills were converted to the production of paper, among the first in Europe to do so. By 1811 more than a dozen mills were humming in Amalfi. The Museo della Carta (Museum of Paper) opened in 1971 in a 15th century mill which allows you to see tools of the trade and experience making your own paper.

ATRANI, a tiny fishing village

If you leave the tourist jammed main street and climb up into the labyrinth of narrow alleys and steep stairways, you get a sense of the history and magnificent views of Amalfi. Follow a path with more awe-inspiring views to the tiny town of Atrani, often overlooked by tourists, yet only a 20 minute walk. Nestled between sheer cliffs with an area of 0.2 square kilometres, it is one of Italy’s smallest yet most charming villages so close, yet so far from the hustle and bustle of Amalfi.

The historic fishing village with less than 900 residents is a jumble of pastel coloured houses practically built on top of each other. Just 200 metres from the sea is A’Paranza, listed in the Michelin Guide in 2020. The story goes that people come all the way from Milan for their signature risotto con crema di scampi. And Milan is the home of risotto!

CAPRI, un piccolo paradiso 

To experience Capri as a day-tripper compared to staying on this island that is a walker’s paradise gives you an entirely different perception. It is impossible to know the beauty of the island and all that it offers without staying. In the tight streets away from the celebrity packed ‘see and be seen crowd’, you are in tranquil surburbia walking past seemingly empty grandiose villas with enormous gardens. Within 30 minutes you arrive at the elegant Villa Lysis, built in 1904 by Count Ferson who escaped Paris for a life of self- imposed exile. The views from the gardens down to Marina Grande are incredible. Exit the gate and take a secret dirt path on the left for 20 minutes to arrive at Villa Jovis, the largest of twelve villas built by emperor Tiberius in the 1st century AD. Another stunning walk is to zig-zag your way down Via Krupp to Marina Piccola. This switchback path was built into the cliffside in the early 1900s by the German industrialist, Friedrich Alfred Krupp, and reopened in October 2023, having been closed since 1976!

ANACAPRI, laid-back with a villagy vibe 

For access to fantastic walks and less people, stay in Anacapri located above Capri. In the village square, take a 12 minute chairlift ride to the top of Monte Solaro, an eerily quiet experience as your feet dangle over treetops and gardens whilst ascending 587 metres to the highest point on the island. On the western, wilder side of the island, the five kilometre Sentiero dei Fortini (Path of the Forts) walk begins at the Blue Grotto and finishes at the Punta Carena Lighthouse, the second biggest lighthouse in Italy. I love this solitary walk of four forts, which were built by the British for short-range artiller at the time of the Napoleonic wars in the early 1800s. In 1998 Anacapri municipality started restoration of the ancient forts and the paths linking them. Along the route are ceramic tiles attached to the rocks with information about local flora and fauna.

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana,

Deb