The Amalfi Coast drive in Southern Italy is one of the most iconic road trips in all of Europe, if not the world.
The hairpin bend roads hug the cliffs on one side and a vertical drop to the Mediterranean sea on the other side. The views are drop-dead, literally drop-dead, gorgeous. But the Amalfi Coast drive is not a road trip for those with vertigo, fear of heights or sanity of any sort really.
If you’re adventurous and a little ballsy though, you should most definitely pile into the backseat of a “Panderati” (That’s a Fiat Panda… our luxurious alternative to a Maserati) and head from Sorrento up the coast towards Amalfi.
At around 10 am, I stumbled from the hotel pool, wet hair and salty skin, with a miniature face cloth of a towel draped around my waist and nearly fell into the backseat of the Candy Red Panderati. Off to a good start don’t you think?
I clenched my teeth and stared into the twinkling sea as we left Sorrento. I was doing everything in my power to prevent vomiting on the family that so generously invited me to Italy with them. Yes, I was hungover and poorly rested from the night before…
The road is narrow. I felt like I jumped into my Nintendo 64 and was behind the wheel of Luigi’s Go-Kart heading straight down Mario’s Raceway. For example, around blind corners, it’s normal to honk your horn incessantly without slowing down to signal to oncoming traffic that you’re coming at them, full throttle.
Locals with their “Bravado” driving skills whiz by on Vespas with nothing but their fingers crossed. I couldn’t help but imagine how utterly ridiculous my seemingly enormous Jeep Grand Cherokee would be on this alleyway of a road.
On the left, the sheer cliffs are blanketed in lush greenery. While on the right, cantilevered parking garages, villas, restaurants and fruit stands cling to the 500-foot vertical drop into the Mediterranean. The emerald blue sea below meets the turquoise sky ever so seamlessly.
We stopped at what Bianca and I were told was her parent’s “absolute favorite fruit stand with a sweet man and beautiful chihuahuas”. Stepping out of the car we were blessed with the sweet smell of urine in the humid air. The chihuahuas appeared malnourished and were attached to the cliff by chain-linked leashes.
I’ll spare you the visual. Intelligently, we proceeded to purchase fruit from the thin white-bearded man surrounded by his chihuahuas. The waters were warm, definitely not “bibite fredde” and the peaches were bruised. total cost, 25 euros. That’s like 30 dollars for a few peaches and a couple of bottles of water. Definitely a scam.
In a bit of a daze, Bianca and I somehow switched seats in the backseat of the Panderati so I could have the better view. Grazie, Bianca. Instead of gracefully hopping over, I plopped directly on top of her.
Now that I had the better view, I can better describe what I saw. The towns that line the Amalfi coast are tucked away in small valleys and dips in the hillside. Brilliantly pastel-colored villas and restaurants are tightly stacked one on top of the other climbing upwards from the narrow pebbled beaches to the heavens. My favorite town along the coast was the infamous Positano.
Positano is perched in the hills halfway between Sorrento and Amalfi. The steep staircases cut into the mountainside and twist and turn down to sea level. The footpaths are overwhelmingly congested with women’s clothing stores, souvenir shops, cafés, and restaurants. The prices are double those of Sorrento, making Positano a much better place to window-shop than to shop.
If you do want to spend the big bucks, Positano is known for hand-crafted made to order leather sandals. The shoemaker will make your sandals while you wait and there are ample styles and leathers to choose from. Take your new kicks and head to the beach (you’re gonna need them). The beach is made up of small dark pebbles that could give third-degree burns to your soles in a matter of milliseconds. In summer, the water is truly the only place to be with this kind of heat.
For a cool treat, go to Paradise Lounge Bar. I tried the melon popsicle. I loved it so much I recreated the recipe at home. Bianca had the Nutella and dark chocolate ice cream pop. She loved it too. From the outside, this place was nothing special but inside the views from the terrace were almost as good as the popsicles.
We split our Amalfi Coast drive into two days. On day two we skipped past Positano and went to Amalfi. We thought it best to spend two days rather than one so we didn’t have to rush.
Amalfi is closer to the sea than the sky and was once one of the four most important trading ports in all of Italy. Nowadays, Amalfi is no more than an overpriced tourist destination boasting an impressive name with not so impressive streets. Sitting on top of 500 or so steps is the Duomo di Sant’Andrea, an Arab and Gothic influenced Cathedral that is located in the center of town. Just a short walk away is the overcrowded beach that lines the shore.
As you can probably tell, I’d skip Amalfi if I were you. Instead, I’d sub in Ravello. Ravello is a romantic village atop a mountain peak. I haven’t been but I’ve heard its breathtaking.
Another option is to continue on to Salerno or one of the other less-visited places. They may not be as naturally beautiful, but fewer tourists is always a beautiful treat.
And of course, you can always spend some time in Sorrento. We set our home base as Sorrento. Since we were there for quite a while, I wrote another post on my top 10 things to do in Sorrento. And if you’re spending some time here, be sure to read my guide on how to spend a day in Capri.
Arrivederci, Amalfi Coast drive. I’ll be back soon. Have you been to the Amalfi coast? Where is your favorite spot?
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