Amalfi Coast

Conca dei Marini, Amalfi, Positano and Capri

Emerald-hued waters, lemon tree groves, crystal clear skies and delicious food - the Amalfi coast is truly a slice of heaven.

After a wonderful stay in Florence, we took a train to Naples. I spent the majority of the 3 hour train ride thinking about how awesome it would be if railways in North America were as speedy and efficient… what a dream that would be. Once in Naples, we rented a car and drove down to Italy’s famous Amalfi coast. It is a destination I had been dreaming of visiting for years and I am so incredibly thankful for the chance to experience it. Here’s a post about what we saw and did.

Getting Around

If you’re planning a visit, choosing where to stay will largely depend on whether you rent a car or not. Driving in this region can be tricky - the roads are incredibly narrow and loaded with hairpin turns. Parking can also be a challenge given the limited supply of flat land. My husband was up for the challenge while I winced in the passenger seat.

I wouldn’t recommend renting a car if you’re planning on staying in the main cities of Positano or Amalfi, as you can take a ferry or boat taxi to neighboring towns with ease in the summer time. Scooters and motorcycles are ubiquitous in the area so if you have experience driving them, it’s another great option to get around. There is also the SITA bus that travels between the towns along the coast, which is very convenient. Just note that if you’re traveling during the busy summer season, the buses fill up fast and it can get very hot in there.

Despite the potential driving setbacks, renting a car ended up being the best option for us because we were spending 10 days in the area and wanted more flexibility to move around whenever we wanted (without depending on ferry/bus schedules). We also wanted to stay in a smaller, less crowded town for a more relaxing experience, ultimately settling on Conca dei Marini as our headquarters for the trip.

Conca dei Marini

Conca dei Marini is sleepy little town with a population of less than 800 people, about 4 km outside of the city of Amalfi. We rented a house through Airbnb with a beautiful view and a friendly cat that paid us daily visits. We cooked many meals with delicious supplies sourced from the local grocery store that was a 10 minute walk away. Our host provided us with a local parking pass that we could use to park in street parking spots generally reserved for residents. This made getting around Conca dei Marini easy, however most of the time we opted to walk.

Getting around by foot in any town on the Amalfi coast includes climbing multiple flights of stairs. All the steps lead to beautiful places and it made for such a fun experience exploring the town. It took 700 steps to go down to the beach from where we were staying! The local public beach in Conca dei Marini offered chairs and umbrellas for rent, and you could grab a bite to eat from the restaurants nearby. This was the beach we frequented most often, and it was beautiful. There were boat taxis available to take you to Amalfi or Positano as well, right from the small marina.

The area is gorgeous and if you’re up for it, there are hiking trails in the mountains that connect the towns. We walked all the way from Conca dei Marini up to San Lazzaro, a town perched at the top of the cliffs, taking in incredible Mediterranean views and ruins of an ancient monastery along the way.

One of the other main attractions in Conca dei Marini is an old 17th century monastery turned luxury hotel & spa called Monastero Santa Rosa. They have an incredible Michelin star restaurant on site, as well as an award-winning spa. It’s definitely worth a stop if you’re staying in town - or better yet, booking a part of your stay there if you’re only around for a few days and want a special treat. The famous Italian pastry, the sfogliatella, was created by the nuns at the Santa Rosa monastery in the 17th century. We also enjoyed eating at Le Bontà del Capo and La Piazza da Nino for more casual dinners when we didn’t feel like cooking or driving to another town.

Amalfi

The oldest city and the namesake of the coast, Amalfi is absolutely gorgeous. It was a 15 minute drive from our place in Conca dei Marini. We’d get up in the morning and drive to Amalfi, dropping our car off at the Luna Rossa parking garage and walking into the city center to grab a cappuccino and pastries at Andrea Pansa. This pastry shop and cafe has been operating since 1830 and if you have one bite of their desserts, you will understand why it’s been so well loved for so long. It was incredible. They also sell lots of goodies you can take home to family and friends like candied lemon peel, home-made hazelnut chocolate spreads and a variety of crispy chocolate truffles.

There is a stunning cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo dedicated to the Apostle Saint Andrew along with a plethora of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops and lemon juice stands nearby. We stopped by La Caravella for lunch and ate like kings. They’re very well known for their seafood tasing menu but we ordered a-la-carte and left the restaurant with bottles of balsamic vinegar and olive oil to take home because #priorities. Another noteworthy stop for us was La Scuderia del Duca, which I would highly recommend for special keepsakes to bring back for your home or for friends & family. They had an amazing selection of antique furniture, one-of-a-kind pottery made by local artists, handmade paper goods, cards and art prints.

Positano

We spent a sunny afternoon in this famous city and marveled at the beautifully painted houses. Positano is the most visually impactful as you’re approaching it from the sea. Given its picturesque beauty, it also attracts the most tourist eyes and thus was the most crowded. Everyone wants a piece of its beauty! There were shopping and food options aplenty, and their public beach was really large so even if you’re not staying in town you can easily pack a swimsuit, take the ferry over and spend a full day here.

Since driving and parking in Positano seemed like a nightmare, we instead drove to Amalfi in the morning, parked at our usual spot and then took the ferry. The ferry ride from Amalfi to Positano was only 20 minutes long and super comfortable. We bought the tickets for the ferry right in the Amalfi marina, half an hour before departure.

Noteworthy stops for us were La Sponda for lunch - their ravioli were so amazing and stunning to look at, like art on a plate. The terrace views were wonderful and the service was very attentive. It’s a refined restaurant with the price tag to match, but I would definitely recommend it for a Positano treat. Reservation is required for both lunch and dinner so make sure you have one ahead of time. Liquid Art Systems Gallery had some really cool modern art on display and for sale if you’re an avid collector. I’d also recommend checking out Feludei for jewelry and Umberto Carro for high quality linen shirts.

Capri

The final leg of our journey was spent on the beautiful island of Capri. We dropped off the rental car in Sorrento and hopped on the ferry to the island, where we spent two nights. Capri is comprised of two main towns - Capri and Anacapri. There is only one main road connecting the two, with steady bus and taxi service throughout the day. The taxis were all convertibles, which made for a fun ride.

The main Capri town is very glamorous and houses numerous designer shops if you’re in the mood to splurge. We were shopped out by that point, but we did pick up fruit-shaped ceramics from Eureka Capri.

We stayed at Caesar Augustus Hotel in Anacapri, which was a treat and a half. We wanted to spend our last few days in utter bliss and relaxation and that’s exactly what happened. The hotel sits on sprawling cliffside land complete with their own organic garden, from which the food they serve at their restaurant is sourced. They call it “zero kilometer cooking” and it was outstanding. The gardens, terraces and infinity pool views were beautiful, I couldn’t stop taking photos of every corner. We had reservations to spend an afternoon by the sea at the famous La Fontelina beach club but we enjoyed our hotel’s pool so much, we didn’t make it over.

Main food highlights were sandwiches from De Martino for lunch: this tiny spot is in the back of a grocery store in Anacapri just a short walk up the street from our hotel, and it was so good we came back twice. The sandwich menu is long and it’s so much fun to order at the counter and see your creation come to life. Think Subway but a chic, delicious, home-made Italian version.

We also loved La Terazza di Lucullo at our hotel for both dinner and lunch. The fresh fish dishes and pesto were incredible. For a fun night out, we made late dinner reservations at Da Paolino, a restaurant in a lemon grove. The food was good, I enjoyed the mozzarella grilled in lemon leaves and their limoncello, but the atmosphere and people watching were what made the spot. From family dining to ultra glamorous couples, this place had it all.

Ending the journey in Capri offered just the right balance of excitement and relaxation. On our way home both my husband and I reflected on the trip and would do it all over again, exactly the same way (with perhaps an added visit to the town of Ravello, which we didn’t get to see). All the more reason to return!