Summer on The Amalfi Coast: Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello
Pretty Positano
This Week in Travel
This week, I’ve had a number of clients disappointed that we weren’t able to get tickets for the Vatican, the Louvre, the Last Supper, and Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.
Summer in Europe is peak season. You are competing with tourists from all over the world, and many of them are Type A travelers who are booking excursions as soon as they become available. Don’t wait til the last minute to book anything. (Shoemaker’s children example: My 86 year old dad who declined my assistance and just showed up at the Louvre one April afternoon and assumed he and his new bride could just walk on in.)
This week, I didn’t have a ton of time for meetings, but I did meet with one of my wholesalers. Wholesalers secure negotiated rates, resort perks, and on-the-ground support you can't get in booking direct. This particular wholesaler has a nice tech platform to help with booking transfers and train tickets all in one place with the hotel, which I like.
I spent most of this week getting a lot of clients booked before I disappear into some margaritas and tacos down in Mexico. I’m being treated to a lot of nice things in Mexico in acknowledgement of my business—it’s a rewards trip. Not gonna lie: I’m also intrigued to see the sargassum situation up close. This is my first trip since January when I went to the Galapagos so I am excited!
Now Let’s Talk about Italy…
It’s that time of year where everyone wonders if they should head to the Amalfi Coast for the summer. You see your friends’ Instagram pics and you think, “Hmmm could that be me?” I’ve been to the Amalfi Coast multiple times but most recently in October. You may enjoy my blog post from that trip as it covers Lake Como and Rome as well.
When you arrive on the Amalfi Coast for the first time, you start to understand why everyone has been talking about it. The light is different. The water is a specific shade of blue-green that doesn't photograph correctly. The lemons are the size of softballs. And the pasta is so good you will rethink everything you thought you knew about pasta. (Mmmm lemon pasta.)
This stretch of coastline — about 25 miles of cliffside towns, hairpin roads, and terraced gardens above the Tyrrhenian Sea — rewards travelers who slow down and pick one or two (or three) bases rather than trying to see everything. Three towns deserve your full attention: Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello. Each is distinct. Each has its own personality and pace. Here is how to do them well.
POSITANO
Positano is the most photogenic town on the coast — the cascading pastel buildings, the dome of Santa Maria Assunta, the narrow stepped streets descending to Spiaggia Grande. It is also the most visited, which means you should settle in before the day-trippers arrive. Mornings here are genuinely magical. By 11am, the main beach is full.
Personally, I feel that the very town center of Positano is kinda…meh. A lot of it is targeting the day-trippers looking for fridge magnets. But get out of the main square and that’s where the magic happens.
Where to Stay
The reference property on the Amalfi Coast and one of the great hotels in Italy. A family-run villa since 1951, with 58 rooms, three bars, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and a design and art program that has been active for decades. John Steinbeck stayed here in 1953 and wrote that Positano "bites deep." The Sersale family, who still own and live in the hotel, have kept that feeling intact. Aldo's Champagne Bar is worth an evening on its own. As a Virtuoso advisor, I can add complimentary breakfast, priority upgrade consideration, and additional amenities.
Two kilometers south of the village center, cut into the cliff face with every room facing the sea and Praiano beyond. Private terraces on every room. A Michelin-starred restaurant (Zass) that asks guests to leave their phones outside. A beach club reached by hotel lift in under a minute. A private dock for yacht arrivals. One of the more complete hotel packages on the coast, and slightly quieter than being in the center of Positano. Virtuoso amenities available.
Where to Eat
La Sponda at Le Sirenuse (1 Michelin Star)
Four hundred candles at dinner. The dome of Santa Maria Assunta visible from your table. Chef Gennaro Russo's kitchen is anchored in Neapolitan flavors — the freshest local seafood, handmade pasta, citrus from the gardens below. Reserve a terrace table and go at sunset. Book before you leave home.
Zass at Il San Pietro di Positano (1 Michelin Star)
A garden-to-table kitchen with produce grown on the hotel's organic terraces, on an open terrace above Praiano and the sea. The no-phones policy makes everyone more present at dinner, which is a gift. Ask for a table at the edge. Lunch here is excellent and more relaxed than dinner service.
Amalfi — the local boat jetty is BUSY. You gotta be ready to hop on/off fast.
AMALFI
Amalfi is a working town, not just a resort. It has a cathedral, a paper-making tradition dating to the 9th century, a market, and streets where actual people live and shop. It is also the geographic center of the coast, which makes it a logical base if you want to explore in both directions. The harbor is lively and slightly chaotic, which I sorta love. The duomo steps are worth climbing at dusk, when the crowds thin out.
Where to Stay
The benchmark property in Amalfi town. A family-run clifftop hotel since 1880, with citrus groves, two pools, a beach club carved into the rock below, and Glicine — one of the coast's most celebrated Michelin-starred restaurants. Rooms vary considerably; ask for one with a sea-facing balcony. The lemon grove suites are worth the upgrade. Virtuoso amenities available.
Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel
A 13th-century Capuchin convent converted into a hotel, perched on the cliffs above town with views that are genuinely astonishing. The cloisters have been preserved; the original monks' cells are now guest rooms. Infinity pool overlooking the sea. A more dramatic setting than Santa Caterina, with a different character — more solemn, more historic. Worth considering if you want something that feels unlike any other hotel. Virtuoso amenities available.
Where to Eat
Glicine at Hotel Santa Caterina (1 Michelin Star)
Chef Giuseppe Stanzione's kitchen on a wisteria-draped terrace above the Amalfi coastline. The cuisine fuses the flavors of Campania with Eastern technique — Stanzione has worked in California, Australia, China, and Thailand, and it shows in dishes like tuna in sake and soy with smoked aubergine and yuzu. One of the most complete dining experiences on the coast. Dinner only. Reserve early.
La Caravella dal 1959 (1 Michelin Star)
The first restaurant in southern Italy to appear in the Michelin Guide, back in 1959. It describes itself as a museum, and appropriately so: the dining room is lined with ceramics and ancient artifacts inside a 12th-century palazzo. The menu is deeply traditional Campanian — the kind of cooking that has been refined over decades rather than reinvented. A different experience from the hotel restaurants, and a great one.
The view from Ravello
RAVELLO
Ravello sits 365 meters above the sea, connected to Amalfi by a 20-minute drive up some seriously hairpin roads. (My friends are still amazed that I fell asleep in the car.) It has gardens, a music festival, two Michelin-starred restaurants, and some of the nicest views on the coast — the Terrace of Infinity at Villa Cimbrone is stunning on a pretty day. There’s also a nice main square in Ravello where you can have a drink (there are some surprisingly good local beers on offer) and watch the neighborhood cats.
I book Ravello a lot. It’s pretty. People like it. But do you what? I think it’s a little boring. I’ve learned that gardens that are not in fully in bloom are not my thing. That being said, the shopping in Ravello is enjoyable. I still think about all the Italian tea towels I didn’t buy. (I am a tea towel/kitchen towel addict.) Note that when I went to Ravello, it was POURING RAIN. so this may have affected my experience.
Where to Stay
Caruso has one of the most famous infinity pools in Italy — a narrow rectangular pool at the cliff's edge that appears to merge with the Gulf of Salerno below. Fifty rooms and suites, most with sea views, in an 11th-century palazzo. Intimate and excellently run, with Belmond's signature attention to detail. Complimentary boat excursions for guests. Virtuoso amenities available.
A 12th-century villa with 43 rooms and suites, sitting 1,000 feet above the coastline. Rossellinis — the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant — is on the terrace, which makes dinner here one of the better combinations of food and view on the coast. The Clubhouse by the Sea beach club is at the base of the mountain, 15 minutes away by shuttle. One of the longest-running luxury properties on the Amalfi Coast and still one of the best. Virtuoso amenities available.
Where to Eat
Rossellinis at Palazzo Avino (1 Michelin Star)
Terrace dining above the Gulf of Salerno, with contemporary Mediterranean cuisine from Chef Fabrizio Vanacore. The approach is restrained and precise — light flavors, regional produce, impeccable technique. The sommelier is exceptional and this is an excellent place to explore Campania's regional wines with a proper pairing. Reserve a terrace table at sunset. Book directly through Palazzo Avino well in advance.
Il Flauto di Pan at Villa Cimbrone (1 Michelin Star)
Reached by a walk through Ravello's historic center and the centuries-old grounds of Villa Cimbrone, Il Flauto di Pan sits on a terrace adjacent to the Terrace of Infinity. Chef Lorenzo Montoro's creative Mediterranean menu reimagines traditional flavors with contemporary technique. The setting — ancient gardens, panoramic views, soft piano music — is the most romantic on the coast. Factor in time for the walk and book well ahead.
TOP 5 MISTAKES TRAVELERS MAKE ON THE AMALFI COAST
1. Renting a car
The SS163 Amalfitana — the coastal road — is a single lane in each direction on cliff edges, with buses that cannot pass each other without one reversing. In July and August, it can gridlock for hours. Parking doesn't exist in any practical sense. Locals take the ferry between towns. You should too. The ferry network connects Positano, Amalfi, and Salerno with comfortable frequency from spring through October, and a boat ride between towns is infinitely more enjoyable than the road.
2. Going in August
August is when much of Italy goes on vacation simultaneously, and the Amalfi Coast absorbs a disproportionate amount of that traffic. Hotels charge peak rates, restaurants are fully booked weeks in advance, beaches are packed by 9am, and the coastal road becomes genuinely impassable on bad days. May, June, and September offer the same light, the same water temperature, and a fraction of the crowds. October is still warm enough to swim and the light is extraordinary.
3. Booking only one base and trying to see everything in a day
The Amalfi Coast is not large on a map, but logistically it operates at a pace that makes covering ground slowly both necessary and, eventually, welcome. Trying to do Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello in a single day trip from Naples leaves you with traffic stress and no actual feel for any of them. Base yourself in one place for at least two nights. Ravello is quieter and cooler. Positano is more cinematic. Amalfi is the most practical base for exploring in both directions. In my dreams, I do two nights in each place, plus two nights in Capri, two nights in Ischia, two nights in Sorrento, and then two nights in Naples just for the pizza.
4. Underestimating the steps
Every town on the Amalfi Coast is built vertically. Getting from your hotel to the beach, to a restaurant, and back involves significant stair climbing, often on uneven stone in the heat of midday. If mobility is a concern, discuss it specifically when booking — the difference between a hotel at road level and one 200 steps above it is not a minor detail. Some of the best hotels (including Le Sirenuse) are positioned to minimize this; others are not. The first question I ask clients who request Positano is “How do you feel about stairs?”
5. Not booking restaurants early enough
The Michelin-starred restaurants on this coast — Zass, Glicine, Rossellinis, Il Flauto di Pan, La Sponda — book out weeks to months in advance during peak season. If you want to eat at Rossellinis on a Saturday in July with a sunset terrace view, you need to have called Palazzo Avino in April. This is not an exaggeration. Planning the restaurants before you plan the flights is the correct order of operations here.
The Amalfi Coast rewards the traveler who has done the planning before they arrive. If you want help putting a trip together — hotels, restaurants, ferry logistics, day excursions to Capri or Pompeii — that is exactly what I do. Reach out and let's talk through the options.
WHY YOU NEED ME FOR THE AMALFI COAST
The hotels are beautiful and the food is extraordinary. It's the logistics that make or break the trip.
Transfers and private drivers The coastal road is a shared nightmare. Getting from Naples Airport to Positano requires a skilled local driver who knows exactly where to pull over when a tour bus appears from around a blind corner — and who won't abandon you at the bottom of 200 steps with your luggage. This is not the place to book an Uber.
Private boat charters The best way to see this coast is from the water. Not on a group tour — a private boat that can anchor in the cove below Positano before the crowds arrive and run you to Capri without the ferry queue. It's one of the most consistently loved experiences my clients have here, and one of the most opaque things to book on your own. I have the right captain.
Capri and Pompeii Both are worth doing. Neither is worth doing poorly. Capri without a plan is a funicular queue and a Blue Grotto queue and lunch with 200 other tourists. Pompeii with an archaeologist who can access areas closed to the public is a different experience entirely. I can arrange both.
The Sentiero degli Dei The most dramatic hike on the coast — Agerola to Nocelle above Positano, vertiginous views, almost no crowds. Most people never know to book it. It requires a driver to the trailhead and a plan for getting back down.
The things that aren't listed anywhere The Fiorduva wine family above Furore has no website. The majolica workshop in Vietri sul Mare doesn't need to market itself. The private garden at a Ravello villa that has been in the same family since the 16th century is not open to the public. These are the things a good advisor knows about. That is what I do.
About Krista
I’m a Virtuoso travel advisor based in Palm Beach, Florida. I attended the University of Notre Dame for undergrad and I have my MBA from the University of Chicago. Before building my travel business, I spent 20 years in the investment management industry and over a decade living and working in London, England. I’ve personally traveled to 80 countries and now design thoughtful, highly customized trips for travelers who value expertise, access, and a seamless experience.
I offer a complimentary 30-minute consultation for travelers considering a custom itinerary or luxury cruise.c
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