Italy Part One: The Amalfi Coast
I am so excited to finally be sharing all about our trip to Italy last month! We had the most incredible time, and it felt so good to finally see so many places on my bucket list. It renewed my love of traveling, reinvigorated my senses and made me want to book another international trip the minute we got home.
We were initially supposed to go in 2020, but we finally were able to reschedule for this summer and I’m glad we waited. The vibe was much more laid back this year, so it really felt like we were able to relax and move around without worry.
The first part of our trip we spent on the exquisitely beautiful Amalfi Coast. After spending 6 glorious days there, I’m convinced there is no place more beautiful on earth. After the Amalfi Coast, we spent 4 days in Rome, which I’ll cover in a separate post! But today I’m diving into the clear blue waters of the Amalfi Coast.
not having a good time AT ALL
Quick Italy Rules
Tipping not required
2. Minimum 1 gelato per day, strictly enforced
Flights & Transportation
We flew in and out of Rome, and we rented a car and drove around ourselves. There are so many options when it comes to traveling around Italy but there were a few reasons why we decided to drive, the first being, we had the ability to have more control over where we could go and when to could be on the road - we didn’t want to be at the mercy of train schedules. Another option was hiring a private driver, but we’d really need someone for several days based on where we wanted to go, so that really would have been out of budget! Renting a car was the most affordable options for us. We found most drivers were polite and went the speed limit, unlike drivers here in Texas. And while I was initially concerned about driving on the Amalfi Coast, it actually wasn’t bad at all. Everyone drives slow where they need to so it really wasn’t stressful at all.
Positano
Positano has long been on my bucket list since an initial viewing of Under the Tuscan Sun (starring Diane Lane and Sandra Oh) over a decade ago. I was enchanted by that movie, but I was even more enchanted after visiting Positano. We drove in in the morning, and our hotel had a parking spot saved for us, so we were able to park and leave the car, and leave our bags at our hotel. We immediately headed to brunch at Casa E Bottega which I loved. It was a charming little cafe that sold beautiful pottery and linens, and used farm-fresh ingredients in every meal - it was delicious! We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around town, taking in the views, and enjoying the ocean breeze. An aperitif before dinner is a must in Italy - we grabbed a couple cocktails and headed off to dinner!
Capri
On day 2 we took a ferry from Positano to Capri! We got into town, and walked around to take in the sights and peruse the amazing stores they have there! I didn’t buy anything (I dont love shopping on vacation) but it was fun to walk around town and see. We took a taxi to the other side of the island - Anacapri, so we could see Villa San Michele. Anacapri was much quieter and I preferred it to the town of Capri, so we spent the rest of the day there! Villa San Michele was stunning and only $10 euro per person so it’s very worthy way to spend some time. The Villa was just incredible as were the gardens. At the end of the day, we took a ferry back to Positano. That evening was one of my favorites of the trip - we had drinks at Aldos, the outdoor bar at the storied Le Sirenuse hotel in Positano, and watched the sunset. It was a truly incredible view. After that we headed in to La Sponda, their Michelin starred restaurant, for dinner. It was truly fine-dining, (I’m still dreaming of the ravioli) and the most incredible experience.
Praiano
After two days of lots of exploring and walking, we planned for a day at the beach. After checking out of our hotel in Positano, we drove over to our next hotel just outside of Praiano. I can’t recommend our hotel - Hotel Pellegrino - enough! It’s owned and operated by the kindest family, and has the most incredible views, food and anything else you could wish for. It’s encircled by a cloud of fragrant bougainvillea and jasmine was truly magical. The hotel owner offered to drive us around to our destinations which we were so grateful for. We opted for Marina del Praia, and ended up having the most incredible beach day. We split a pizza and had a couple of glasses of wine for lunch. It was true la dolce vita. We ate dinner that night at a tiny local spot in Praiano ( a tip off from the Maître d' at La Sponda) and had the best casual dinner. I loved experiencing a spot that was off the radar!
Ravello
The next morning we drove to Ravello from our hotel in Praiano. The drive took about 45 minutes, although Ravello was only 5 miles away, the road twisted and turned far up into the mountains. Once we arrived in town, I was absolutely swooning. It was truly magical - surrounded by ocean on one side and mountains on the other. It was hard to believe it was real. We spent the morning visiting Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone - they are about a 10 minute walk from each other and I believe the tickets were only $7 euro for each villa. They were both absolutely incredible, with stunning views, gardens, and architecture. We ate a late lunch at Mimi’s Ristorante (the most delicious pizza spot), then spent the afternoon shopping in town, and I did actually find a sun hat at a charming little shop called Bottega d’Ago. It was my one purchase of the trip! Then we had one last gelato in town before getting back on the road! Ravello was truly my favorite town we visited on the whole trip. If I were to make any changes to our trip, it would be to spend a night there. That night we had dinner at Da Franchino in Praiano, a beautiful little restaurant right on the water. It was one of my favorites of the trip!
Sorrento
Sorrento was the last town we visited on the Amalfi coast! We stayed outside Sorrento in a small town on our first night in Italy but didn’t get a chance to see the town itself. Sorrento was an absolutely stunning, larger town on the north side of the peninsula. The first thing we actually did there was get gelato - and I think it was my favorite gelato we had on the whole trip! We walked around and explored the town, and took in the never-ending coastline. We had lunch at Da Franco - it was a little pizza and charcuterie place that was incredible. After our day in Sorrento, we made the drive back up to Rome!
Amalfi Coast Must-Dos:
A quick list of my must-eat, see and do on the Amalfi Coast
Positano: Casa e Bottega, Aldo’s and La Sponda located in Le Sirenuse Hotel
Capri: Villa San Michele, La Fontelina Beach Club
Praiano: Hotel Pellegrino, Marina del Praia, Da Franchino
Ravello: Villa Rufolo, Villa Cimbrone, Mimi’s Ristorante
Sorrento: Raki’s Gelato, Da Franco Pizza
Questions?
I’d love to answer any and all questions you have! Comment below if there is anything I can help answer.