amalfi coast, italia

we're back! and still jet lagged...

robb and i spent a week in the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy and well, i'm rounding up how we spent everyday: what to see, where to eat, public transportation, where to stay; all of it. plus some extras for those of you traveling there during July and August, since you will have slightly warmer weather than we had. 

where we stayed

Hotel Margherita, Praiano

Praiano is less touristy than many of the other towns in the Amalfi Coast. it is also central to all the places you'll want to visit on your stay! 

we found the best restaurants are in Praiano. my favorite? kasai. i recommend sitting outside where you can enjoy the beautiful views of the mediterranean. also, you'll want to get the black truffle pasta... just trust me on this one.  however everything on the menu is incredible. the first time we ate here we ordered a lot of food and split it; and we went back a second time for the pasta, it is that good. 

the resturaunt in Hotel Margherita is phenomenal as well. it is called ristorante m'ama and is a michelin star resturaunt. my favorite thing on the menu is the home made ice cream, there is no place in all of Amalfi that came close, even the gelaterias. the owner Margherita, offers cooking classes that are two hours each and 100 euros per person.you will cook from 11am to 1pm, learning how to make pasta from scratch, eggplant, and many of their other dishes; the food you make with her is what you'll eat for lunch on their terrace. again, i just have to say, the views are out of this world.

lastly la moressa... this resturaunt is located up the street from the hotel and had the best pizza in amalfi. but to be honest, the gnocchi was my personal favorite and robb talked about their burrata for a solid week after we ate there.

we also chose to do a hike that came highly recommended to us called 'path of the gods.' it's a half day hike that starts in Praiano and ends in Positano. i would bring a backpack with some water and snacks, and pack your bathing suit for the beach once you reach positano. the hike is not easy, you'll want to wear sneakers or hiking shoes but the views are worth it. there is also a bar above positano when you're near the end of the hike. we stopped for lemonchello shots...

Sorrento

we spent our first full day in Sorrento which was just a short ferry ride from Positano. in order to get to Positano from Praiano you take the bus. the public transportation in Amalfi is great, you can get everywhere you need and want to go with a bus or boat. the Tobacchi stores sell tickets for the bus, and they are usually (conveniently) right by the bus stops. 

sorrento is the biggest city and where everyone from Amalfi goes shopping for anything they may need that their provinces don't have. you can spend a whole day there just walking around the shops and the square. if you like museums, check out the Correale. 

there is a Michelin star resturaunt here as well, L’Antica Trattoria known for their seafood dishes. 

we only had a day to spend here, but there is SO much to do in Sorrento. here are some of the things we hope to do next time we visit.

Opera e Lirica or the Great Opera in Sorrento is one of the most thrilling things to do in Sorrento Italy and can be an authentic experience at its core.

Liminoro taste-testing is one of the top things to do in Sorrento, Italy. whether it’s an official tour or your own self-guided tour, you must try some of the unique flavors of Sorrento. we bought a lot of things from here... like a lot of truffle, pesto, some cookies...

I Giardini di Cataldo is a lemonchello producer right in town. you can wander the lemon grove and garden and then see the limoncello being made. but i will tell you, Amalfi is where you'll get the best limoncello, and learn the most about the industry. 

Punta del Capo is a beach west of town with views across the bay of Naples.

Bagni Della Regina Giovanna however is where i want to go first when we make our way back to the coast. it is a secluded beach protected by rocky land so it's more like a lagoon. its a five minute bus ride from the main beach and a nice walk / hike from town. 

Amalfi

the town of Amalfi has one of the most gorgeous churches i have ever stepped foot in called the Cathedral Duomo. it's in the center of town and it's a must. there is a fountain just outside that you can drink from or fill your water bottle and a small cafè to the right that was the best espresso i had all trip. i believe the cafè is called Andrea something...

the lemon tour here is so good! before you think oh please no... i did the same, i originally only went to appease Robb but i actually loved it. there is a lot of fascinating history there that not only relates to one of their largest industries but how it affects the economy of Amalfi and the structure of the mountains. you will walk through the gardens, eat lemon cake, meet the cutest puppy, taste lemonchello, and learn about the peels that are used to make this tasty digestive aid. 

two of the things i would like to do on our next trip here are:

Valle delle Ferriere is a nature reserve with ruins of old mills and ironworks. among the ruins are rare Italian plant species which makes it one of the most fascinating things to do in Amalfi Coast. 

Le Vigne di Raito is the most famous winery along Italy’s southern coast. it is privately owned and offers gorgeous panoramic views of a wide open sea and colorful hillside. 

Ravello 

from Amalfi, the bus to Ravello is short so i'd suggest doing these two towns in the same day. we heard so much about Ravello, mostly how stunning it is. you will walk through a tunnel into the main square where you'll want to go left into Villa Rufolo. 

from there, check out Villa Cimbrone and the shops! 

Capri 

visually speaking, this was my favorite.

you must take a boat there and try to go on a day where the waters aren't too rough... it's a bit of a tough ride. 

i'd suggest the boat tour; one leaves from Praiano and one from Positano and both will drop you off at the Marina Grande in Capri. the tour we did is called L'uomo E Il Mare by Plaghia Charter and will take you around the island of Capri for about an hour showing you the grottos, rock structures that have famously made every picture you'll likely see of this beautiful island, and much more. my only complaint was we had a max limit of four hours on the island before we had to be back at the boat... i would have liked more time. 

there are two main towns: Capri and Anacapri. AnaCapri is a must and I recommend taking the Mount Salaro Chairlift at Piazza Vittoria (top of Mount Salaro). after you get off the chair lift, there is a resturaunt at the top where they serve food, drinks, and gelato. the views are insane! take lots of pictures. at the bottom there are a lot of cute shops, i ended up buying a white summer dress here. you can definitely haggle the price with most of these stores. 

to get back to Capri you can take a taxi or a bus, we took a taxi for 20 euros. the more expensive/ luxury stores are in Capri, and the streets are much more crowded. i would make my way through the shops to Gardini di Agusto (Gardens of Augustus). sadly, a large portion of the gardens were closed while we were visiting but apparently they are gorgeous. the little bit we saw was nice, lots of statues and pretty flowers. 

Positano

this was robb's favorite spot, and my least favorite. the beach is the main attraction here, although it's not the pretty beaches you'll get in Mexico... the beaches in italy are rocky and not very big. during prime season it will be a challenge to get a spot on the beach here, i'd get there early if you go in July or August. there are some small shops all around the main square, most of them are souvenir and many over-priced but again you can negotiate the prices here. 

we went to lunch at chez black as recommended to us by a local. the resturaunt is right on the water, you cannot miss it. 

if you want to bring home Lemonchello, here is the place to get it! purchase as many bottles as you'd like and the Sapori e Profumi di Positano store will ship it back to your house for 50 euros. we bought five bottles, and probably should have gotten more than that for the cost of shipping but we have no where to store them. the store is in a big red building as you walk down the hill from the bus stop to the beach. 

address: Via dei Mulini, 6 84017 Positano Italy 

for a luxury restaurant/ hotel option i'd suggest Le Sirens Hotel and the La Sponda resturaunt. if you go for dinner be sure to make a reservation. they do have a dress code, so set aside a nice outfit to wear here, even if you only go for lunch.

most people here speak english, although it is nice to learn some words and phrases since you are going to Italy... with that said, be friendly, say buon giorno, chaio, buona sera, grazie.. the locals want to see that you are happy and enjoying your time there, these simple phrases to greet them are polite and appreciated. everyone is very helpful as well, they will tell you how to get around, which buses to take, places to see, some hidden gems... and since this is a tourist place, talk to people! we met so many strangers that are from the northeast, made friends with a girl from Australia who was spending 2 months traveling on her own (cue inspiration).