Sailing the Amalfi Coast: A Guide to the Best Cruise Routes
The Amalfi Coast is like a beautiful quilt patched together from the dreams of sailors. It has everything: enchanting villages filled with fascinating history and art; exquisite beaches that line the vivid-blue Tyrrhenian Sea; heavenly cuisine made fresh from local produce.
Why is the Amalfi Coast Famous?
The Amalfi Coast is a 34-mile (50-kilometer) stretch of 13 villages along the Sorrentine Peninsula. It is famous for its candy-colored abodes stacked on soaring limestone cliffs. Every town has a special quality—Positano has beaches, Ravello has romantic villas and Amalfi has luxury shops.
Amalfi is named after Hercules’ lover. Legend has it that he buried her there because no other place could surpass its beauty.
Many movies were filmed in an Amalfi Coast village, including the Talented Mr. Ripley (Positano) and Under the Tuscan Sun (Positano, Salerno). In 1997, UNESCO listed the Amalfi Coast as a World Heritage Site because of its historical and cultural value. It is also the birthplace of limoncello.
Best Places to Visit on the Amalfi Coast
Driving the Amalfi Coast is a top thing to do in Italy. Though it may be tranquil, the drive can be a teeth-clenching experience with a lot of blind turns and obstacles to squeeze around at a moment’s notice.
Leave the “driving” to us. Visit the Amalfi on a relaxing Italy & Amalfi Coast cruise to Naples or Salerno.
Amalfi from Naples
Plan your day in Naples just right and you could experience a piece of the Amalfi Coast while still having time to see the top attractions in Naples. If you can’t decide between the Amalfi Coast and the ruins of Pompeii, the Ultimate Bay of Naples: Pompeii, Positano and Amalfi Coast is a good choice.
If you prefer to travel independently, the picturesque town of Sorrento—considered the gateway to the Amalfi—is only a 45-minute ferry ride or hour train ride from Naples. After experiencing Sorrento’s many charms, take a tour to Positano and Amalfi.
Check out this roundtrip cruise from Civitavecchia (Rome) to Naples.
Salerno, Italy
Salerno brims with simple pleasures and ancient treasures. A place as beautiful as Salerno tends to inspire poetry. Top attractions include a medieval castle that overlooks the glittering gulf and a stunning, circa 11th-century cathedral with a bell tower and Byzantine-style bronze doors.
Everywhere you turn, there are frescoes, plazas, colorful mosaics, leafy lemon trees, and iron Juliet balconies that have likely witnessed more than one serenade. You may choose to get lost for hours, winding through the old city’s quiet streets. You can also take a boat to Amalfi or to the Isle of Capri on shore excursions.
Take a look at this roundtrip from Rome cruise if you’d like to visit Salerno.
Enjoy your trip to the Amalfi Coast. Even if you only have a few hours there, you’ll remember it forever.
Article by Amanda Halm
