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VISITING AMALFI COAST
Amalfi sightseeing
 Amalfi's
ninth-century Duomo is one of the town's greatest
attractions. It dominates the town's central piazza,
sitting atop a wide flight of steps. The cloister
(Chiostro del Paradiso) and museum close by (joint
admission ticket) house sculptures, mosaics and other
relics of the town's wealthy past The Arsenal by the sea
is a monument to the maritime past of Amalfi.
The town is small, but you can easily while away an
afternoon exploring the narrow white alleyways and
browsing in the shops for souvenirs - including every
variation on the famous local lemon products. You can
sample the Amalfitana specialties, such as the strong
limoncello. There are plenty of nice cafes where you can
rest with a drink, eating pastries and watching the world
go by. A stroll along the sea front is another pleasant
diversion. The town's harbour is to the right as you face
the sea, and past the public ferry ports there is a marina
where luxury yachts rub shoulders with working fishing
vessels laden with nets. Walking out along one of the
breakwaters provides good photo opportunities back towards
the town centre. When you're tired of admiring Amalfi's
charms, you can take a stroll up the valley through lemon
groves and old paper mills. For keen walkers, the steep
mountainsides offer many challenging walks. A good
guidebook such as the Sunflower guide will help you when
planning hikes in the area.
Amalfi Beaches
Amalfi has a small beach, which gets very busy on summer
weekends. There are several bathing establishments where
you can hire beds, towels etc. and there is also a stretch
of free beach. Walking around the headland to Atrani gives
you the option of a second beach, which may be less
crowded.
Amalfi Excursions
Since Amalfi is well-connected by public transport (see
below), it's fairly easy to see more of the area. Naples,
Pompei and Herculaneum are all long days out for those
with an interest in archeology and plenty of energy.
Up in the hills above Amalfi is beautiful Ravello, a town
which has inspired artists including Boccaccio, Wagner and
current resident Gore Vidal. A bus runs up from Amalfi,
and you can enjoy the fabulous views from the famous
gardens of the Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo. During the
summer season, classical music concerts are staged in the
gardens of Villa Rufolo, on stages suspended against a
backdrop of sky and sea.
The Amalfi Coast provides general travel information for
Amalfi and other parts of the coastline. Direct buses run
between Amalfi and Sorrento along the winding coast road.
The blue SITA buses run approximately twice an hour (less
often on Sundays), and the journey takes an hour and
twenty-five minutes. Remember to buy your tickets in a bar
or newsagents first, and validate them in the machine
provided onboard the bus. There is also a direct bus
service to Salerno, where there is a main line railway
station.
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