The Amalfi Coast

A pastel-hued coastal delight

A perennially popular summertime destination, the Amalfi Coast is all abuzz come May. While Amalfi, Positano, and Sorrento are the standouts along this coastal stretch, storybook scenes extend in all directions. Pastel-hued, cliff-clinging buildings, coastal lemon groves, and umbrella-peppered pebbled beaches are all par for the course. Dolce indeed. 

Here, days are best spent by or on the water, pausing for an al-fresco lunch at a marvelous family run trattoria as the sun beams overhead or an aperitivo when the mood strikes. Offshore exploring to Ischia or Capri is also encouraged. 

Credit: Louise Krause

Credit Lilah Ramzi

EXPERT TIPS

Lilah Ramzi

New-York based fashion historian and Vogue editor, Lilah Ramzi has a penchant for vintage. A regular on the Amalfi Coast, here, Lilah shares her tips for visiting.

IN-FLIGHT ESSENTIALS: An eye mask is the one item I cannot fly without! Even if I'm not sleeping, I like to block out my surroundings and daydream – I have an oversized silk mask from niLuu that makes my trip feel more luxurious than it is. I also pack my Kindle (I'm an analog girl all the way except when it comes to my e-reader), lip balm, and bottles of sparkling water since I'm a water snob.

PACKING TIPS: Pre-accessorize your outfits! There's nothing worse than getting ready for dinner and realizing the *perfect* bag was the one you left at home. My strategy is as simple as planning ahead, so I bring everything I need and nothing I don't. For the Amalfi Coast, it means lots and lots of bathing suits and cover-ups (really all I'll be wearing during the day) and plenty of Pucci and Missoni maxi dresses for evenings. Word to the wise: leave your heels at home. The Amalfi Coast and nearby Capri are full of stairs – great cardio, terrible for heels. I have a friend who lives in Amalfi all summer – she turned up to dinner shoeless. It's the Positano way, she told me!

FILM TO WATCH/ BOOK TO READ BEFORE DEPARTURE: Watch and read The Talented Mr. Ripley, and then, while you're at it, watch the original film version Purple Noon, and debate who is more handsome – Alain Delon or Jude Law.

FAVORITE HOTEL: Le Sirenuse. The Sersale family, who run the hotel, are beyond hospitable. 

MEMORABLE MEALS: While I love downtown Positano (and you can't go wrong eating at either Le Sirenuse or the gorgeous Il San Pietro di Positano hotel), it's so much fun to take a water taxi for a rustic lunch at Da Adolfo.

DRINK ORDER: I quickly noticed all the tourists drinking Aperol Spritzes with lunch while the locals drank white wine – so naturally, because I'm always trying to blend in, I ordered wine. 

BAR OF CHOICE: Aldo's Bar at Le Sirenuse, specifically at sunset, so you can catch a purple-pink sky.

FAVORITE SHOP: Once again, Le Sirenuse delivers! Emporio Sirenuse sells the award-winning fragrance they pump through their hotels, and it's downright delicious.

THE WELLNESS TREATMENT TO TRY: A dip in the sea.

Along this coastal stretch, storybook scenes extend in all directions…

STAY

From former family homes reimagined with verve to storied palazzos, there’s a host of marvellous accommodations to bed down and bid ‘buona notte’ in.

SAVOR

Michelin-starred establishments and family run beachside eateries are in ready supply here. Menu front-runners include moreish pasta dishes, freshly caught fish and seafood, and the zingiest lemons…

• Lo Scoglio

  hotelloscoglio.com/en/restaurant Marina di Cantone, 80061 Massa Lubrense (NA)
  Phone: 00390818081026

  A short boat trip from Positano will land you at the charming, family run Lo Scoglio. Founded in 1958, the hotel trattoria always draws a great lunch crowd. Eat on the deck, sitting right in the heart of Marina del Cantone, and choose from a selection of fresh, authentic dishes, like their spaghetti alla Nerano (spaghetti with zucchini).

• Zass

  ilsanpietro.com/restaurants-bars/zass/
  Address: Via Laurito 2,
  84017 Positano (SA)
  Phone: 0039089812080

  Overlooking the coastal town of Praiano, Il San Pietro’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Zass is a swoonworthy spot. Chef Alois Vanlangenaeker’s dishes use ingredients sourced from the hotel’s kitchen garden as well as local growers and suppliers, with focus placed on Mediterranean flavours. Meanwhile, oenophiles will delight the San Pietro cellar’s collection of some 600 labels.

• Da Adolfo

  daadolfo.com
  Address: Via Laurito 40,
  84017 Positano (SA)
  Phone: 0039089875022

  This popular beach shack restaurant is a prime lunchtime spot. Take the ‘red fish’ masted boat from Positano’s Spiaggia Grande pier along the coast to Laurito Beach, a craggy cove encasing Da Adolfo. Laidback in atmosphere, the food here is delicious – try the grilled mozzarella slices on wild lemon leaves cooked on a charcoal grill.

• Un Piano Nel Cielo

  casangelina.com/dining/un-piano-nel-cielo/
  Address: Via Capriglione 147,
  84010 Praiano (SA)
  Phone: 00390898131333

  The glass fronted Un Piano Nel Cielo’s all-white interiors are a welcomed contrast to the more traditional dining rooms dominating the coastline. Translating as ‘a floor in the sky’, diners can expect wowing views from the rooftop terrace. Serving Campania-inspired cuisine, choose from a selection of tasting menus (of various course lengths) from Executive Chef Leopoldo Elefante.

• Terrazza Bosquet

  terrazzabosquet.exvitt.it/en/
  Address: Piazza Tasso 34,
  80067 Sorrento (NA)
  Phone: 00390818777836

  This Sorrento seafront spot is helmed by Executive Chef Antonino Montefusco. With a Michelin star to its name, at Terrazza Bosquet diners can indulge in traditional luxury and the flavours of Naples. Tasting menus are available from €140pp, including a vegetarian offering. Summertime visitors will find the terrace’s views of the Bay of Naples particularly pleasing.

• Bianca Bar

  villatreville.com/en/drinks-dining/bianca-bar
  Address: Via Arienzo 30,
  84017 Positano (SA)
  Phone: 00390898122401

  The former home of renowned Italian director Franco Zeffirelli, Villa Treville is as theatrical as you’d expect. Bianca Bar provides the perfect setting for sundowners – expect a (figurative) cocktail of romance, airiness, and dramatics at this ‘Arabian-inspired space’. It’s a great place to meet amici (or your lover).

• Franco’s Bar

  francosbar.com/en
  Address: Via Cristoforo Colombo 30,
  84017 Positano (SA)
  Phone: 0039089812189

  Open daily from April to October (weather permitting), this al-fresco bar in Positano neighbors Le Sirenuse and operates on a first come, first served basis. Nab a table on the main terrace, complete with yellow ceramic fountain by Roman artist Giuseppe Ducrot, and order an aperitivo of Dipinto di Blu. The vodka-based cocktail matches the bar’s blue and white décor.

Credit: Zass, Il San Pietro

Credite: Terrazza Bosquet

A perennially popular summer destination.

EXPLORE

• Beach Clubs

  Lap up those azure waters at any number of coastal hotspots, asterisking La Fontelina if visiting Capri. Well worth a day trip, if you do venture by boat to Capri, the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) and Faraglioni are memorable spots to pause for a photo.

• Sentiero degli Dei

  After poco too much vongole and limoncello, the Sentiero degli Dei footpath – aka the Path of the Gods – may be deemed a necessary pursuit. With a fair ratio of cardio:wowing views, the trail, which links Agerola and Nocelle, is about seven kilometers in length and takes more than three hours to complete, depending on your chosen route.

• Villa Cimbrone Gardens

  Open to the public, pay a visit to Villa Cimbrone Gardens while in Ravello. The hotel offers non-residents access to their fragrant gardens for a small fee. If time allows, pair your trip with a dinner reservation at the hotel’s Michelin-starred Il Flauto di Pan.

Credit: Jakob Owens

Credit: Andy Holmes

SHOP

Vietri sul Mare
Max out your carry-on luggage allowance after a stroll around Vietri sul Mare in Salerno. The place for ceramics on the Amalfi Coast, you’re spoilt for choice here – asterisk Ceramica Artistica Solimene on your pottery pilgrimage.

Emporio Sirenuse
Shop for covetable hotel merch and effortless resort wear in vibrant hues at Carla Sersale’s emporium in Positano. The Founder of Le Sirenuse has an eye for pretty patterns and smart cuts.

WELLNESS TIP

Il San Pietro di Positano

The wellness offering at Il San Pietro di Positano is particularly strong. For starters, their wellness center is positioned under a lemon orchard. Over the course of their stay guests can enjoy a complimentary, hour-long yoga or Pilates session on the beach lawn or head to the hotel’s regulation-size tennis court for a rally by the sea. For something less exerting, the spa offers a range of treatments using natural products.  

Credit: Il San Pietro di Positano

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PLANNING SERVICES

Let Glimpse founder Jordan Rhodes help you plan your next vacation.

As an advisor independently affiliated with Brownell Travel, a luxury, Forbes endorsed, Virtuoso Agency, Jordan has a whole team helping plan her clients’ vacations.

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PACKING LIST

Embrace smart linens, playful patterns, and pretty beach dresses for your trip to Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Classic cat-eye sunglasses are another holiday must.

• A linen shirt that can transition from beachside to barside

•Fun jewelry

• Espadrilles (comfortable and stylish)

• A chic sunhat for added protection

• Palazzo pants in a lively print

• A compact pouch for toting around all your essentials

• A sweet and light sundress for daytime strolls

• Sophisticated sunglasses, like these ones from Loewe 

LOCAL FLAVORS

Lo Scoglio’s Nerano Spaghetti with Zucchini

INGREDIENTS

Serves four

• 320g spaghetti

• 600g zucchini (President zucchini is best)

• 60g Parmesan, grated

• 20g pecorino, grated

• 30g butter

• One bunch basil

• Oil for frying

• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash and slice zucchini into thin rounds (about 3mm).

2. Fry zucchini in oil until they are golden in color. Drain and rest for one day.

3. Cook the spaghetti in well-salted water.

4. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Place butter, fried zucchini, six leaves of shredded basil, a ladle of pasta cooking water, and salt and pepper in a deep sauté pan and turn on the gas to medium. After four-five minutes, the ingredients will have blended into a watery sauce. 

5. Add spaghetti to the pan with zucchini and toss vigorously. Lower the flame and slowly add the grated cheeses, tossing continuously to ensure everything is creamy and well blended.

6. Serve the pasta with a dusting of grated cheese and a small bunch of basil for decoration.

ON OUR RADAR

The Amalfi Coast is finally due to get its own airport, the Salerno Costa d'Amalfi Airport. The revived airport will make visits to this part of Southern Italy much simpler by substantially reducing transfer times. Keep an eye out for bookable flight routes.

Max out your carry-on luggage allowance after a stroll around Vietri sul Mare in Salerno.

IMMERSE YOURSELF

PLAYLIST: Transport yourself to the coast with our Amalfi Coast playlist, available on Spotify.

READ: One Italian Summer: A Novel

WATCH: The Talented Mr Ripley, Ripley