About 20 mi/32 km south of Naples, this area is one of the most romantic and beautiful in Italy. The peninsula (especially the Amalfi coastal drive) is spectacular. Begin in
Sorrento (at the northern end) and continue to
Vietri Sul Mare, on the southeast coast (or vice versa). It's only 40 mi/64 km, but en route you'll find secluded beaches, reefs, citrus groves, clear blue water, exquisite scenery, excellent restaurants and a hair-raising, narrow cliff road along the seaside. (Local residents truly drive as if they're crazy, so be prepared—and don't drive at night.)
There are some nice towns on the way (best seen by parking and walking through them). Sorrento is a busy garden-filled resort town on cliffs overlooking the sea. You catch the ferry there to Capri or Ischia, making it a bit too touristy for those seeking the serenity and beauty of the area. In charming Amalfi, visit the impressive, Arabian-style Paradise Cloister and Gothic Arsenal. Amalfi has exceptional crystal-blue water, almost Caribbean in quality. An early-morning swim there with the sun on the mountainside is quite an experience. (There's even an ice-blue cocktail—practically undrinkable—served at the Hotel Santa Caterina in honor of the water.)
Also visit ultra-elegant Ravello (see two glorious villas perched on this 350-ft-/109-m-high cliff—Villa Cimbone, now a hotel, and Villa Ruffolo, once the home of composer Richard Wagner), tiny seaside Atrani (fairly deserted; see the Santa Maria Maddalena Church) and Positano (a beautiful resort with gardens and villas overlooking terraced hillsides). Capri can be seen in the distance from outside Punta Campanella, at the western end of the peninsula. A week in the area isn't too much: You can take day trips into Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum (Greek temples), Capri and Ischia. Some hotels are closed from November to April. 160 mi/258 km southeast of Rome.
