12 of the Most Picturesque Amalfi Coast Towns in Italy

Southern Italy is a mesmerizing heaven of beaches, lemon and orange groves, ancient ruins, and celebrity-approved romantic getaways. These Amalfi Coast towns located at the south of Naples, are still a favorite European destination for many, as it did centuries ago.

Just like its southern beauty, the northern region is also known for the Italian Riviera and the prettiest villages of Cinque Terre. This region is best explored from Rome, the capital city of Italy.

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12 Beautiful Amalfi Coast Towns

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Planning a trip to the Amalfi Coast

The largest city near the Amalfi Coast is Naples. If flying from North America, Naples is the perfect point of entry. Sorrento is a great base to stay overnight, and then take day trips from there to explore the Coast.

Positano and Amalfi towns delight travelers with stunning beaches, cliffside colorful homes and gorgeous picturesque landscape. Along the southern coast of Italy (near Naples), you can also check off ancient ruins of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Paestum.

Top Tours to take on the Amalfi Coast

Day tour of Amalfi: Full day tour of Amalfi Coast from Naples
Sunset Cruise: Private sunset cruise on the Amalfi Coast
Amalfi Coast Tour: Cruise tour to the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento
3-day tour Amalfi Coast: 3-day tour of Amalfi Coast from Rome
Pompeii & Vesuvius: Tour of Pompeii & Vesuvius from Naples

From the ruins, many head to the blue grottos with twinkling waters at the island of Capri. Although everything sounds very romantic (and expensive) on the Amalfi Coast, it is important to note that many towns and cities had, and still have watchtowers, and defensive forts to protect the communes from Turkey and pirates.

So here’s presenting the best 12 Amalfi Coast towns worth adding to your bucket list!

Sorrento

By Helga from ShegoWandering

Sorrento is one of the most beautiful, yet less crowded seaside destinations in the region of Campania. The town itself is built on top of immense cliffs, with beaches and a small port at the bottom of them.

Thanks to its location, Sorrento offers an unforgettable experience, with an amazing sunset view from Villa Comunale, over the Tyrrhenian Sea, the bay of Sorrento, and the famous volcano, Mount Vesuvius.

The town is covered in orange and lemon trees, as also the famous Limoncello drink is originating from here. Sorrento offers cute beaches, like the Marina Piccola and Marina Grande. Its location makes it easy to travel to the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, or Capri with bus or ferry boats.

Sorrento is definitely a great summer destination, which is also much more affordable than Positano for example, but it offers the same high standards. In addition, this town has great nightlife, and it’s very popular for youth as well as for families.

There are great accommodations for every budget, starting with the hostel of Le Sirene, budget-friendly resorts like Il Roseto, and 4-5 star hotel rooms with spectacular views, such as the Grand Hotel Capodimonte.

While you’re in Sorrento, you should look for traditional local restaurants to experience some of the best food in the region like the Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina, or a delicious Vesuvio pizza. One of the best places to go is Ristorante S. Antonino, in the heart of the town. In addition to all the things to do in Sorrento, definitely try and roll in a lemon farm tour, with limoncello tasting!

Where to stay? Grand Hotel Capodimonte
More tours in Sorrento here

Amalfi

By Stephanie from Bey of Travel

There is the Amalfi Coast, and the Amalfi town. The coastline is the actual coast of Italy with the Mediterranean Sea, and the town of Amalfi is one of the many towns located in the region south of Naples.

Amalfi is also one of the most visited towns on the Amalfi Coast. With a historic cathedral, and the stunning mountain setting of Mount Cerreto, this town is filled with a labyrinth of streets, and you can expect a lot of walking here to explore it all.

Amalfi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and much of the remnants from the Byzantine times have been preserved. The Amalfi Cathedral site dates back to the 9th-10th century, and it had been renovated, added, removed over the centuries under various rulers (and invaders).

A 20-minute drive from Amalfi is another gorgeous (and Instagrammable) town of Positano. Both these towns should be a part of your Amalfi Coast itinerary.

Positano

By Anda from Travel for a While

Italy isn’t short on beautiful places to visit, and Positano is right there, at the top of the list. Positano is one of the fishermen’s villages nestled on the stunning Amalfi Coast. It became a tourist attraction when the rich and famous discovered the colorful village spread vertically above the turquoise sea.

The place is ideal for a romantic getaway, but make your way for at least a day trip to Positano, and you’ll be impressed. You can explore the endless picturesque streets and stairs, take a million photos of the views, and watch the most beautiful sunset over the sea.

You can also spend time at the beach, take a boat tour to discover the coastline, or walk the Path of Gods near Positano and enjoy breathtaking views from 500 meters above sea level.

The time will pass quickly, even if you don’t plan an itinerary in Positano. Everywhere you look, you’ll have a pleasant surprise.

Don’t ignore shopping here either. Positano is famous for its linen clothes, Moda Positano, as well as for handmade leather sandals and beautiful ceramic art. It would be hard not to buy anything from the small shops on the narrow streets.

Come evening, find a good table and a refreshing cocktail to watch the sunset play over the Thyrennian Sea.

During summer, Positano is a popular and pretty expensive destination. If you plan to stay in Positano, you need to make your reservations in advance. Villa Gabrisa is a fabulous boutique hotel where each room has a balcony with a stunning sea view.

Where to stay? Villa Gabrisa

Praiano

Tucked between Amalfi and Positano is the cutest town of Praiano. If you dig sunsets, this is the spot to be in, at the coast. This town is about ten kilometers away from either of the Amalfi Coast towns.

Praino is perfect for a day trip from Sorrento, Positano or Amalfi, and you can also ride the local Sita bus. Arrive here in the morning, and along the way admire the Amalfi Coast Drive road built by the ancient Romans, and marvel at their engineering.

In Praiano, admire the Parrocchia Di San Gennaro and its tiled dome. Spend time strolling the Torre di Grado, located at the edge of a gorgeous limestone cliff.

Strap your comfortable walking or hiking shoes, as it has 500 steps to reach the end. But the effort is worth it, as you can soak in amazing views, and enjoy a nice cold drink.

If walking 500 steps is not your thing, hit the beach, and do all things the Italian coast is known for. Soak up the sun and enjoy the sunset at the pearly-white sandy beach. You can go kayaking in the beautiful waters or just enjoy a romantic dinner before heading back to Sorrento or Amalfi town.

Ravello

Ravello is one of the prettiest towns of the Amalfi Coast. Located at a high cliff of about 350 meters, with mesmerising coastline views, Ravello delights visitors with lovely beaches, and mouth watering cuisines and restaurants.

The most picturesque beach is that of Castiglione, located near Atrani.

The location of the town at such a height makes it a unique coastal getaway. Not only that, if you prefer an active vacation (minus gelato and the lazing at the beach), Ravello presents a great hiking opportunity.

From Ravello, you can hike to Amalfi, Minori, or hike to Maiori. You can hike from one town to another in about an hour, and you can add an additional 30 minutes to go as far as Maiori.

Other than the breathtaking scenery and hiking trails, Ravello is known for its 13th-century Moorish-style Villa Rufolo with terraced and manicured gardens and beautiful views. Villa Cimbrone is another garden worthy of a visit.

The town is also well known for its musical fest held in the summer, called the Ravello Festival.

Minori

By Isabelle from issysescapades

A wonderfully overlooked town along Italy’s Amalfi Coast is that of Minori. In comparison to the other busy, buzzy, and often overcrowded towns of the Amalfi Coast, such as Positano and Amalfi, Minori offers a sleepier alternative in which to escape from the madding crowds.

A small town, located on the sea between Amalfi and Maoiri, a quick ferry of 10-15 minutes will have you in either town in a jiffy, making Minori an extremely well placed town from which to explore the Amalfi Coast.

Sitting in what is quite a sheltered cove, against the dramatic backdrop of soaring cliffs above, Minori sits right beneath the beautiful town of Ravello, which can be reached by foot should you be brave enough to undertake a steep walk of around 45 minutes up the steps that pave the entire way to Ravello. While taxing, the walk is extremely picturesque and is well worth any huffing and puffing that you might ensure on the way up!

The town of Minori itself is quiet, and offers its visitors a small and quintessentially Italian town centre to while away the hours in. Where many of the other Amalfi towns are glitzy and polished, Minori is a little rougher around the edges, making it the ideal escape for those seeking a more authentic experience on the Amalfi Coast.

There is a small beach and lido, which is perfect for those who intend on topping up their suntans. If you get bored of the beach, there is, rather interestingly, the remains of the Villa Romana, or Roman villa, which succumbed to the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD and was buried beneath the town of Minori for many centuries, until it was discovered in 1932.

There is a small museum and visitors are free to walk through its underground chambers, which retain some exceptionally well preserved frescoes.

Make sure too, when in Minori, to take your fill of some local pasta. Minori is renowned for its food, and is the home of scialatielli – thick ribbon pasta, which you’ll find on most menus.

Stay at the Minori Palace, an elegant four-star boutique hotel located right in the heart of town and mere minutes from the beach.

Where to stay? Minori Palace

Cetara

By Nick Kembel of Spiritual Travels

The small fishing village of Cetara is an off-the-beaten track gem on Amalfi Coast. Totally overshadowed by nearby tourist centers like Positano and Ravello, Cetara is located six kilometers west of Salerno, making it one of the first villages on the Amalfi Coast when arriving from the west. Cetara has an ancient history going back over 1000 years, and Italians know it for having the best seafood on the entire Amalfi Coast.

Cetara is known worldwide for its tonno rosso (red tuna). Locally caught anchovies also feature prominently on menus in town. But one particularly unique Cetara specialty is its colatura di alici, or “anchovy drippings,” a sauce that goes back to Roman times. A few drops of the sauce give any pasta or even pizza dish an incredible taste. For these reasons, dining at the many local restaurants in town is the top highlight of visiting Cetara, with a far less touristy vibe than other Amalfi Coast towns.

Besides enjoying the local seafood delicacies, visitors can bask in the sun on two beaches, explore the marina, and admire the Torre di Cetara (Tower of Cetara). Last but not least, Cetara is a good choice for families with kids, as the town isn’t nearly as steep as others on Amalfi Coast. But there are still enough staircases and atmospheric lanes to make it interesting.

We had a great stay at Marinella Casa Vacanze, a budget-friendly locally-run guesthouse right on the Via Marina (the seaside promenade). The main beach was mere steps from our front door!

Where to stay? Marinella Casa Vacanze

Conca Dei Marini

Conca dei Marini is known as the pearl on the Amalfi Coast, and is almost like a hidden gem, as it is less frequented than the likes of Amalfi or Positano. It is situated on a hill close to the coast and is located between Amalfi and Furore. This Amalfi Coast town is well preserved culturally, and its old charm will delight you.

Fiordo di Furore and Amalfi Coast drive — Conca dei Marini near Fiordo di Furore along Amalfi Coast drive

Historically, a fishing village, with white houses perched into the rock, with dark green vegetation sprinkled here and there, the village definitely looks very stunning. The village stretches itself out along a small bay, overlooked by the Saracen Tower or Torre Saracena, a watch tower from the 16th century.

Grotta dello Smeraldo is the prime attraction at the Conca dei Marini. Widely known as the ‘Emerald Lake’, owing to the green/emerald color of the caves, this grotto is a must-visit.

Just before arriving at the town, you can get down at Furore at the gorge – Fiordo di Furore, where you can relax at a small beach nearby.

Vietri sul Mare

By Izzy and Phil from The Gap Decaders

Vietri sul Mare, at the western end of the fabulous Amalfi Coast road, is often overlooked amongst the glitz and glamour of this cool and cosmopolitan corner of Italy.

Authentic and down to earth, Vietri Sul Mare is the ceramics capital of Campania. Wander the tangle of narrow streets and alleys in the centro storico (historic centre) and you’ll find tile-fronted shops selling Mediterannean coloured pottery on every corner, made locally in the town since ancient Roman times.

Such is the skill of the craftsmen here, that their work is considered art, with each piece hand decorated, assuring every item is unique. The best place to buy is Solimene, the largest and most famous of producers, who also offer a pack and send service.

Vietri’s pedestrian thoroughfares fan out from the most important religious building in town, the simple Renaissance Church of Saint John the Baptist, with its ceramic covered dome and colourful bell tower. There are no trendy boutiques here, or hip bars, but you’ll find warm hospitality and local dishes aplenty.

Stop at a bar for a cool glass of Prosecco or beer and enjoy fantastic locally caught tuna and the town’s other speciality, colatura di alici, a delicious extract of fermented anchovies, referred to locally as liquid gold. After dinner, sample a lot of the local Limoncello, made from the fat and juicy lemons grown on the slopes of the coast. If the liquor is not for you, go for a slice of mouth-watering delizie al limone, a limoncello soaked cake slathered in lemon cream.

Stay at the heavenly Palazzo Suriano, for stunning terraced gardens (complete with hot tub), balconied rooms.

Where to stay? Palazzo Suriano

Nocelle

By Jyoti from A Story at Every Corner

Nocelle is a little ancient hamlet along the Amalfi coast. Unlike its ultra popular neighboring towns of Positano, Amalfi and Montepertuso, it’s a quiet little village for those that love tranquility and peace. Perched up at 400 meters above sea level, it offers spectacular views of the Mediterranean coastline at its base.

Nocelle is a great base for many incredible hikes you might want to include in your trip to the Amalfi coast. Most gorgeous of all hikes is the Path of the Gods that passes through Nocelle. From Nocelle, the path heads down to Positano. It’s a short hike from Nocelle to Positano down a very steep staircase – about 1700 steps.

The path offers panoramic views all along, which serves as a breathtaking distraction from the grueling downhill climb. But that also means one can easily miss a step on the ancient slippery staircase. If not for a slip & fall, you’ll find calf muscles you never knew existed, the following day and for days thereafter. But a visit to Nocelle and the hike is absolutely worth it.

If you choose to stay in Nocelle, you’ll get to enjoy the beauty of the Amalfi coast all to yourself. You wouldn’t even notice that you’re in a tourist hotspot. When we visited in early April, it was drizzling the entire time so the waterproof jackets come in handy. Be sure to carry warm clothes because it does get a little cooler up in Nocelle.

Herculaneum

By Kate from Our Escape Clause

Buried in the same 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius that famously destroyed nearby Pompeii, the ancient city of Herculaneum, Italy is a delightful place to visit.

Located close to the Amalfi Coast, Herculaneum was once a resort city for the wealthy Roman elite, and even before that, a city of wealthy Greeks–and today, it has been shockingly well-preserved.

Unlike Pompeii, which was buried in ash from the eruption, Herculaneum was buried in mud that hardened into tufa rock that stood 50-feet deep–you can still see it on the edges of the excavation site as you visit Herculaneum today.

As a result, details like wooden objects, clothing and even food have been well-preserved in Herculaneum–some purport that the city is even better preserved than Pompeii!

Herculaneum is also smaller than its more-famous ancient neighbor, and gets some shade throughout the day–as a result, it may be a better destination for some visitors looking to tour an ancient than Pompeii (though anyone who has the opportunity to visit both Herculaneum and Pompeii won’t be disappointed).

Some travelers also report that it is easier to “feel” the ancient city come to life in Herculaneum vs Pompeii, as the city is more compact. However, there is no doubt that both cities are absolutely magnificent archaeological sites, and you’ll be able to feel the weight of history in either.

To get to Herculaneum, you’ll want to take the Circumvesuviana train from either Naples or Sorrento to the “Ercolano Scavi” stop. From there, simply walk down the hill through the modern Ercolano town, and you’ll quickly reach the ancient city, complete with everything from intact mansions to detailed frescoes to explore.

Prefer to visit Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius instead? Book this tour

Capri Island

By Eva Milano from ElevateCalm

Capri is the most well-known island in the Campania region.

Influential people have flocked here for centuries to enjoy the beauty and the peaceful atmosphere of the island. Roman emperor Tiberius, Pablo Neruda, Vladimir Lenin, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Ernest Hemingway, and Giorgio Armani are just a few of the notable people who have spent their holidays here.

Nowadays the island is still frequented by celebrities, although most of them prefer to spend their time on a yacht away from the tourists.

On a summer day, the streets around Marina Grande, the main port on the Capri Island, are buzzing with life. Due to the destination’s popularity, the prices at hotels, restaurants, and even beach access are elevated. This is why most visitors prefer to stay on Capri just for one day rather than spending the night here.

The most prominent natural wonder on the island is the Blue Grotto. The light that enters the cave is filtered in such a way that it gives the clear Mediterranean waters a bizarre bright blue color. Another spectacular sight is the Faraglioni rock formations, which are best observed from Via Tragara.

The Gardens of Augustus are a lovely spot which you can visit for just one euro. They are small but incredibly picturesque, featuring a wide variety of flowers and some of the most amazing and signature views on Capri. You can relish the view of the Faraglioni rocks or of the winding Via Krupp leading down to the sea.

Although Via Krupp is often closed due to the risk of falling rocks, you can take excellent photographs from the gardens that sit right above it.

For the lovers of majestic views, there is one more spot that is not to be missed – Monte Solaro. You can either hike or take a chairlift to the summit which offers a panoramic sight of the island and the mainland.

Blue Cave Tour: Book this tour from Capri Island Amalfi Coast

Conclusion

Amalfi Coast is a beautiful region, and one of the most popular destinations in the world. From sun and sand, to ruins, food and scenic views, all the Amalfi Coast towns and villages are a perfect vacation getaway!

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12 of the Most Picturesque Amalfi Coast Towns in Italy