70-day Trip Update: Amalfi Coast
(This is a continued series from Travel Freely Member Adam’s 70 Days on Points and Miles around the world. Read his introduction here and see links to more posts at the bottom.)
We left the Eternal City after six days of touring the area. Getting from Rome to the Amalfi Coast region took two high-speed trains and a total of 6,200 Capital One Miles. Our train left in the morning and arrived in the town of Sant’Agnello to begin our week-long stay on the Amalfi Coast.
I had heard plenty about the Amalfi Coast – my brother visited a couple of years ago on a study abroad trip and raved about the region. So, understandably, I had high expectations. And the experience absolutely lived up to the hype!
Our train arrived around 1 pm, and after getting situated, we ran straight to the sea – but not before visiting Vip’s Bar for some espresso and a snack. Due to an affiliation with our Airbnb, we stopped by this little cafe every morning for some free breakfast and coffee! After a quick caffeine injection, we made it to Spiaggia di Sant’Agnello.
The swimming areas along the coastline of Sorrento are rather unique. The cliffs dropped straight down to the water, and so we actually had to make our way down through some tunnels to reach the water. But once in the water, we were able to thoroughly enjoy ourselves.
The sun was shining bright without a cloud in the sky, the cliffs towered behind us, and the crisp, clear water refreshed us from the day’s heat. We spent a long while here, floating in the mouth of the inlet as we watched yachts come and go from the Golfo di Napoli.
The second day was spent mostly touring the city of Sorrento. There is an extensive market system that dominates most of the downtown area, and wandering through the stalls and shops (with gelato in hand, of course) is a great way to experience the city.
We made our way to the Grand Marina of Sorrento for another swim and noticed a restaurant with phenomenal views that we noted for later – more on that soon. But probably the most important decision of this section of the trip was made on the second day. We decided to rent a scooter to drive up and down the coast with freedom! Arguably the single best choice we made on our entire trip…
Day three was the first of our three-day scooter rental. There is a famous road that runs from Sorrento past Positano to Amalfi, Ravello, and even all the way to Salerno. Driving this road (The Amalfi Drive) will be a core memory I’ll hold for the rest of my life.
I close my eyes often to remember the first moment we came around a bend on the Drive and finally reached the point where the road runs right along the coast. The wind rushing through our hair, driving a scooter along the edge of the cliffs, the beauty of the Path of the Gods stretched out to our left with the huge expanse of the Mediterranean to our right, islands dotting the waters — I felt like I was in a movie!
We drove to Positano before stopping for lunch and lemon sorbet. The lemon sorbet changed my life (I may be exaggerating a bit). They served a heaping amount INSIDE a massive lemon shell. Something about eating lemon sorbet out of a lemon made the experience a million times more memorable – and tasty. The sugar rush from our sorbet gave us enough energy to hike the Path of the Gods that afternoon before we returned to Sant’Agnello for the night.
Day four was another hallmark day – we made some friends! We drove to Amalfi early in the morning in order to beat the tourist crowds who would arrive by bus around 8 am. We were some of the first in the coffee shops and earned some clear views of the Amalfi Cathedral.
Some friendly locals (there are very few locals – but we met them!) took our picture on the docks with the city in the background before we hopped back on the scooter and continued to tour the Amalfi Drive. After visiting Villa Cimbrone, we backtracked until we came to Fiordo di Furore, a magical beach nestled right beneath a bridge along the Amalfi Drive.
It was here at Fiordo di Furore that Dakota and I met some friends we’ll have for a lifetime! This area is infamous for cliff jumping – and I couldn’t let the opportunity pass without doing some jumping myself.
After making my way up to the jump point (about 35 feet), I stood looking down at the water with a bit of trepidation. I’m not afraid of heights, but for whatever reason, the distance looks a lot further once you get to your jump point… A voice behind me broke my reverie, asking a bit nervously if I was going to jump. I replied with probably more confidence than I actually felt – describing the best way to jump, how to scope out the rocks, and how you should hit the water.
Talking through it made me feel better, so I leapt out only a few moments after answering their questions. I got a great rush of adrenaline as I dropped through the air and passed the cliffs of Fiordo di Furore.
After hitting the water, I looked back up to encourage the same guy who had been asking my questions as I stood atop the jump point. He jumped too – and that’s how I met Nic.
Nic introduced Dakota and me to Thom, his friend from the Netherlands, and the four of us became fast friends. We spent the afternoon swimming and jumping from different cliff spots on the beach before parting ways with plans to meet up for another adventure soon.
The next day Dakota and I visited what is now our favorite Italian town, Praiano! A bit lesser known than Amalfi or Positano, Praiano has a beautiful harbor area that is also great for swimming and lounging. Restaurants are built into the stone of the cliffs in a display of ingenious engineering and architecture. You wouldn’t know the Amalfi Drive passes mere meters above!
It was in one such restaurant that Dakota and I met Nic and Thom for dinner – a local favorite called Il Pirata. The sun was setting as we enjoyed our delicious pasta and seafood and learned more about each other.
Il Pirata staff and patrons were all incredibly kind – and the music playing (some rendition of December 1963) – made for an intoxicating atmosphere that lifted us all up with it. After our dinner, we walked along a footpath that traversed the edges of the cliffs only a couple of feet from the water.
Under a bright full moon, we sat at the edge of the path with our feet dangling over the water, letting the waves come up and splash our feet. With both of our trips coming to an end in the next couple of days – we collectively decided to have one last adventure.
The next morning Dakota and I left early in the morning for the Marina di Cassano in Sant’Agnello. We picked up the last component of our final adventure – a boat! The four of us split the cost (only $200!!) of a full-day boat rental that we could take along the whole of the Amalfi Coast.
Since Nic and Thom were staying on the opposite side of the Coast, Dakota and I picked up the boat and drove it all the way back to where we first met, at Fiordo di Furore, to pick them up. After backing the boat as close to the swimming area as allowed, Nic and Thom swam aboard.
Our first stop was Positano. I have to say the view is better from the water. We sat back and relaxed, our little boat drifting between 5 or 6 mega-yachts. I wonder how many celebrities we could have met…
After Positano, we motored up to the coast of Nerano. This area is famous for snorkeling – and since our boat came with complimentary masks – that’s just what we did! While we didn’t see anything too exotic, the experience was still phenomenal.
The next stop on our day of boating was the island of Capri! With our boat, we made the crossing to this island and were able to drive among (and under!) the famous Faraglioni before docking at the Marina Piccola and eating lobster at the Torre Saracena Spiaggia.
Our final stop before returning to Sorrento with the boat is one of the most famous sites of all the Amalfi Coast! The Blue Grotto! We hopped in a small wooden row boat with a worker who timed the waves just right to pull us into the grotto without getting capsized. There is nothing quite like the color of the water in there – something truly special!
We returned the boat and made our goodbyes to Nic and Thom. These new friendships were one of the best gifts from traveling – and we can’t wait until our next trip together!
On our last night, Dakota and I returned to the Marina Grande to eat at the restaurant we spotted days prior, Bagni Delfino. We sat with open windows right along the water with waves crashing gently right beneath us.
The setting sun gave us a beautiful sunset over the water, made even better by Mount Vesuvius looming in the distance. We enjoyed one last feast of pasta, crab, and sea bass before turning in for our last night in Europe!
More from Adam’s 70 Days on Points and Miles:
