Daytrip's Amalfi Coast guide

Amalfi Coast cooking runs on lemons, seafood, and whatever grows on the terraces. Each town guards its own specialty, so the eating changes from one bend in the road to the next. Come hungry.

• In Cetara, spoon colatura di alici anchovy sauce over spaghetti
• In Minori, order ndunderi, a soft ricotta pasta with Roman roots
• In Nerano, spaghetti alla Nerano with zucchini and provolone
• In Conca dei Marini, bite a cream-filled sfogliatella Santa Rosa
• In Atrani or Amalfi, eat seafood pasta from the morning's catch
• Climb to Agerola for fiordilatte mozzarella made in the hills

A thousand years ago, Amalfi ran a sea empire that traded across the Mediterranean. The coast still carries that past in its cathedrals, gardens, and hill towns. Read the streets and the history rises up.

• In Amalfi, climb the striped Cathedral of Sant'Andrea
• In Ravello, walk the gardens of Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone
• Wander Atrani, Italy's smallest town, all lanes and stairs
• Head to Scala, the coast's oldest town, quiet and medieval
• In Sorrento, see Roman ruins at the Vallone dei Mulini
• Drive the Furore fjord, a deep ravine under a high bridge

On this coast, the sea is the main event. Beaches are small and pebbly, the water clear, and a boat reaches coves no road can. Plan around the warm months and let the shoreline lead.

• In Positano, lie on Spiaggia Grande, then on the quieter Fornillo
• Row into the Emerald Grotto at Conca dei Marini, lit green
• Swim at Marina del Cantone in Nerano, then eat seafood
• Hike or paddle to the Bay of Ieranto, a cove facing Capri
• Drop to the tiny fjord beach at Furore, below the road bridge
• Take the ferry from Amalfi to Positano for the cliff views

Above the towns, old mule tracks and footpaths cross terraces and ridges. Spring and fall bring the cool air and clear views that make the climbs worth it. Wear real shoes and carry water.

• Walk the Path of the Gods from Agerola to Nocelle, above Positano
• Follow Valle delle Ferriere above Amalfi, past waterfalls
• Trek to Punta Campanella, the tip facing Capri, with a tower
• Climb to Torre dello Ziro above Atrani for a two-town view
• From Scala, descend old stone steps through chestnut woods

Lemons are the coast's signature crop, grown on terraces too steep for machines and worked by hand. They flavor everything from the morning granita to the after-dinner glass of limoncello. Follow them inland and uphill.

•  Tour a working lemon grove on the terraces above Amalfi
• Meet the sfusato amalfitano, the long PGI lemon grown only here
• Walk the Sorrento side's shaded femminello lemon groves
• Take the Lemon Path, an old mule track from Maiori to Minori
• Sit in on a limoncello tasting at a family lemon farm
• Visit Massa Lubrense’s lemon festival for granita and cake

The coast still makes things by hand. Look past the souvenirs for the real trades: ceramics, sandals, lemon liqueur, and paper pressed the way it has been for centuries.

• Browse hand-painted majolica in Vietri sul Mare, the ceramics town
• In Positano, have leather sandals cut to fit at Nana Positano
• In Amalfi, buy handmade paper at La Scuderia del Duca, a mill shop
• In Sorrento, pick up inlaid-wood intarsio boxes and panels
• In Praiano, follow the open-air ceramic art trail past the domes
• Carry off a bottle of limoncello made from the coast's PGI lemons