Close your eyes. Hear someone say ‘The Amalfi Coast’, and your mind’s eye will likely summon images of richly forested mountains plunging into a sparkling sea, of steep terraces planted with olive and citrus trees, of pink marble villas and ancient cathedrals spilling down scented green hillsides.
Nestled along the southern edge of Italy’s Sorrentine Peninsula, in the Campania region, the Amalfi Coast is a world of fabled cliffs, historic architecture and secret sandy bays. It’s no surprise that the region was designated a Unesco World Heritage site in 1997, or that millions of visitors flock here each summer to soak up some of its craggy, sun-splashed specialness.
But what happens in Amalfi beyond its knockout scenery? Beyond pristine sun-loungers in Positano, long limoncello-soaked evenings in Sorrento, or Instagram shots on the steps of the Duomo di Sant-Andrea in Amalfi town? Is there such a thing as off-the-beaten-Amalfi-track? And if so, how to find it? This guide is designed to look beyond the cover-shot splendour of the Amalfi Coast and distil something of the essence within… starting with a plate of homemade gnocchi at a family-owned restaurant in the hills.
Local Flavour
The Amalfi Coast runs from Sorrento to Salerno, and for many visitors arriving by yacht, Positano is the popular place to start. Sure, it’s one of the most scenic locations on the planet, that cover-image enclave of winding streets, wisteria-clad hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants. But if you want to eat something a little bit rustic, head away from the beach and up into the hills. La Tagliata, in the sleepy village of Montepertuso, overlooking Positano, focuses on homemade, farm-to-table fare. Started almost fifty years ago by mamma Dora and papà Luigi, the restaurant is still run by the founding family, with a passion that’s evident in everything from their time-honoured family gnocchi recipe to the proud, smiling faces of ancestors that adorn the walls. La Tagliata also offers garden tours, vegetable picking on the farm and cooking classes set to live music. You’ll leave feeling nourished, happy, and part of the family.
LOCAL HERO
When Maria Terese de Filippis was growing up her brothers mocked her for liking cars, saying she’d never be able to drive fast because she was a girl. But when Maria was old enough, she began practising on the twisty, cliff-hanging roads of the Amalfi Coast, not far from her hometown of Naples. At 22, she entered her first race, a hillclimb event at Amalfi’s Salerno-Cava dei Tirreni. Maria, in a Fiat 500, won the race, a victory that would ignite a life-long passion and set her on the road to becoming the first ever woman to compete in a Formula One world championship race. She went on to race in four more Grand Prix and became one of the world’s most highly respected racing drivers. Today, driving on the Amalfi Coast is just as exhilarating, and should you find yourself flying around hair-raising hillside bends with the wind in your hair and the cobalt blue ocean far below you, think of Maria, the first ever woman of racing.
"Should you find yourself flying around hair-raising hillside bends with the wind in your hair and the cobalt blue ocean below you, think of Maria, the first ever woman of racing."
LOCAL VIEW
The Path of the Gods is justifiably the most famous hike on the Amalfi Coast, a 6km trail that winds through terraced vineyards and ancient towns, and affords some of the best views the entire coastline has to offer. But Sentiero dei Monaci (‘Path of the Monks’) is just as beautiful, albeit a little longer, and you can enjoy it without the crowds. Start the hike at the little beach hamlet of Erchie, and wind up and down the 11km track all the way to Maiori, passing the Uomo a Cavallo (‘Man on a Horse’) rock formation, passing through the magical hamlet of Badia, and up along the ancient pilgrim route from Maiori to the Avvocata Sanctuary. Wander through chestnut woods, oak forests and endless lemon trees, or admire views from the top of Mount Avvocata that stretch across the coastline and out to sea for a thousand miles. If you look closely enough, you might even be able to spot your yacht!
LOCAL ACTIVITY
If lying on a beach or eating gourmet food isn’t your thing, then a spot of viticulture might be. Especially if it’s tasting delicious local wine that has been heroically produced on some of the most difficult terrain in the Mediterranean. The Marisa Cuomo Winery’s ten hectares rise to an altitude of 1000-metres, and the vines sprout horizontally from terraced dry stone walls, on almost inconceivably steep slopes overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. With their sunny southern exposure, volcanic and alluvial soil bed, and unique microclimate caused by ocean currents, mountain winds and high-pressure systems, the grapes give rise to wonderful, unique wines that express the rarity of the setting. A tour of the winery, vineyards and atmospheric mountain caves where the wine is stored, followed by a lunch and wine pairing, takes around three hours. You won’t be disappointed.
"With their sunny southern exposure, volcanic and alluvial soil bed, and unique microclimate caused by ocean currents, mountain winds and high-pressure systems, the grapes give rise to wonderful, unique wines that express the rarity of the setting."
LOCAL INSIGHT
If the town of Amalfi is famous for its sun-ripened lemons, then Vietri sul Mare is best known for being the production epicentre of the ceramic bowls and plates you’ll find sold along the length of the coast. But if you want to appreciate the creativity that comes from the coast’s abundance of red clay in a different way, then you should explore the artwork of Mirkò Guida. Most ceramicists make crockey, but Mirkò, as he refers to himself, makes beautiful, colourful, abstract art that makes an immediate visual splash. Taking inspiration from Cubism and Pablo Picasso, Mirkò creates huge ceramic paintings, wall murals, lamps and vases. He exhibits regularly on the Amalfi Coast, and his work is also on display at the Walker Fine Art Gallery and the RoGallery in New York.
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