Do you want to discover the wonders of Amalfi and its surroundings in 24 hours?
- A marble cathedral.
- Mouthwatering ice cream.
- A turquoise cove hidden at the bottom of the stairs.
Even if you only have one day to experience it, you will leave a little piece of yourself in Amalfi (and a little bit more in Atrani, you'll see).
What to see in Amalfi
After an earthquake that sank a large part of the town in the 14th century, Amalfi's dimensions were greatly reduced. However, this small town hides some real gems:
- Piazza del Duomolined with restaurants, ice cream parlors and cafes with a view.
- Duomo or Cathedral of St. Andrew, an imposing building, with an interior that competes in beauty with its staircase and facade of stone, marble and mosaics (free).
- Cloister of Paradise, honoring its name, which in turn connects with the original basilica(of the Crucifix) and a beautiful crypt with the relics of St. Andrew the Apostle (entrance 3€/person).
- Piazza deiDogi... what could be more charming?
- The views of Amalfi from various points along the harbor, with the Lattari Mountains as a backdrop.
The beautiful Atrani
This small town a few meters from Amalfi is famous for its picturesque beach. And, as a picture says more than a thousand words, here it is:
Cool, huh?
We reached Atrani on foot in a few minutes from Amalfi. Of course, we had to walk very close to the edge of the road. Not only is it too narrow for two directions, but on top of that, they go like crazy! And, truth be told, the poor visibility on the curves doesn't help much either 🙂 🙂
However, instead of stopping at the beach of Atrani, we continued to the wonderful Spiaggia di Castiglione.
Castiglione Beach
I can't tell you what it will be like in high season, but in early June it was idyllic.
This is a small cove at the foot of the cliff. You have to go down some rather long stairs to reach it, and it is divided in two by a hammock store, the Lido di Ravello (yes, the beach of Ravello!).
On both sides of the business, there is plenty of public space, free to access. And the cliff walls offer natural shade (you'll need it, believe me).
Turquoise sea, sun, boulder-like footbaths and a sense of exclusivity and isolation inconceivable for such a tourist destination as the Amalfi Coast...
What more could you ask for, a freshly made buffalo mozzarella and fresh tomato sandwich? Coming right up!
Where to stay
You will find many more options for overnight stays in Amalfi compared to Atrani.
For me, one of the essential features to take into account was the availability of parking and whether or not it was included in the price.
This was one of the many reasons we chose the Floridiana Hotel:
- Parking included in the price.
- Delicious breakfast.
- Very good reviews on Booking.
- In the heart of Amalfi.
- Modern bathroom and comfortable bed.
All for 125€/night, 2 people (+3€ taxes). In short, 100% recommendable.
Directions
By car
Parking on the narrow road along the Amalfi Coast is very limited and quite expensive. Expect to spend about 20-30€ per day.
If you are just visiting Amalfi or Atrani, you can leave your car in the subway pay parking Luna Rossa, which is located between the two towns. However, if you go in high season, you 'd better cross your fingers while hoping to find a free spot.
There are also some parking spaces next to the port of Atrani, but they tend to sell out easily.
If you are spending the night in Amalfi or Atrani, and you arrive by car, book a parking space through your accommodation, as we did.
Attention:
Traffic in the center of Amalfi is limited to residents. It has only one lane, so narrow that a traffic light regulates the direction of traffic in turns. In addition, it is always crowded with pedestrians strolling, window shopping or savoring, ecstatic, the umpteenth ice cream of the day...
Therefore, if your parking is inside the city, make sure you have received the relevant instructions from your accommodation or agency (and bring them printed on paper), or you will not be allowed to enter the center of Amalfi motorized.
In this regard, the Floridiana Hotel made it very easy for us. They sent us all the necessary information, schedules, map and various tips, such as bringing the reservation in physical format to show it to the police at the entrance (thank goodness we listened to them!).
By bus
Undoubtedly, Amalfi is the best connected town on this coast by the Sita bus company.
By boat
You will find a few companies that run routes several times a day between the main cities of the Amalfi Coast.
Moreover, you can reach Amalfi directly from Salerno or the island of Capri.
Where to eat
In less than 24 hours, it is impossible to make a representative restaurant tasting. Fortunately, we got it right with our choice: L'Absidewhere we had two dishes (each one more delicious) of pasta with seafood, a tiramisu and half a liter of the house white wine for 55€.
On the other hand, since we spent half a day at the beach in Castiglione, we had to look for a take-away option. We bought some fresh tomato and mozzarella sandwiches that were delicious at the Bar Birecto in Atrani, for only 10€. And, just across the square, we found a small store where we stocked up on fresh drinks for the day.
And, as it could not be otherwise during our vacation in southern Italy, we tried a couple of gelato shops: Pasticceria Savoia and Caffe Royal, both in Amalfi.
The best ones? No idea, there are so many! What I can assure you is that they were delicious.
When to go
The same rule that I mentioned in the post about Positano, for example, applies to the entire Amalfi Coast:
If you want to take advantage of the beach, July, August and most of June and September are your months. But remember that, being high season, you will find high prices and many tourists. Opting for June and September is always a bit quieter. Specifically, we visited the Amalfi Coast in early June 2017.
In low season, the weather is worse and the days are shorter, although you will find less crowds.
Budget
- Accommodation (breakfast and parking included): 128€, 64€/person.
- Meal: 75€, 37,5€/person
- Cloister entrance: 6€, 3€/person.
In total, we spent 209€ (104.5€ per head) in 24 hours visiting Amalfi and Atrani.
The Amalfi Coast Guide in PDF
Would you like a PDF with all the information from this blog on how to plan a trip to the Amalfi Coast on your own?
Save it on your tablet or phone and refer to it whenever you need to.
- Choose when, where, and how.
- Adjust the budget to fit your budget.
- Live your own adventure.
Interested? Then click here and buy it for just €1.95.
Useful Links
- Bus schedules along the Amalfi Coast.
- Boat schedules connecting the main coastal towns.
- Hotels in Amalfi.
- Floridiana Hotel.
- Flight deal search engines:Trabber,eDreams,Momondo, andVueling.
- 5% discount on your IATI travel insurance.
On route along the Amalfi Coast? Then this is of interest to you:
- 7 days of driving along the Amalfi Coast.
- The beautiful Positano, one of the most beautiful towns in Italy.
- The Path of the Gods, from Bomerano to Positano.
- The Tre Calli circuit, the Amalfi coast from a bird's eye view.
- Ravello and the most difficult decision: Villa Rufolo or Villa Cimbrone.
Do you have any more questions to ask me about Amalfi or Atrani? I'll be waiting for you in the comments 🙂