Coastal Getaway Pack: Five Days on the Amalfi Coast
A five-day plan for the Amalfi Coast that uses one quiet base, ferries instead of buses, and a long lunch every day.
The Amalfi Coast rewards travelers who refuse to chase the postcard. Positano and Amalfi town itself are postcard-perfect and exhausting; stay in Praiano or Atrani instead, take ferries everywhere, and reserve one long lunch a day. Five days is enough to walk the famous trail, swim daily, and never feel rushed.
Where to base
Praiano sits between Positano and Amalfi town and is dramatically quieter than either. Atrani, just east of Amalfi, is a tiny fishing village glued to the cliff. Both have ferries and bus stops within five minutes' walk. Avoid Positano as a base unless your hotel includes a sea-view balcony you'll actually use; the steps to and from the village wear you out within two days.
Getting there
Fly to Naples, then a private transfer or the SITA bus down. Trains do not run to the coast. Allow three hours from Naples airport door to door, longer in August traffic.
From Sorrento, the ferry is the most pleasant approach: 35 minutes, no winding road, and the coast opens dramatically as you arrive.
Day one: arrive, swim, eat
Arrive, drop bags, and find the closest beach. In Praiano that's Marina di Praia, a tiny pebble cove at the base of a switchback path. Swim, dry off on a rented sun bed, eat dinner at the trattoria right there. Day one is over.
Day two: Path of the Gods
The Sentiero degli Dei runs from Bomerano to Nocelle (above Positano), about 7 kilometers, three hours with stops. The trail is mostly cliffside with full sea views. Start early; the path becomes a parade after 11:00.
Reward yourself with lunch at Nocelle and a long taxi back. Skip the 1,500 steps down to Positano unless your knees disagree.
Day three: Ravello and a long lunch
Ferry to Amalfi town, bus up to Ravello. Visit Villa Cimbrone in the morning. Lunch at Belvedere or any restaurant with a view; you've earned three hours at a table.
Afternoon back in Amalfi town for a gelato and an aimless walk through the old town. Ferry home before sunset.
Day four: Capri (or another beach day)
From Praiano, the ferry to Capri is 40 minutes. Skip the Blue Grotto unless conditions are perfect; the queue is long and the visit is short. Instead, take the chairlift up Monte Solaro for views, then a slow lunch in Anacapri.
If Capri sounds like too much, stay home and take the boat from Marina di Praia to a hidden cove for a swim instead.
Day five: home base
The last day should be at your hotel. Late breakfast. A long swim. The same lunch table from day three. Pack after dinner.
What to eat
- Spaghetti alle vongole, fresh clams, lemon, parsley.
- Delizia al limone, the regional lemon cake.
- Mozzarella di bufala from the Cilento area, served plain.
- Anchovies from Cetara, on bread, with no other adornment.
- Limoncello, after dinner, never before.
Practical notes
- Ferries beat buses for almost every route in season.
- Bring water shoes. The pebble beaches are unforgiving.
- Cash is still common at small beach kiosks.
- The Amalfi road closes occasionally for landslides; build a buffer day at each end if you can.
Estimated budget
Couple, mid-range, five days: 1,600 to 2,200 EUR excluding flights. Comfortable cliff-view room, three restaurant dinners, two long lunches, ferries, and a Capri day. A leaner version at 1,000 to 1,300 EUR works from a small guesthouse with breakfast included and self-catered lunches.
