Amalfi in 3 Days: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

If you're planning a trip to Amalfi and only have three days to explore this beautiful coastal region of Italy, this article is for you. Here you will find a detailed itinerary of things to see and do in Amalfi with the best recommendations to make the most of your trip.

Start this first day on the Amalfi Coast with a stroll through beautiful Positano and Sorrento. Being only 17 kilometres apart, Sorrento and Positano are two Amalfi regions that can be visited in the same day, giving you plenty of time to enjoy both.

Stroll around Sorrento

Sorrento is the largest seaside town on the Amalfi Coast. It has great charm and is well worth a visit. Among the things you can do you can visit:

• The Cathedral of Sorrento.
• The Church of San Francesco.
• The Museo Correale di Terranova, which houses an impressive collection of art and antique objects.
• Its shops, where you can buy gifts or souvenirs of your trip.

Take a boat trip in Positano

After spending half a day in Sorrento, I recommend you take the 5070 bus to Positano. There you can hire a boat trip to start your tour along the coast of this beautiful city and its surroundings. Without a doubt, one of the best boat trips in Amalfi.

This is definitely one of the activities not to be missed during your visit to the Amalfi Coast. Ideal to enjoy a day full of sun, sea and spectacular views. During the boat tour you will be able to:

• Enjoy the breathtaking views of the coast.
• Admire the village from a unique perspective.
• See the beaches, cliffs and sea caves that have made Positano famous.

Visit the best beaches of Positano

After the boat trip, what better than to take the opportunity to visit the most beautiful beaches in the area. All of them offer a quiet atmosphere, crystal clear waters and the possibility to enjoy the sun and the sand.

• Spiaggia Grande: Positano's most famous beach and you will find numerous restaurants and shops where you can buy souvenirs of your visit.
• Fornillo: a smaller beach, but no less beautiful, which stands out for its offer of water sports such as kayaking and paddle surfing.
• Laurito: although it is a bit more difficult to reach, you will find some privacy, as it is a much less crowded and more relaxed beach.

Do the Path of the Gods in Positano

Positano is not all about the beach. The Path of the Gods is considered one of the most beautiful hiking trails on the Amalfi Coast.

Most visitors start their hike in Sorrento (from where you can book a guided tour of the Path of the Gods), and the hike itself takes about four hours, but you can also start the hike from Positano.

Along the way, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy a panoramic view of the entire Amalfi Coast from a perspective that most tourists don't get to see. The trail is easy to follow, so you don't need a guide. It's a must-do, especially if you visit Amalfi in June because of the warm temperatures.

• After this adventurous day, you can take the 5070 back to Amalfi, although my advice is to opt for a taxi or ferry.

On this second day, I suggest a tour of Atrani and Amalfi, as both neighbouring towns offer a perfect combination of tranquillity, excitement, culture and history.

Both have a historic centre full of monuments and architectural gems, as well as a privileged coastal area. And because they are so close to each other, it is ideal to take a whole day to get to know the best of each one.

Visit the small square of Atrani

Atrani is only 5 minutes by bus from the centre of Amalfi. You can opt for bus 5120 or 5110. Piazza Umberto I is the nerve centre of the town. It is a beautiful urban courtyard where locals and tourists alike gather from early morning until late in the evening.

The square has many bars and restaurants as well as the steps of the church of San Salvatore (San Salvatore) where it is common for passers-by to sit and relax.

La Piazzetta is an ideal place to sample delicious local specialities with a good view as it is only a few steps from the sea.

Appreciate the architecture of the church of San Salvatore di Birecto

You will find that Atrani is a small town, so you can walk everywhere. The church of San Salvatore di Birecto is the most prominent building in the Piazzetta di Atrani.

It was built in the 10th century and has a bell tower over the clock on the façade of the church. It also has a bronze door from 1087 donated by a wealthy merchant, as well as a 12th-century marble pluteus depicting an allegorical scene with two peacocks in relief and a tree in the centre.

Get to know the Church of Santa María del Bando

The Church of Santa Maria del Bando is situated on the rocky wall below the Torre dello Ziro. It is an ancient chapel that you can reach if you dare to climb its hundreds of steps.

According to tradition, the church takes its name from the custom of announcing notices from the top of its terrace. In Italian, this type of announcement is called a "bando". Next to the church is the Cave of the Saints, where in the Middle Ages there was a hermit.

Visit the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Magdalena

The Collegiate Church of Santa María Magdalena was founded in 1274 on the ruins of an old medieval fortress. It was built by the citizens in gratitude to S.M. Magdalena for having freed them from a garrison of Saracen soldiers.

It is located on the promontory overlooking the town, so you can enjoy a spectacular view of the Gulf of Salerno, one of the most beautiful places on the Amalfi Coast.

Visit the Amalfi Cathedral

You can go to Amalfi by bus which, as I mentioned before, is only 5 minutes away from Atrani. Visiting the Amalfi Cathedral is a unique experience and a magnificent example of medieval Italian architecture and an important religious site.

Built in the 9th century, the cathedral features an impressive Arab-Norman façade and a majestic marble staircase. Inside you can admire the magnificent central nave, the mosaics, frescoes in the apse, and the chapel of St. Pantaleon.

The cathedral also houses a crypt containing the relics of St Andrew, making it a destination for thousands of pilgrims.

Stroll the streets of Amalfi and sample its gastronomy

Amalfi's cathedral is located in the town's main square, making it the perfect starting point for exploring the streets of Amalfi. One of the first things you'll notice as you walk through the streets is the beauty of the buildings. For all this, the ideal option is to take one of the best guided tours of Amalfi.

Walking through the historic centre you will find many shops and small markets where you can buy souvenirs and local handicrafts, such as ceramics and textiles. And if you have a sweet tooth, you can't miss the delicious limoncellos and the traditional almond biscuits known as amaretti.

The town is also famous for its gastronomy, so there are plenty of options for a delicious lunch:

• The famous fish soup "zuppa di pesce".
• The "spaghetti alle vongole".
• Pasta with clams in a tomato and garlic sauce.
• Neapolitan pizza is a classic worth trying.
• As for drinks, nothing better than a good local wine, such as Taurasi or Greco di Tufo.

Relax on Amalfi's beaches

After touring so many attractions and indulging in the best local cuisine, there's nothing better than to recharge your batteries on one of Amalfi's best beaches.

Noted for their fine, soft sand and crystal clear, refreshing waters, these beautiful beaches have numerous bars on their periphery where you can enjoy a delicious cocktail or a refreshing drink. So this is the time to enjoy the sea breeze and the sun, while taking in the beauty of the panoramic views and breathtaking cliffs that surround the beaches of Amalfi.

For this third and last day in the Amalfi region, I suggest you visit Ravello. It is a village located 365 metres above sea level and has been recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.

Unlike other coastal towns, Ravello has no beaches. It is located 6 kilometres from Amalfi and can be reached by bus 5110.

Visit the Cathedral of Ravello

The Cathedral of Ravello or (Duomo di Ravello) is a beautiful building with a simple façade and a door from 1179 created by Barisano da Trani. It is located in the Piazza Duomo in Ravello and was built between 1086 and 1087.

Inside the cathedral there is a relic with the blood of San Pantaleone, which shows the phenomenon of liquefaction every year. The marble ambo of the Gospel, a work of the sculptor Bartolomeo da Foggia, dated 1272, is also remarkable.

A tour of Villa Rufolo

Just a few metres from the cathedral is Villa Rufolo, the main tourist attraction of Ravello, not only because it hosts the Ravello Festival, but also for its beauty and especially for the incredible panoramic view of the entire Amalfi Coast and the Gulf of Salerno.

It is an ancient noble villa that belonged to the powerful Rufolo family, a family of bankers and merchants of the city. The villa has:

• Two towers and two terraces built on the rock, from where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the entire Amalfi Coast.
• The Ravello Festival Auditorium.
• A small museum.
• A cloister.
• A chapel.
• Several important rooms and marvellous gardens.

Walk around Villa Cimbrone

Villa Cimbrone is a villa of great importance in Ravello now converted into a 5 star hotel. However, its Terrace of Infinity, considered one of the most famous and spectacular terraces on the Amalfi Coast, is open to the public so you can enjoy one of the most beautiful panoramic views in the region.

Visitors can stroll through the beautiful gardens and have a coffee or a drink at the nearby bar.

• Price: Around €8 per person as this is a private villa.
• How to get there: the villa is only accessible via a staircase and a 20-minute walk from Ravello Cathedral.

Souvenir shopping on Via Roma

Located in the historic centre of the town, this is a street where visitors can buy souvenirs, typical products, paintings, wines and the famous limoncello. At the end of this street you can visit the emblematic Church of Santa Maria a Gradillo, a symbol of Ravello's history.

Visit the Church of San Giovanni del Toro

The Church of San Giovanni del Toro has an important historical past as it was built in the 11th century by the patrician families of the town, including the Muscettola, Pironti, Rogadeo and Rufolo families.

It was later restored in 1715 after being affected by an earthquake. Inside the church you can see several frescoes and the pulpit, decorated with 13th century Persian basins.

Finally, you can return to Amalfi for dinner in the harbour area and bid farewell to the Italian town with a postcard of its illuminated houses.