Positano

Positano is the main reason why I wanted to go to the Amalfi Coast. I really wanted to see the colorful houses lined up impressively along the steep cliff face. In fact, the view was even better than I had imagined. However, it's even better to stroll through the narrow streets of the little town, pop into a boutique here and there or simply enjoy an ice cream. Afterwards, you can lie down on Positano's pebble beach and enjoy the panorama of the town from there!

Unfortunately, Positano is usually overcrowded with tourists. However, we were lucky in September. The town was hardly crowded and the beach was (almost) empty! So we were able to stroll through the small streets in peace and quiet and visit the famous church of Santa Maria Assunta without the crowds. Before we drove home again, we stopped at the Collina bakery - highly recommended!

Sentiero degli Dei

The Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods) is a hiking trail that leads over the mountains of the Amalfi Coast and truly offers a divine view of the sea and the coast. However, depending on where you start from, you have to earn it first. From Positano, we had to climb more than 1,500 steps and 500 meters in altitude to reach the small village of Nocelle. If you want to save yourself the effort, you can also drive to Nocelle by car. From Nocelle, the 8 km hike takes you to Agerola (and back again).

Along the hiking trail, oak forests and rosemary plants awaited us alongside impressive rock formations. Here and there we saw a goat and even a donkey crossed our path. The sapphire blue sea accompanied us all the way - simply beautiful!

After climbing back down the 1,500 steps, our legs were really flat. My legs were shaking from all the stairs. But if you still haven't had enough after a total of 16 km and 3,000 steps, you can climb down another 300 steps to relax on Arienzo beach after the hike.

By the way: The small village of Nocelle, from where we started the hike, is very beautiful. There is a guesthouse with a restaurant (“Santa Croce”) from where you have a magnificent view of the sea and the coast!

Capri

We were able to discover this beautiful island in the Gulf of Naples on a boat trip from our campsite. The Villaggio Nettuno organizes daily excursions to the island, which is only 10.4 km² in size. We set off from Marina del Cantone at 9 am in the direction of Capri. We spent about 6 hours there before returning at around 5.30 pm. On the way back, the boat circumnavigated the island once again. A great tour that is definitely worth the price!

When we arrived in Capri's harbor, we first took a small bus uphill to Anacapri. The island of Capri consists of two villages: Anacapri, which is situated high up, and Capri, which is a little lower down. Capri is quicker to reach from the port, but Anacapri is (in my opinion) the prettier village. With its many cute boutiques and beautiful houses, Anacapri not only invites you to stroll around, but also has a magnificent viewpoint in the garden of the Villa San Michele museum.

After exploring Anacapri, we wanted to continue on to the Blue Grotto. Capri has many caves by the sea. Probably the most famous is the Grotta Azzurra. Several small boats with tourists enter here every day to see the beautiful blue water that the sun creates in the cave. Unfortunately, the Grotta Azzurra was closed due to the rough sea. Nevertheless, we made our way there! We didn't want to take part in an overpriced boat tour. Instead, we simply jumped into the water and swam into the cave with two other adventurous tourists. It was great, the blue light just blew us away!

After our little refreshment, we took the bus back. This time to Capri. There we also strolled through the little streets. We could even have gone on a real shopping spree in the many stores in Capri, but we had to get our boat back. We therefore took the well-known cable car to the harbor for 2 EUR. Back on the boat, we were able to listen to the team from Villaggio Nettuno tell us their stories about Capri during our tour of the island. It was very interesting!

By the way: We had previously checked the prices for an excursion to Capri in Amalfi and Sorrento. Most of the offers are a rip-off! The trip to Capri shouldn't cost you more than 30 EUR. Also pay attention to what the offer includes.

The city of

Amalfi

Amalfi is the town that gives the Amalfi Coast its name. So a trip there is a must when you are on the Amalfi Coast. But believe me: it's not a punishment! Because Amalfi is stunning! Like Positano, Amalfi is located directly by the sea below steep cliffs. As we strolled through the town, we kept passing cute little boutiques. These are often not expensive at all. Bene therefore bought himself a nice summer shirt.

Relatively quickly, we were standing in front of the striped Byzantine cathedral of Amalfi. This dates back to a time when Amalfi was a powerful maritime republic. The Duomo di Amalfi rises impressively above the cathedral square in front of it, where one restaurant follows the next. If you want to eat here, you have to expect tourist prices. The restaurants here are comparatively expensive. You can get away a little cheaper in Piazza dei Dogi!

After walking around the town for a while, we went to the beach in Amalfi to enjoy the sun. Once again, the perfect mix of exploring and relaxing!

Grotta dello Smeraldo

On our way to Amalfi, we made a short stopover at the Grotta dello Smeraldo. This time we visited it the “normal” way: with a short boat trip through the grotto. This was definitely more relaxing than swimming in Capri. We were able to see the impressive cave at our leisure. However, it had less charm. There were lots of tourists in the cave with us and therefore several boats on the water. In addition, the boat only goes once in a circle. Nice to look at, but the ambience is taken away.

But that's complaining on a high level! After all, when do we have the opportunity to experience such a natural spectacle at home? The name says it all. In the Grotta dello Smeraldo, the water shimmers a brilliant emerald green depending on the position of the sun (usually at midday). When we were there (in the morning), the color of the water was more like the blue of the Grotta Azzurra. So no matter what time of day you are there, the water is always an extraordinary color! And with an entrance fee of 5 EUR, you can't go far wrong.

Fiordo di Furore

The trip to Furore was more like a sports program... I discovered a picture of the Fiordo di Furore on the internet, which I liked so much that I wanted to go there. As there is a small beach at the fjord, we wanted to spend the afternoon there. Unfortunately, the beach was closed for safety reasons (at the time). We were able to admire the Fiordo di Furore, but the afternoon on the beach was written off. So what were we supposed to do?

I saw some stairs leading up to Furore and suggested we walk there. The suggestion didn't exactly spark enthusiasm in Bene, who thought back to the steps to the Sentiero degli Dei. He came along anyway. I said several times that there certainly wouldn't be that many steps again. Too bad, I was wrong! So after we had covered countless steps and meters of altitude again, we arrived in the small village of Furore. And what was waiting for us? A small supermarket and a café where elderly gentlemen were playing cards. There wasn't much else up there. So we walked all the way up just to buy some water and a nectarine. The nectarine was very tasty. But then we had to walk back down again... Well, it was just a workout.

Sorrent & other places

Due to the hype surrounding Positano, many tourists often don't even have the other towns on the Amalfi Coast on their radar. However, a friend had recommended the towns of Sorrento, Ravello and Salerno. Sorrento was the closest to our campsite, so we headed there first. Unfortunately, we had the misfortune that Sorrento was almost more crowded than Positano. But we made our way quietly through the town. Like probably every place on the Amalfi Coast, it is very beautiful. However, I missed the special charm that both Amalfi and Positano exude. And what annoyed us a little were the many promoters advertising boat trips to Capri & Co. Nevertheless, Sorrento is worth a visit. It's just something different from the other towns on the Amalfi Coast!

I would have loved to go to Salerno. Because I've heard from many people how beautiful it is. But unfortunately we didn't have time... Next time then!

Neapel, Pompeji & Vesuv

Before we headed to the Amalfi Coast, we made a stop in Naples. The city is often frowned upon as loud and dirty. But this facade is deceptive. If you take a closer look, you will discover the beauty of the city. That's why a trip to Naples is worthwhile! Find out more about it here.

A trip to Pompeii followed by a hike to Mount Vesuvius is just as worthwhile. The ancient city of Pompeii was buried along with its inhabitants during a volcanic eruption in 79 AD. The culprit for this disaster was Mount Vesuvius. A volcano that is still active today, it is only 9 km from Naples and therefore only a 30-minute drive from the Amalfi Coast. I have summarized everything you need to know for your visit here.