Which Amalfi Coast Village Do You Prefer?

[ajtraveler66]

I'd like to hear from folks who have done the Amalfi Coast. We will only be there for about a half a day. Which village along the coast do you think the best for scenery and a great dinner/lunch? Shopping is a lower priority for us.

Pictures of Positano and Ravello look pretty neat. And although Sorrento is not technically on the coast, it looks nice as well and would be accessible for us. Open to other suggestions as well.

[dileep]

Positano and Ravello are both very nice. We had lunch in a smaller village just up in the hills from Positano. The details may be in my cruise notes.

 

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[ab0si]

My favorite is Amalfi. Note that I am a history nerd and Amalfi was an important maritime republic. For views and scenery, I guess I'd day Positano but it is hard to go wrong.

 

Sorrento has some pretty views, but it is much more a mass resort town. I'm always happy to spend some time there, but I'd rather be on the south side of the peninsula rather than on the bay.

[texancruzer]

Hmmmm - hard to choose between Positano and Ravello.

 

Ravello is up in the mountains.....gorgeous views, quaint and so very Italian.

 

Positano is by the sea......also gorgeous views, neat shops, laid back resort feel almost.

 

I loved them both for different reasons. Good luck choosing.

 

PS: Sorrento wasnt much compared to the villages......bigger, more traffic - city feel.

[Susan-M]

If you are doing a private tour and going to Pompeii for the other half of the day, I suggest doing the Amalfi coast for the afternoon. You could just go to Positano and back (and include a stop in Sorrento) to keep the driving down to a minimum, but it seems a shame to go this far and not continue on the Amalfi drive to the town of Amalfi. The scenery is spectacular.

 

We made brief stops in Positano and Amalfi (about 20-30 minutes each) and then continued on up to Pontone for lunch (just outside of Ravello). We ate at Ristorante San Giovanni, on the terrace overlooking the town of Amalfi and the ocean. The timing for lunch worked out well for us because we did the Amalfi drive in the morning and Pompeii in the afternoon (not by choice, but because there was a strike at Pompeii until noon.) If you go to Pompeii in the morning, and have lunch in Amalfi or Ravello, it will be a late lunch, so you might ask your driver to stop somewhere to pick up sandwiches or something to eat on the run after Pompeii.

[MarleneAm]

Ravello:

If the weather is clear, the view from Ravello facing Salerno is truly spectacular, particularly from the place where they hold the concerts. Also the drive to get to Ravello will take you along all the views of the Amalfi coast. Aside from the view, Ravello has a Byzantine cathedral from the 1100s and several other ancient and beautiful buildings. If you have a private driver, he will find you a great place for lunch.

Amalfi:

If you have a private driver and have time, stop in Amalfi to at least

look at the facade of the Cathedral (restored Byzantine) , the doors-real Byzantine and into the cloistor of Paradise from the 12c century.

Positano:

Positano is not very far along the Amalfi drive, so you will miss some

beautiful views. However, if the weather is not clear, it may make sense

to go to Positano so you can walk around the village in greater detail,

and they have great places for lunch. If you only have 1/2 day for your Amalfi excursion, it may be a less rushed and a better experience to just go to Positano from Naples.

Sorrento:

The view of the bay of Naples from the cliff at Sorrento, particularly at sunset, is to die for! Sorrento's cliff has panoramic views in several directions.Sorrento has a 14c church too. And great places for lunch and a place that sells 50 kinds of gelato. You can have a great time in Sorrento- there's a reason so many poeple visit it.But you will miss the unique views of the Amalfi coast around the sharp folds of the mountains if you stay in Sorrento.

Half Day on Amalfi Coast:

If you only have 1/2 day for Amalfi coast, then you already have chosen not to maximize your time there. If it were up to me, I would spend my

entire shore excursion time on the Amalfi coast and skip Capri and skip

Pompeii. But everybody has different priorities. Wishing you a wonderful

time on whatever part of the Amalfi coast you do see!

[Hlitner]

It is hard to go wrong with either Positano or Ravello. If you are tendering into Sorrento or docking in Naples...Positano does make the most sense because of its location. For ships that call at Salerno....Ravello is closer. As to the town of Amalfi, it is further down our list and we only stop in that town as an interim stop when we are driving up to Ravello.

 

Hank

[ajtraveler66]

Created this thread several months ago and forgot that I did so.

 

I have since returned from Italy. While in Naples we did Pompeii in the morning and Amalfi Coast in the afternoon.

 

The only town we stopped in along the coast was Positano. We had lunch there and did some 'shopping'. I couldn't have asked for more.