Summer Escape: Costiera Amalfitana Special

Sunny beaches, secret coves, crystal clear sea, the scent of lemons, breathtaking views, culture, warm people and excellent food are just some of the things that makes the Amalfi Coast such a special place.

This stretch of southern Italy, which stretches for 11.321 hectares between the Gulf of Naples and the Gulf of Salerno, so beautiful and precious to be an UNESCO heritage site since 1997, has always been a favorite destination for international tourism, a good choice chosen from the myths of past, from the likes of Anna Magnani and Jackie Kennedy, but also by contemporary celebrities such as LeBron James, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé and many others.

nss magazine takes you on a journey through a glimpse of paradise that the whole world envies us for.

Positano

This splendid, which takes its name from Poseidon, God of the Sea, with its houses are perched on each other, it seems almost a crib clinging to the rock.

A key stop in every trip on the Amalfi Coast, Positano offers narrow streets full of boutiques and shops including walking, but also special places to visit such as the Church of Santa Maria Assunta with its majolica dome, the Path of the Gods, a famous walk panoramic and, of course, the beaches where you can sunbathe and take a dip in a wonderful blue sea.

Praiano 

19 kilometers south of Positano, Praiano emerges with its beaches that, despite their small size, are very popular with tourists from all over the world.

The main characteristic of the country? The breadth of the views, perfect for admiring the romantic sunsets of the summer evenings.

Furore

Here, where the houses pile up colored on each other and Rossellini shot the film "L'Amore", there is the only fjord in Italy. Despite this narrow inlet, dug by the incessant work of the stream Schiato, which welcomes the fishermen on their return from their daily fishing trips, catalyze the attention of tourists, worth a visit also the real village, reachable by steep paths that from the coast go back inwards.

Conca dei Marini

From the Saracen Tower to the lemon garden of the Church of Sant'Antonio, to the beach, which is reached by descending 300 steps, there are several marvels that have made Conca dei Marini beloved and frequented in the past by Princess Margaret of England and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

The most enchanting and famous place in the country is, however, without any doubt, the Grotta dello Smeraldo, a marine ravine that owes its name to the shades that the water takes when the sunlight is reflected on the backdrop (where there is an underwater Nativity scene) and on the rocky walls.

Amalfi

According to the legend Amalfi takes the name of the woman loved by Hercules who, died at a young age, the hero has buried on the shores of this city to rock her with the waters of the Tyrrhenian forever.

This is perhaps the most romantic of the many stories that animate a city that still today and enchants crowds of visitors from all over the world to such an extent that, thanks to them in the summer the inhabitants from about 5,000 multiply up to 70,000.

Founded at the time of the Romans, but at its peak in the Middle Ages along with the other three maritime republics that at that time fought for control of the Mediterranean, Amalfi is the

ideal place to shop among the characteristic shops of the center, enjoy a lemon granita and visit the paper museum, the imposing Cathedral of Sant'Andrea, the ancient arsenals of the Republic or the Cloister of Paradise.

Atrani

In this village perched on a rock overlooking the sea, between the mountains Civita and Aureo, you can admire the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maddalena, the Cave of Masaniello and the Grotto of the Saints, which hides inside the Byzantine style frescoes.

Ravello

It is one of the destinations of the Amalfi Coast best known by art lovers, thanks to Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone. The first is an ancient Moorish building with marvelous flower terraces overlooking the sea; while the second is an ancient noble residence turned into a museum, with an elegant secular park of 6 hectares that offers the "Belvedere of the Infinity", a panoramic terrace outlined by a series of marble busts from which you can enjoy a breathtaking view.

Ravello, also known as the city of music, is home to a popular international festival and a beautiful Auditorium.

Minori

Its main attractions? The Roman Maritime Villa with its numerous frescoes and mosaics, the Basilica of Santa Trofimena, an interesting example of 18th-century sacred architecture.

Cetara

This small fishing village (in Latin its name means tonnara) is not only known for its crystalline waters or the imposing Saracen Tower, built to hinder the attacks of the Turks, but, above all, for the famous "anchovy colatura", a condiment obtained from the fermentation of anchovies marinated in small chestnut or oak barrels.

Vietri sul Mare

Vietri sul Mare is a beautiful ancient village suspended over the Tyrrhenian Sea, with a historic center full of artisan pottery shops, a church with a colorful majolica dome and two rock spikes in the middle of the sea as a symbol of the city.

On these rocks, known as the "Due Fratelli", various legends are told. The most romantic? Two young shepherds, die in the waves, during a storm, to save a mysterious girl. The girl who is actually the daughter of Poseidon, god of the sea, moved by the courage and generosity of the two men decided to transform the remains in the two rocks.

What to do

Walking

Those who love walking cannot miss the "Il Sentiero degli Dei", an environment suspended between peaks, deep gorges, cliffs and precipices.

It is a hiking route about 10 km long that runs at 500-600 meters above sea level from Bomerano fraction of Agerola, up to Nocelle fraction of Positano, perched on the slopes of Monte Pertuso.

Its name? It refers to one of the most impressive and famous sky-lines in the world, but also to a legend according to which it is the road traveled by the Greek gods to save Ulysses from the sirens of the island of Li Galli.

Take a boat tour

With its 50 kilometers of coastline, the ideal to fully enjoy this stretch of Italy is to take a boat trip, being able to discover the most beautiful beaches and ravines and dive into the wonderful blue sea of the area.

Amalfi Lemon Tour

"Land of lemons", is how Goethe called the Amalfi Coast, a perfect definition since this citrus is the undisputed king of the area.

So why not take the lemon tour? It is a cultural walk through a path made of terracing, including a stop at a museum of old work tools, where you can taste a lemonade made with the typical "sfusato" Amalfi.

Admire the view

It is the most obvious and simple thing to do, stop and enjoy the wonderful panorama that the Amalfi Coast offers.

The spots that reveal memorable views are very many, such as, for example, the highest part of Praiano.

Eat

If you decide to visit the Amalfi Coast, preparations for big feast of food: pasta dishes, main courses, desserts ... everything here is divine.

The fundamental dish to taste? Obviously the pizza, but also the sfogliatelle filled with ricotta and chocolate chips or those "Santa Rosa" with custard and candied cherries, the aubergines with chocolate, anchovies, fried fish, scialatielli with seafood, limoncello, ...

Best Beaches

The Sovrano Beach, also known as the "Sgarrupo", is a small paradise reachable only by sea from Maiori: white pebbles, green of the surrounding wild nature, crystal clear waters and tranquility.

Duoglio

It is one of the most characteristic pebble beaches and is about 1 km from Amalfi. To reach this stretch of clear sea, however, you must first make a small sacrifice: go down four hundred steps.

Duoglio is the perfect choice for water sports such as diving, windsurfing or canoeing.

The beach of Erchie

The beach of this small fishing village is long and sandy and slips between two headlands, each with a tower at the top: the Cerniola Tower and the Tummolo Tower.

La Spiaggia del cavallo morto

La spiaggia del Cavallo morto, reachable only by sea, is a white sandy beach set in a steep cliff overlooking the crystalline sea, with a perfect backdrop for those who love snorkeling. A boat is required to reach the beach.

Marina Grande of Positano

This beach offers about 300 meters of dark sand and pebbles, full of bathing establishments and restaurants.

A destination often frequented by Italian and international celebrities, it is always crowded.

Li Galli Island

This island in the shape of a dolphin is located off the coast of Positano and is one of the wildest treasures of the Amalfi coast accessible only by boat. In its waters it is possible to swim with fish of different species.

It is said that here Ulysses and his sailors had to face the terrible temptation of the sirens.

Bloggers Tips

- Are you going to Positano? Do you love fashion? So, you must absolutely enter the many little shops that sell little dresses in San Gallo lace and buy a pair of "positi sandals", Jaqueline Kennedy's favorite shoes.

- Always in Positano, treat yourself to a sumptuous dinner at Zass, the Michelin-starred restaurant of Belgian chef Alois Vanlangenaeker. This jewel of the restaurant is located on one of the terraces overlooking the sea of the Hotel San Pietro, one of the most evocative of the whole coast.

- At Minori stop for a sweet break from Sal de Riso, the most famous pastry chef in Southern Italy, and enjoy one of its specialties such as the Amalfi lemon profiteroles, the lemon Caprese, the ricotta and pear pie or the lemon tiramisu.

Fun Facts

- In Furore, where there is the only fjord in Italy, the MarMeeting, the world cup of diving from great heights, takes place in September.

- Every year, in August, the Sfogliatella Festival animates Conca dei Marini.

- Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone in Ravello are both locations of the film "Wonder Woman" with Gal Gadot.

- Atrani with its extension of just 0.12 sq km is the smallest municipality in Italy.

- Conca dei Marini is full of popular legends that narrate that in the village, in the sixteenth century, there were witches (called "ianare") who met the night in a field of olive trees for their magical rites and to prepare potions of love or against the evil eye.

To remember these stories on the Saturday before Fat Tuesday, the town celebrates the "ianare" Carnival every year.