Built into the cliffs, Positano is one of the most picturesque village of the Amalfi Coast

Hidden Gems of the Amalfi Coast

We developed a great four day itinerary for the Amalfi Coast that is a perfect Secret.

After time in Florence and Rome, Rick and I rode the train into Naples, the Circumvesuviana train into Sorrento, and then took the bus into Positano.

It is so simple to go into the train station and buy your train ticket at the kiosks. The trains don’t sell out and you choose your time to depart when you are ready, not at a “planned” time. But I have found that it’s so simple to have those tickets in hand so you just walk to the train. No waiting for a kiosk to be open. No rush because of lines. And if you note the train times from the online site that are around your purchased ticket time, you can choose to travel earlier or later in the day. You can still be spontaneous. I use trenitalia.com or trainline.com to view times and buy the tickets.

When you arrive into Napoli Centrale, follow the signs and the crowds to the train platform downstairs. The sign says Circumvesuviana. You buy your tickets there. You cannot buy them online. This is more like a commuter subway like in NYC.

In season, there is also the new tourist train from Naples into Sorrento, the Campania Express. Look at eavsrl.it.

Arriving by train into Sorrento, you literally walk off the train platform and see the SITA bus on the street right in front of you. This is the bus for Positano.

We stayed two nights in Positano to visit Ravello and Amalfi and hike the Path of the Gods. We stayed two nights in Sorrento to visit Sorrento take the ferry to Capri.

We loved Hotel California in Positano. The patio has gorgeous views over the water and the layered buildings of the village and is in the original Palazzo Bruno dating from 1777. The breakfast buffet is a delight and the hotel is minutes from the bus stop to carry you up and down the coast to the small villages.

Walk out of the Hotel, turn left, and within a few steps you are at the Sponda bus stop. Riding the bus to Amalfi, changing buses for the jaunt up the mountain to Ravello, we found the hidden treasure of Mama Agata. She has an engaging cooking class. You can hike down into Atrani and then walk the coastline back into Amalfi. The ferry back to Positano is the best way to view the staggered buildings in this delightful region of Italy.

The next day we took the bus from the Sponda stop up to Nocelle to follow the Path of the Gods. See pathofgods.com for full information. Jumping from the bus, you see signs for the Path immediately from the town. Following dirt paths over stones and through the trees, the trail is not difficult and is just mesmerizing with the sweeping views over the coast. After five hours, we ended our glorious hike in Praiano and rode the bus back into Positano.

 

 

We took the bus into Sorrento for our wonderful stay at Hotel Minerva. Up on the hill above the town, we had majestic views of the Bay on their expansive balcony. Breakfast buffets, a huge rooftop pool, and musical entertainment for dancing under the stars put this lodging into our special secrets. There was a sidewalk to walk into the town each day and night, and we explored the town’s piazzas and alleys.

You can walk down to the wharf in Sorrento to catch the ferry to Capri, but the hotel told us about a bus that would drop you down by the ferry. We took off for a full day on the island of Capri. You will be told to skip Capri because of the crowds. But hiking takes you away from the mobs of tourists.

Most guide blogs will tell you to go to the Blue Grotto or shop in Capritown. But not us. Because we were early, we rode the funicular from the harbor up to Capritown and rode the bus up to Anacapri. Then we took the chair lift up to Mount Solaro to view the I Fariglioni rocks. You can hike down from here or ride the lift back into the town. Cute boutiques and coffee shops line the street. Riding the bus back into Capritown, we began a series of scenic hikes on the island.

 

With the Tourist Information on your left, the Rodeo Drive like street Via Roma on your right and the ocean behind you, walk away from the crowds to follow signs for Arco Naturale. This is an enchanting walk with a scenic arch at the end. Hike to Villa Jovis and the Via Krupp Augustus Gardens for captivating vistas. Walking gets you away from the crowds and affords the scenic ocean views from this lovely island. We had a rewarding day, riding the ferry back to Sorrento where we drank a bottle of wine on our balcony and watched the twinkling lights of little Sorrento.

View positano.com and capri.net for more great information.

We want to enjoy time on the water on our next trip into Capri. Look at giannisboat.com.

Great restaurant secrets:

La Zagara – eat the eggplant parmigiana in Positano
Rubinacci’s – eat the cannelloni in Sorrento