42 Best Sights in Amalfi Coast, Italy

From the middle of the 11th century, Amalfi's center of shipbuilding, customs houses, and warehouses was the Arsenale, today the only (partially) preserved medieval shipyard in southern Italy. Ships and galleys up to 80-feet long, equipped with up to 120 oars, were built at this largest arsenal of any medieval maritime republic. Two large Gothic halls here now host the Museo della Bussola e del Ducato Marinaro di Amalfi (Museum of the Compass and Maritime Duchy of Amalfi) with exhibitions and artifacts from Amalfi's medieval period, including paintings, ancient coins, banners, and jeweled costumes. The highlight is the original 66-chapter draft of the code of the Tavole Amalfitane, the sea laws and customs of the ancient republic, used throughout the Italian Mediterranean from the 13th to the 16th century. The Tavole established everything from prices for boat hires to procedures to be followed in case of a shipwreck. Long one of the treasures of the Imperial Library of Vienna, the draft was returned to Amalfi after more than 500 years. Ten of the arsenal's original 22 stone piers remain; the others were destroyed by storms and changes in the sea level on this ever-active coast.

Ravello's first bishop, Orso Papiciò, founded this cathedral in 1086. Rebuilt in the 12th and 17th centuries, it retains traces of medieval frescoes in the transept, a marble portal, and a three-story 13th-century bell tower playfully interwoven with mullioned windows and arches. The 12th-century bronze door has 54 embossed panels depicting Christ's life, and saints, prophets, plants, and animals, all narrating biblical lore. Ancient columns divide the nave's three aisles, and treasures include sarcophagi from Roman times and paintings by the southern Renaissance artist Andrea da Salerno. Most impressive are the two medieval pulpits: the earlier one (on your left as you face the altar) is inset with a mosaic scene of Jonah and the whale, symbolizing death and redemption. The more famous one opposite was commissioned by Nicola Rufolo in 1272 and created by Niccolò di Bartolomeo da Foggia, with exquisite mosaic work, bas-reliefs, and six twisting columns sitting on lion pedestals. An eagle grandly tops the inlaid marble lectern.

A chapel to the left of the apse is dedicated to San Pantaleone, a physician beheaded in the 3rd century in Nicomedia. Every July 27 devout believers gather in hope of witnessing a miracle (similar to that of San Gennaro in Naples), in which the saint's blood, collected in a vial and set out on an inlaid marble altar, appears to liquefy and come to a boil.

In the crypt is the Museo del Duomo, which displays religious treasures, including many from the 13th century during the reign of Frederick II of Sicily.

Complicated, grand, delicate, and dominating, the 9th-century Amalfi cathedral has been remodeled over the years with Romanesque, Byzantine, Gothic, and Baroque elements but retains a predominantly Arab-Norman style. This intriguing blend of architectural styles easily confuses past and present, old and new, authentic and revival. The facade, with its glimmering mosaics, intricate patterns, and Arab design influences, is in fact no older than the 19th century. It was the master work of Neapolitan architect Errico Alvino, created during the height of Italy's fascination with Revivalism. The campanile, spliced with Saracen colors and intricate tile work, is the real deal and dates to the 13th century. The Chiostro del Paradiso (Paradise Cloister) is an Arab-Sicilian spectacular. Built around 1266 as a burial ground for Amalfi's elite, the cloister, the first stop on a tour of the cathedral, is one of southern Italy's architectural treasures. Its flower-and-palm-filled quadrangle has a series of exceptionally delicate intertwining arches on slender double columns.

The chapel at the back of the cloister leads into the earlier (9th-century) basilica. Romanesque in style, the structure has a nave, two aisles, and a high, deep apse. Note the 14th-century crucifixion scene by a student of Giotto. This section has now been transformed into a museum, housing sarcophagi, sculpture, Neapolitan goldsmiths' artwork, and other treasures from the cathedral complex.

Steps from the basilica lead down into the Cripta di Sant'Andrea (Crypt of St. Andrew). The cathedral above was built in the 13th century to house the saint's bones, which came from Constantinople and supposedly exuded a miraculous liquid believers call the "manna of St. Andrew." Following the one-way traffic up to the cathedral itself, you finally get to admire the elaborate polychrome marbles and painted, coffered ceilings from its 18th-century restoration. Art historians shake their heads over this renovation, as the original decoration of the apse must have been one of the wonders of the Middle Ages.

One of Italy's most majestic sights lies on the edge of a flat coastal plain: the remarkably preserved Greek temples of Paestum. This is the site of the ancient city of Poseidonia, founded by Greek colonists probably in the 6th century BC. When the Romans took it over in 273 BC, they Latinized the name to Paestum and changed the layout of the settlement, adding an amphitheater and a forum. Much of the archaeological material found on the site is displayed in the Museo Nazionale, and several rooms are devoted to the unique tomb paintings—rare examples of Greek and pre-Roman pictorial art—discovered in the area.

At the northern end of the site opposite the ticket barrier is the Tempio di Cerere (Temple of Ceres). Built in about 500 BC, it is thought to have been originally dedicated to the goddess Athena. Follow the road south past the Foro Romano (Roman Forum) to the Tempio di Nettuno (Temple of Poseidon), a showstopping Doric edifice with 36 fluted columns and an entablature (the area above the capitals) that rivals those of the finest temples in Greece. Beyond is the so-called Basilica. It dates from the early 6th century BC. The name is an 18th-century misnomer, though, since it was, in fact, a temple to Hera, the wife of Zeus. Try to see the temples in the early morning or late afternoon when the stone takes on a golden hue.

Painstaking excavations begun in 2003 below the oratory of Santa Maria Assunta are now open to the public and showcase tantalizing traces of Positano's vast Roman settlement buried by the AD 79 eruption. Through volcanic debris some 30 feet below the piazzetta is a cool subterranean world with different captivating chambers and crypts. The new entrance by the campanile leads to the most recently discovered Roman villa excavations, which sit below the Cripta Superiore with its spine-tingling funereal seating, reserved for Positano's most upstanding 18th-century citizens (i.e., the wealthy wanting to book a pew in heaven), members of the Confraternita del Monte dei Morti. Among the Roman artifacts are vibrant frescoes, ornate stucco reliefs, intricate bronzes and ceramics, and the mother of all stone mortars. The excellent restoration shows the impact of eruptions in the strewn debris, contorted surfaces, and cracks; glass stairs and walkways, multimedia displays. and subtle lighting cleverly illuminate the finest details below your feet and all around. Another entrance nearby leads to the Cripta Inferiore, with two naves, marble columns, and later additions (a rough stone altar believed through various documents to be dedicated to the Nativity, plus some 17th-century funereal seating). Ask one of the enthusiastic archaeological guides stationed in the small box by the church entrance for a tour, and you'll be guided down the steps to the new Ingresso Museo Villa Romana entrance behind the bell tower.

From the lofty top of Furore, 944 steps (count 'em!) lead down to Marina di Furore, nearly hidden away in a fjord. Set on the coast, this enchanting hamlet—perhaps 10 houses?—beckons to most travelers as their SITA buses pass over it on a towering viaduct that each summer is the site of the Mediterranean Cup High-Diving Championship. The locale's name derives from the "furor" of stormy water that once rushed down the Torrente Schiato here, now a mere trickle. Adorning the gorge is a fishermen's village scene fit for a Neapolitan presepe (with some houses renovated for Anna Magnani during the filming of Roberto Rossellini's L'Amore in 1948); these buildings and the adjoining paper mill were abandoned when the tiny harbor closed. Today, the sleepy hamlet only comes to life during the summer months when the colorful houses are complemented by sunbathers who follow the narrow pathway down to the secluded beach. From the beach, the Sentiero della Volpe Pescatrice ("fox-fish's path") and the Sentiero dei Pipistrelli Impazziti ("mad bats' path") climb up some 3,000 steps and were built to portage goods from the harbor to the town of Furore. The hard walk up takes a couple of hours, as you climb from sea to sky. To see any of this by car, you have to pay to park in the rest area some 450 yards away on the Amalfi side of the gorge, just before the gas station. Unless you're in pretty good shape, it's better to boat to the beach and just rubberneck.

To the left of the Duomo, the entrance to this private museum is through the tempting shop CAMO, and both are the creation of master-craftsman-in-residence Giorgio Filocamo. The museum celebrates the venerable tradition of Italian workmanship in coral, harvested in bygone centuries from the gulfs of Salerno and Naples and crafted into jewelry, cameos, and figurines. The fascinating collection, not confined solely to coral work, includes a painting of Sisto IV from the 14th century. Look also in particular for a carved Christ from the 17th century, for which the J. Paul Getty Museum offered $525,000 in 1987 (the offer was refused), and a tobacco box covered in cameos, one of only two in the world. There is also a statue of the Madonna dating to 1532. Giorgio has crafted coral for Pope John Paul II, the Clintons, and Princess Caroline, as well as numerous Hollywood stars.

Uphill from town, the Valle dei Mulini (Valley of the Mills) was for centuries Amalfi's center for papermaking, an ancient trade learned from the Arabs, who learned it from the Chinese. Beginning in the 12th century, former flour mills were converted to produce paper made from cotton and linen. The paper industry was a success, and by 1811 more than a dozen mills here, with more along the coast, were humming. Natural waterpower ensured that the handmade paper was cost-effective. Yet, by the late 1800s the industry had moved to Naples and other more geographically accessible areas. Flooding in 1954 closed most of the mills for good, and many have been converted into private housing. The Museo della Carta (Museum of Paper) opened in 1971 in a 15th-century mill. Paper samples, tools of the trade, old machinery, and the audiovisual presentation are all enlightening. You can also participate in a paper-making laboratory.

Just before the ferry ticket booths to the right of Spiaggia Grande, a tiny road that is the loveliest seaside walkway on the entire coast rises up and borders the cliffs leading to Fornillo Beach. The road is named for the town's large number of 19th-century emigrants to the United States—Positano virtually survived during World War II thanks to the money and packages their descendants sent back home. Halfway up the path lies the Torre Trasìta (Trasìta Tower), the most distinctive of Positano's three coastline defense towers. Now a residence occasionally available for summer rental, the tower was used to spot pirate raids. As you continue along the Via Positanesi d'America, you'll pass a tiny inlet and an emerald cove before Fornillo Beach comes into view.

To the south of Ravello's main square, a somewhat hilly 15-minute walk along Via San Francesco brings you to Ravello's showstopper, the Villa Cimbrone, whose dazzling gardens perch 1,500 feet above the sea. This medieval-style fantasy was created in 1905 by England's Lord Grimthorpe and made world-famous in the 1930s when Greta Garbo found sanctuary from the press here. The Gothic castello-palazzo sits amid idyllic gardens that are divided by the grand Avenue of Immensity pathway, leading in turn to the literal high point of any trip to the Amalfi Coast—the Belvedere of Infinity. This grand stone parapet, adorned with stone busts, overlooks the entire Bay of Salerno and frames a panorama the late writer Gore Vidal, a longtime Ravello resident, described as the most beautiful in the world. The villa itself is now a five-star hotel.

Directly off Ravello's main piazza is the Villa Rufolo, home to enchanting gardens, many of which frame a stunning vista of the Bay of Salerno. If the master storyteller Boccaccio is to be believed, the villa was built in the 13th century by Landolfo Rufolo, whose immense fortune stemmed from trade with the Moors and the Saracens. Norman and Arab architecture mingle in a welter of color-filled gardens so lush the composer Richard Wagner used them as inspiration for Klingsor's Garden, the home of the Flower Maidens, in his opera Parsifal. Beyond the Arab-Sicilian cloister and the Norman tower lie the two terrace gardens. The lower one, the "Wagner Terrace," is often the site for Ravello Festival concerts, with the orchestra perched on a platform constructed over the precipice. Sir Francis Nevile Reid, a Scotsman, acquired the villa in 1851 and hired Michele Ruggiero, head of the excavations at Pompeii, to restore the villa to its full splendor and replant the gardens with rare cycads, cordylines, and palms. Highlights of the house are its Moorish cloister—an Arabic-Sicilian delight with interlacing lancet arcs and polychromatic palmette decoration—and the 14th-century Torre Maggiore, the so-called Klingsor's Tower, renamed in honor of Richard Wagner's landmark 1880 visit.

Crowning Via della Repubblica and the hillside, which overlooks the spectacular Bay of Salerno, Auditorium Oscar Niemeyer is a startling piece of modernist architecture. Designed with a dramatically curved, all-white roof by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, it was conceived as an alternative indoor venue for concerts, including those of the famed Ravello Festival of music and arts, and is now also used as a cinema in the winter. The subject of much controversy since its first conception back in 2000, it raised the wrath of some locals who denounced such an ambitious modernist building in medieval Ravello. They need not have worried: the result, inaugurated in 2010, is a design masterpiece—a huge canopied roof suspended over a 400-seat concert area, with a giant eye-shape window allowing spectators to contemplate the extraordinary bay vista during performances. While only open during concerts and events, it is worth visiting to admire not only the architecture but also the impressive views from the large terrace, which is also a scenic setting for art exhibitions during the Ravello Festival.

The most famous of Furore's vineyards is the Gran Furor Divina Costiera estate, where top-quality "extreme" wines (so-called because of the grape-growing conditions) have been produced since 1942. Now named for owner Andrea Ferraioli's wife, the winery has won countless awards all over the world. Among the most lauded vintages is the Bianco Fiorduva, a white wine made from grapes that are allowed to over-ripen a bit. Daughter Dorotea organizes tastings, and the cellar, hewn from the hillside Dolomitic limestone rock, can be visited; call for details and reservations (required). Andrea is also a talented photographer, so don't miss the opportunity to see his stunning shots of the surrounding region. If you visit, ask to view the part of the stone wall (not far from the cellar) where you can see a magnificent 100-year-old horizontal vine.

A medieval Norman tower provides a spectacular landmark for this beach on Cetara's picturesque marina. With blue-and-white boats lying on the sand, anchovy-fishing boats in the harbor, and children playing in the adjacent park, the beach is a hive of activity—stretch out your towel and enjoy the buzz. The water here is clean, and the lido has a cool bar and sun beds for rent. The sun shines here until late afternoon, so if you stay long enough that hunger strikes, try the fried anchovies in the Cuopperia on the marina. Served in paper cones, cuoppi are the local fast food. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Dedicated to Cetara's patron saint, the church of San Pietro Apostolo has its origins in 988, its vibrant majolica-tiled cupola soaring over Neoclassical exteriors visible all around Cetara. Set in the Borgo Marinaro fishing quarter and suitably dedicated to the protector of fisherman, the church's bronze doors (inaugurated in 2005) by Battisto Marello (1948-) depict the saint with keys to the Kingdom of Heaven beside brother Sant'Andrea holding fishing nets and writhing fish. See if you can spot Christ overseeing all in the background. Popping into focus among the late Baroque interiors of marble-work, statuary and painting is a wonderful, recent stained glass window addition (1993). Center stage again are the fraternal apostles amid a Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, Cetara skyline, sheep, and busy fishing folk.

With its wonderful patches of emerald set in a blue-glass lagoon, Conca dei Marini's harbor is one of the most enchanting visions on the coast. Descend (and later ascend!) the steps past the Borgo Marinaro houses (a colony for off-duty celebrities) and down to the harbor, set with cafés and a little chapel dedicated to Santa Maria della Neve that seems to bless the picture-perfect beach. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling, swimming.

A onetime bishop's residence that dates from at least the 12th century, the Villa Episcopio (formerly Villa di Sangro) today hosts concerts and exhibitions and has an open-air theater in its splendid gardens—the same gardens where André Gide found inspiration for his novel The Immoralist, where Italy's King Vittorio Emanuele III abdicated in favor of his son in 1944, and where Jackie Kennedy enjoyed breaks from her obligations as First Lady during a much publicized 1962 visit. Wheelchair access is via a new ramp on via San Giovanni del Toro.

The tacky road sign, squadron of tour buses, Dean Martino–style boatmen, and free-form serenading (Andrea is the king of the grotto crooners) scream tourist trap, but there is, nevertheless, a compelling, eerie bellezza in the rock formations and luminous waters here. The karstic cave was originally part of the shore, but the lowest end sank into the sea. Intense greenish light filters into the water from an arch below sea level and is reflected off the cavern walls. You visit the Grotta dello Smeraldo, which is filled with huge stalactites and stalagmites, on a large rowboat. Don't let the boatman's constant spiel detract from the experience—just tune out and enjoy the sparkles, shapes, and brilliant colors. The light at the grotto is best from noon to 3 pm. You can take an elevator from the coast road down to the grotto, or in the summer you can drive to Amalfi and arrive by boat (€10, excluding the grotto's €6 admission fee). Companies in Positano, Amalfi, and elsewhere along the coast provide passage to the grotto, but consider one of the longer boat trips that explore Punta Campanella, Li Galli, and the more secluded spots along the coast.

The legendary St. Francis of Assisi founded this 13th-century former monastery that retains its original cloister, famous for its distinctive Arab-Sicilian arcaded columns and crypt with frescoes. Two centuries ago the property was transformed into the Amalfi Coast's earliest hotel. The many noteworthy guests include Henrik Ibsen, who wrote much of his play A Doll's House here. The hotel also owns the landmark Torre Saracena (Saracen Tower), now home to a bar and nightspot, which sits across the highway and stands guard over Amalfi's seaside promontory.

Landmarked by its giant Saracen Tower, the Capo di Conca protects bathers from the western winds. Here at this privately run beach with a bar and restaurant, it is the water that compels: infinite shades of aquamarine, lapis, and emerald shimmering in sunshine, glowing silver in moonlight, and becoming transparent in the rocky coves. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; pool; showers; toilets. Best for: diving; snorkeling; swimming.

Learn about Costiera Amalfitana cooking traditions with Mamma Agata, known for a popular cookbook and for hosting Elizabeth Taylor, Federico Fellini, Jackie Kennedy, and Marcello Mastroianni. Agata and her family will take you into her kitchen and walk you through the preparation of the area's pasta dishes and sweets. A morning session is followed by lunch and an introduction to the family's zucchini, tomatoes, and other produce grown in their wonderful garden.

This church is adjacent to the confraternity founded in 1765 to organize Amalfi's Good Friday celebrations, a short stroll up the Salita Brancia behind the Duomo. The entrance gate bears a late-Gothic bas-relief of the Crucifixion, once belonging to nobility from the nearby village of Scala and identified by its coat of arms at the foot of the cross. The interior is Neoclassical, with a coffered ceiling and a harmonious scale; note the 16th-century marble Madonna and Child in the sacristy. Opening times for this church are erratic, but Mass is held on Saturday afternoon.

Along the path to the Villa Cimbrone lies this 13th-century monastery. The majolica flooring is one of its special elements, along with the matronaeum, or women's gallery, the only one left on the Amalfi Coast. Although the monastery is only open to the public for the early-morning Sunday service and special events (such as the Festa di Santa Chiara on August 11), the wheel used to deliver food (and at one time unwanted children) to the nuns is just inside the entrance and can be seen anytime.

A statue, set in an ironically disorienting traffic roundabout in front of the harbor, honors the Amalfitano credited with inventing the maritime compass in the Middle Ages. Many say it was the Chinese who invented the compass, passing the idea along to the Arabs, who traded with Amalfi; Gioia may have adapted it for sea use (for the record, some historians believe there was no such person as Gioia).

Below the Hotel Parsifal in the center of a traffic circle stand two stone lions on a fanciful 1,000-year-old fountain that still spews water into a ciborium basin taken from the Duomo. Unfortunately, the lions are reproductions; the originals were stolen years ago. Just beyond the fountain along Via Lacco there's a viewpoint taking in the coastline and down the valley to the town of Maiori.

This gateway "door" to the harbor bears a huge ceramic panel, created by Renato Rossi in the 1950s, commemorating the trade routes of the republic during the Middle Ages. In one example, ships loaded with Italian timber sold the wood for gold in North Africa, then used the gold to buy gems, spices, and silks in Asia to trade back in Italy. Walk 200 feet along Corso delle Repubbliche Marinare, past the tourist office, to see the ceramic panel created by Diodoro Cossa in the 1960s. The scenes illustrate local historical highlights, among them Roman refugees establishing themselves in nearby Scala in the 4th century, the founding of Amalfi by these same Romans, Amalfi's commercial and diplomatic role in the Mediterranean, the arrival of St. Andrew's body, and the invention of the maritime compass.

Across the tiny piazza from the Hotel Caruso is the noted 11th-century church of San Giovanni del Toro. Its evocative interior has three high apses and a crypt with 14th-century frescoes of Christ and the apostles. A 12th-century ambo (pulpit) by Alfano da Termoli startles the eye with its blue Persian majolica and four columns topped with elaborate capitals. The chapel of the Coppola family in the left aisle has an exceptional 14th-century relief of St. Catherine of Alexandria. The small church's three porticos adorned with lunettes show an Arabian influence, and the tripartite back facade is exquisite. Restoration work on the church commenced in 2003, with no sign of being completed. The church has some erratic summer opening hours; inquire about them at the Duomo or Azienda Autonoma Soggiorno e Turismo.

For Conca in excelsis, head up the hill on Via Don Amodio, opposite the Hotel Belvedere, to Conca dei Marini's northern reaches. Your reward after a short climb up the hillside roads and steep scalinatelle is the stunningly sited neo-Byzantine church of San Pancrazio, set in a palm-tree garden. Opposite this church, in the direction of Positano, is a road leading to Punta Vreca, a sky-high lookout over the coast. Climbing farther up the scalinatella San Pancrazio will take you to the tiny town piazza.