4 Days in the Amalfi Coast

Welcome to my blog about the stunning Amalfi Coast! This beautiful coastal stretch in southern Italy is one of the most picturesque and romantic destinations in the world. Its turquoise waters, colorful houses, and dramatic cliffs make it a must-visit place for any traveler.

In this blog, I will share what we did on our four-day trip to the Amalfi Coast, from where we stayed to the most delicious food to try and the most incredible activities to experience.

So whether you’re planning a romantic getaway, a family vacation, or a solo adventure, keep reading to discover the magic of the Amalfi Coast.

First, let’s talk about the geography and history of the Amalfi Coast. The region is located in the Campania region of southern Italy and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is named after the town of Amalfi, which was once a powerful maritime republic and a center of trade and culture. Today, the Amalfi Coast is known for its stunning natural beauty, charming towns, and delicious cuisine.

One of the highlights of the Amalfi Coast is its coastline, which stretches for about 50 kilometers from Sorrento to Salerno. Along the way, you’ll find picturesque towns such as Positano, Ravello, and Praiano, each with unique charm and character.

The Amalfi Coast is also famous for its lemon groves, which produce the famous limoncello liqueur. And, of course, the region’s cuisine is not to be missed, with fresh seafood, pasta dishes, and pizza all on the menu.

Our 4 Day Trip

We started our journey in Rome, Italy, by taking a train from Rome to Naples. Then we hopped on the Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento. 

This train runs from Naples to Sorrento every half hour. The train journey takes around 1 hour and covers a distance of approximately 25 kilometers. The train is an affordable and convenient option for those who don’t want to rent a car or take a taxi. 

This train has no air conditioning and will become very warm in summer. One of my favorite parts about taking the train was cutting through the cliff’s caves. These caves are so tiny you can practically reach out and touch the cave wall! 

You’ll also pass through small towns and beautiful scenery during the journey, making it a pleasant experience. 

Once you arrive in Sorrento, you’ll find yourself in the heart of this charming town, with plenty of things to see and do. From there, you can easily explore the surrounding area or use Sorrento as a base to visit other nearby destinations.

We first walked to our hotel that was high up cliffs. Luckily we were able to hop into the pool before we went to explore the city. 

We went and ate dinner at AZZ! Italian Tavern for a fantastic meal. The restaurant had a line, but it was worth the wait! You could see the chef cooking before you and talking with his customers. 

After dinner, we strolled through Sorrento’s streets, enjoying the city’s beauty since we would only be here one night. 

First Full Day – Boat Day to Capri

For our first full day in the Amalfi Coast, we rented a boat with a skipper to take us around the coast and to the Island of Capri.

We rented our boat through PDG Boat Tours. The company was great to make a reservation through. The director communicated quickly through email and Whatsapp, which made our experience even more enjoyable.

The boat was 600 euros for a full-day tour (about 7 hours), including gas and drinks. The skipper took us along the coast of Sorrento before heading out to the Island of Capri. 

Once at Capri, he took us around the islands. The skipper was great! He would stop at different places if you wanted to and was very flexible. There was the option to visit the Blue Grotto, but we decided to pass it up since the line was so long. 

After going around the island, he anchored and brought us to shore, where we had lunch at one of the restaurants they worked with. 

Then, we got to explore the island all on our own. We walked around the main square, hiked up to the viewpoints, and had gelato. Capri is beautiful, and I loved that the company we rented through gave us so much freedom to experience the island. 

After exploring the island, the skipper took us to a swimming hole where you could swim beside the enormous cliffs in the visible water. It was truly magical. 

We also brought along some Champagne to drink on the journey home. 

Once we arrived back at Sorrento, we hopped on a bus that took us to the town of Amalfi. If you have yet to ride a bus on the Amalfi Coast, it is an experience! The sharp turns, the honking buses, it was almost unbelievable. A few times, our bus had to reverse on the road to let another bus pass, and the bus constantly honked its horns when they went around the curves. 

Once we made it to the Town of Amalfi, we had to figure out how to get to our Airbnb, which was up one of the cliffs. Because we arrived late in the evening, we had to take a taxi. The taxis in Amalfi are costly! For a 20-minute ride, it costs about 50 euros. 

We finally arrived at our adorable Airbnb – Terrazza Atrani at Dint’ a Torre BB and got rested for the next day! 

Day 2 – Exploring Amalfi and Amalfi Heavenly Gardens

We enjoyed the morning at our adorable Airbnb, where they offered breakfast on their patio. They had the most fantastic view of the terraces and lemon trees. 

Then we began our journey to the town center, and by journey, I genuinely mean it was a journey! A small walkway from the Airbnb was about a 25-minute walk down by steps to the town center. The walk was gorgeous, though. Of course, there was a bus stop that was about a 12-minute walk from the Airbnb, but we enjoyed walking. 

Once we hit the center, we took the morning to explore the shops and cafes. We enjoyed a cappuccino and croissant on the cobblestone streets and soaked in all the sights and smells. 

We walked along the coast before hopping on a bus to our cooking class. Using the buses was very simple and accessible in the Amalfi Coast, and I highly recommend taking the bus over taxis. The buses can get crowded during the summer, but you typically can always get a seat! 

One of the biggest highlights of the trip was our cooking class at Amalfi Heavenly Gardens. This experience was more than a cooking class; you left feeling like family. The class began by taking a tour through the gardens, where Silvio (one of the owners) talked about how the garden started and his dreams for the future. 

We then got to pick out the ingredients for our meal that we brought to the outdoor kitchen. They ensured everyone had a glass of wine or drink at all times and made you feel welcome. Our group had about ten people who helped make the meal, and we all worked on separate parts of the meal and prepared the dishes. 

They made sure we had plenty of food. We made four appetizers and two main dishes that all tasted exquisite. And they offered coffee with lemon at the end. Dinner was served family-style around a giant table filled with drinks and food, and the conversations never ended. 

The food we created was some of the best of our entry trip. We had stuffed zucchini flowers, fresh bruschetta, grilled mozzarella on a lemon leaf, eggplant salad, gnocchi, and vegetable pasta.

If you could only do one thing in Amalfi, Amalfi Heavenly Gardens has to be the thing, hands down!   

After dinner, we walked back to the Amalfi town, stopping at staircases that led to the rocky shore. Everywhere you went, it was beautiful! 

We ended our night walking 25 minutes up the stairs to our Airbnb with filled bellies and hearts.

DAY 3 – Otium Spa and Hike of the Gods

Day 3 Otium Spa and Hike of the Gods

The next day we made a reservation at a spa in the town of Minori at Otium Spa – Costa d’Amalfi. We typically are not spa people; this was our first ever going to a spa. It was incredible!! 

We got to the spa by walking, of course, from our Airbnb. Once we got to Minori, we stopped at a local bakery and had the best pastry from Pane, Amore & Fantasia. I wish I could tell you what the pastry was, but we cannot remember!! I do know that we left the store at the pastry, and Brandon went back in to get more! You must check out this spot. 

Once we got to the spa, we were shocked!! During the summer months, the spa moves from a brick-and-mortar location to a beachfront location!! We felt like kings and queens! They have oceanfront bean bag chairs with umbrellas, two hot tubs, a pool, a cold room, a hot room, and other amenities. 

We enjoyed the oceanfront chairs and treated ourselves to a massage. After all the walking, we figured we deserved it! 

After the spa, we journeyed to the start of the Path of the Gods trail. The hike was stunning, as you are perched high on the cliffs as you hike along the coast. We started our journey in the late afternoon and timed it perfectly with the sunset. 

Then we hopped on the bus back to Amalfi Town, where we had to make a quick pit stop at Fiordo di Furore. Typically this dramatic, narrow cove surrounded by steep cliffs is packed with swimmers and sunbathers, but since we got there at dusk, we had the whole place to ourselves and took a refreshing dip after our long hike.

It was a perfect way to end our last full day in Amalfi. 

Day 4 – Renting a Boat… by Ourselves

This was our final day in Amalfi, and we did something we thought we would never do – rent and drive our own boat!! 

After packing up and checking out of our Airbnb, we went to the city center. We were taking the ferry from Amalfi to Naples later that afternoon, so we didn’t want to go too far from the town… so we thought. 

We stopped at a boat rental place called Amalfi Marina as we walked around. We asked the attendant what the cheapest boat they had available was, and they had one for about $200, and then they just rented it to us! Crazy!!

Neither of us had any significant prior boating experience, but they still rented us the boat with no boating license or experience. They gave us a rundown of the rules and general boating etiquette and let us go.  

We had a blast!! At first, it was very stressful, but we got the hang of it quickly and did not go anywhere crazy. We also never anchored the boat because we were scared we would lose the anchor and did not want to pay for that. 

The boat was a great way to see a lot of the coast. We started in Amalfi and went east to see Maiori, Cetara, Vietri Sul Mar, and Salerno. Everywhere we looked, we were blown away by the beauty of the Amalfi Coast. 

It was nice to have the freedom to go wherever we wanted. We could stop at one place for however long we wanted to, and we could go as fast or slow as we wanted. Renting your own boat is something that I recommend if you take a trip to the Amalfi coast. 

After cruising along the coast, we returned the boat, paid for gas, and hopped on the ferry to Naples, ending our 4-day adventure in the Amalfi Coast. 

I hope you get an opportunity to explore this beautiful place, and I can’t wait to hear about what adventures you went on!