Amalfi Off The Beaten Path

We had a tour scheduled from Sorrento to Amalfi via the Amalfi Coast which was canceled. This was the best thing that could have happened. We paid 100 euros each for the "tour". After visiting the train station, we purchased 2 bus tickets for Amalfi which goes along the coast. Cost was 3 euros each for the most exciting bus ride along the coast. The road is so narrow that it would, at times, take several minutes for busses and auto to manuver around each other. Bus stoped at all the towns along the way. Save your euros and do what the locals do.

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Do keep your eye open for strange bits of masonry (and brick). There were several opulent Roman maritime villas near and in Amalfi, and bits of them were clearly re-used for later building. Which makes perfect sense: why bother spending time and energy creating new stones when there are plenty already lying around?

So look closely at the bell-tower, and at the gate near to the cathedral entrance. You'll see Roman pillars, and Roman bricks........

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Its about 45 mins by bus into the hills above Amalfi to Agerola which i discovered as it had the cheapest and easiest place to stay at for me. The roads winds and inclines quite steeply but the view back down is pretty - with your own vehicle or just walking down would give you much more opportunity to get some nice pics - its difficult on a public bus full of commuters - and watching you move from side to side on the bus to get your photos from each dramatic twist and turn of the road!

but anyway ... enjoy the views and the tranquility up in the hills

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The main attraction to take me 45 mins away from bus up winding and steep roads is the youth hostel that is such a good deal to stay at - there are only 18 dorm beds but there is a camping area as well - but i guess unless youre budget conscious its pretty much off the beaten path up there!
There are direct buses from there to Naples which could be handy particularly if youre doing a round trip from Naples to Sorrento and Capri to Positano and then to Amalfi and Ravello.

It is rather pretty up there and according to the huge map of the area thats in the main square a few minutes walk from the youth hostel - or where the bus stops - gives a indication that there can be lots to do up there - walks and so on.

Theres a rather lovely look out a few minutes from the main square looking over the coast where youve probably come from if you got on the bus or driven up from Amalfi.

A drive of pprox. 25 minutes around the spectacular narrow cliff hugging roads of the Amalfi coast will see you reach the hamlet of Positano. A slighly smaller and less busy area than Amalfi, Positano is filled with narrow lanes lined with restaurants and shops that offer magnificent views up and down the coast. The Isle of Capri can also be reached from Positano and the small amount of money that you will save by booking you Capri excursion here will pay for the bus ride to this exquisite hamlet.

On a tragic day in AD79, Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried the town of Pompeii in 6 metres (20 feet) of pumice and ash. The city, which is still undergoing ectensive excavation, is petrified in time and some buildings still show paintings and art work.

All of this can be discovered by a short 45 minute drive/bus ride from Amalfi to Sorrento and then a 25 minute train ride directly to the front gate of this fascinating city.

Along the path of the valle dei Ferriere you will see many ruins of the old paper mills that once flouished in the valley here. A word of warning here - don't be tempted to explore them as they are unsafe due to their state of disrepair and neglect.

This goes down as one of my all time best travel experiences. i don't know how easy it will be for anyone to do it, but you should try. We were in Amalfi, at the port, and wanted to see the famous Grotto. Rather than take the tourist boat, we found a guy in the harbor (there are lots of them there) who offered to take us to the Grotto alone, for an hour, and let us swim where ever we wanted. It was our own private boat tour. It cost about 30 dollars, and boy was it worth it. i guess the bottom line is that anywhere you go, try to seek out a local fisherman, to take you out on his boat, as oppossed to going with the rest of the tourists.