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The towns and slopes of the Amalfi Coast

174 · Honourable Mentions· Italy

Amalfi Coast

A coastline shaped by cliffs, terraces and compact towns.

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Photo credit

Bruno Rijsman · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized for display.

Summary

The Amalfi Coast is a steep coastline in southern Italy, with towns, cultivated terraces and winding routes above the sea. Settlements occupy valleys and ledges where the limited ground has been carefully adapted over centuries.

Buildings and land are fitted together with remarkable density here. Domes, stairways and gardens fit into dramatic coastal contours, forming a landscape that is both monumental and intricately inhabited.

101–200 · Honourable Mentions

The essentials

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Allow time

4 days as a starting allowance

Choose a base

One coastal base rather than changing hotels every night.

Getting there

Approach through Naples, Salerno or Sorrento, choosing the final connection carefully.

Plan ahead

Reserve key transfers and accommodation, and check ferry schedules for your dates.

Guide edited 29 September 2026. About practical information

Explore this countryItaly

The story of a place

A coastline shaped by cliffs, terraces and compact towns.

The Amalfi Coast is a sequence of places fitted into very little level ground. Roads, steps and terraces connect settlements whose beauty is inseparable from the steep landscape.

Choose a base with your preferred pace in mind. A sea-level harbour, a high village and a major resort town can produce very different holidays, especially when transport is busy.

A watchtower on the Amalfi Coast
Watchtower on Amalfi CoastPhoto: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY 4.0

The essential experience

Make time for this.

See the coastline from the water, then explore one town and its upper streets on foot.

Explore the highlights

Look a little closer.

Look along the Amalfi Coast’s cultivated terraces towards the cliffs and compact towns.

1

Terraced slopes

Notice how cultivation follows the contours.

2

Church façades

Look for maritime connections in the architecture.

3

Vertical streets

Consider the daily effort of moving through the landscape.

For the curious reader

History, landscape
and context.

The Amalfi Coast is a stretch of coastline overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Gulf of Salerno. It is located in the Province of Salerno, in the Campania region of southern Italy, south of the Sorrentine Peninsula and north of the Cilentan Coast. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, it is one of Italy's most popular seaside destinations. It is named after the town of Amalfi, which has historically been its main geographical and political hub.

Background reading: an abridged extract from Amalfi Coast, by Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Paragraphs have been selected and shortened for this guide. Retrieved 22 September 2026. Source revision ↗.

Turn curiosity into a visit

Plan your visit.

Physical demands
Frequent steps and steep paths; boat boarding conditions vary.
The practical detail
A short distance along the coast can take much longer than expected by road.

Before you set off.

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Through the seasons

A place in the world

Find your bearings.

A place in the world
Amalfi Coast location mapAmalfi Coast location map

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Map: Natural Earth

A closer view.

Amalfi Coast

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A sense of place

In pictures.

The towns and slopes of the Amalfi CoastPhoto: Bruno Rijsman, CC BY-SA 2.0
A watchtower on the Amalfi CoastPhoto: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY 4.0
A watchtower on the Amalfi CoastPhoto: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY 4.0
The coastal scenery of AmalfiPhoto: Bruno Rijsman, CC BY-SA 2.0
The coastal scenery of AmalfiPhoto: Bruno Rijsman, CC BY-SA 2.0
Swimming in the blue water off the Amalfi CoastPhoto: Caroline Grondin caroline_grondin, CC0
The Amalfi Coast seen from the seaPhoto: User:MatthiasKabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
The cliffs and settlements of the Amalfi CoastPhoto: Bruno Rijsman, CC BY-SA 2.0

Keep looking.

10 photographs, with full-size views and individual credits.

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Go a little further

Sources & further reading.

Wikipedia: Amalfi Coast ↗Wikivoyage: find travel information ↗Current FCDO travel advice ↗UNESCO: Costiera Amalfitana ↗

The UNESCO link names the specific inscribed property. A broad entry in this project can extend beyond that property’s boundaries.

Follow the connection

One discovery
leads to another.

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