On this day: Rome to Amalfi via Naples, Italy

See more from my On This Day series here, where I celebrate travel memories on their trip anniversaries.

On June 8, 2018, I was at the Amalfi Coast, Italy.

Following a whirlwind day in Florence, we returned to our hotel in Rome in late evening and hopped into bed. The next morning, we awoke early to begin another ambitious day trip, this time to the Amalfi Coast.

Our visit to Amalfi was a last minute addition to our itinerary, having found a seemingly cool tour through City Wonders that we signed up for as we were planning the last couple days of our Italian holiday. We arrived in Naples from Rome after a one hour ride on the high speed train, and met up with our tour group to board the mini bus that would take us southward toward the coast.

The Amalfi Coast is another of Italy’s designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites, encompassing a stretch of coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea, located in the Gulf of Salerno. The steep southern shore is accessible via only one land route, the 40 kilometre long Strada Statale 163, which runs from Vietri sul Mare in the east to Positano in the west.

Thirteen municipalities are located along the Amalfi Coast, most of them centred around tourism. The topography of the region offers limited space for extended areas of agriculture, so the local people have innovated by working on terraced gardens which you can see if you look up while driving down the winding road. The Amalfi Coast is best known for its production of limoncello liqeuer, as it is a heavy cultivator of lemons sfusato amalfitano.

After a brief touristy pit stop at a limoncello vendor, the City Wonders tour headed toward our first stop in the town of Positano. The twisty road made for a nauseating ride, made worse by the fact that we were still tired from our late night return from Florence the prior evening. Luckily, we managed to survive the trip without hurling. Upon arrival in Positano, we stopped for lunch and I settled my stomach with a nice plate of spaghetti al limone.

Next on the schedule was a drive back up the coast to the neighbouring town of Amalfi. Here, we had the chance to wander the narrow and hilly cobbled streets, and stop at the rocky beach to dip our toes in the sea. The town was positively packed with visitors, mostly tourists on cruise ship stops.

On the way back to Naples, we passed through Salerno, where we visited a local cheesemaker of buffalo mozzarella. This thick, chewy cheese is traditionally manufactured in the region of Campania, particularly the provinces of Caserta and Salerno. As per its namesake, it is made with the milk of Italian Mediterranean buffalo.

We returned to Naples in the early evening, with enough time to make our requisite foodie stop at L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele for a classic Napoli pizza.

Although we were happy to have had a brief glimpse of the Amalfi Coast, I’m not sure that I would do a trip like this again. Southern Italy is worth a dedicated visit on its own, rather than a rapid paced day trip. It would perhaps be even better enjoyed on a yacht. 😜

29 responses to “On this day: Rome to Amalfi via Naples, Italy”

  1. Love your pictures! We were supposed to go to the Amalfi coast last June – one day I’ll get there!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I hope you get to rebook your trip to Italy someday soon, maybe next year!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I hope so! I said I’m not having kids until I go to Italy 😂

        Liked by 1 person

  2. I just love your pictures-especially the church with the incredible architecture!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I like the look of that church as well, didn’t get a chance to go inside though!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. It definitely looks like a place to spend a few days or weeks. What a gorgeous coastline and I love the homes rising up the hillsides. Maggie

    Liked by 1 person

    1. For sure, it’s certainly a place to spend more time properly exploring. Thanks for reading!

      Like

  4. To say that the Amalfi Coast of Italy is beautiful is something of an understatement. The Amalfi Coast is a gorgeous area of Italy to explore and a spot that everyone should include on their trip around Italy. Those colourful villages homes, staggered on terraced cliffs, fragrant lemon groves, delicious freshly made Italian food and turquoise waters, pretty much make this a dream spot. Thanks for sharing and have a nice day 🙂 Aiva

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It really is gorgeous and would be lovely to see from a boat as well.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. The Amalfi coast really is an ambitious day trip! I didn’t even make it to Ostia…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I need to go back for a proper visit someday!

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  6. I was thinking the same thing, these are places that take a little time to absorb all the aspects of rich history and impressive architecture, and also to give yourself the chance to go to the restaurant several times 🙂

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    1. Haha, it is always great to find a favourite restaurant and have the chance to return several times! I need to go back for a proper visit someday.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. That lemon is HUGE! And holy cow does that mozzarella look delicious (semi-pun intended, although mozzarella is made rather from buffalos, haha)! I only had a brief day driving the Amalfi Coast AGES ago that I barely remember much from the trip. But it’s a part of Italy that’s inspired countless films and honeymoons over there. I agree with you that Amalfi Coast needs to be more than just a day trip, similar to the Cinque Terre (in which I recommend at least three days to get some hiking in). I hope you can return to take your time and explore more of it!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I wanted to bring that lemon home but I guess you can’t bring fruit through customs 😛 Cinque Terre looks amazing too…a place to add to my future Italy bucket list!

      Liked by 1 person

  8. I was there at the same time as you! It’s such a beautiful area of the world 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It is! Did you get to spend a few days there? It was much to rushed for just a day trip.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yes, we spent a week in the area just visiting all the small villages and exploring. Positano was amazing but we just went early morning or late evening to avoid the crowds as we were staying very close 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  9. Beautiful images. Amalfi Coast is awesome indeed. 💙💙💙

    Liked by 1 person

  10. its just so beautiful! I love the arches and the staircases, right next to the ocean!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Wish I could be there right now!

      Like

  11. I actually wasn’t sure where in Italy the Amalfi Coast is, so I just mapped it. Yeah, that’s a long way for a day trip! I can see why you’d come to the conclusion that you did. That’s travel for you though, isn’t it? Always so many tempting things to see and try to squeeze in. Looks absolutely gorgeous, though – similar to the Cinque Terre.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. A 3.5 hour drive for a day trip would not necessarily be unusual here in Canada but the Amalfi Coast deserves at least a few nights to fully appreciate. It definitely is the tough thing about travel – so many tempting things to see and do!

      Liked by 1 person

  12. This remains in my bucket list. When the travel restrictions get lifted, my dilemma would be where to go first because I have too many places I’d love to go to and spend time in.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Many years ago we stayed in Sorrento for 2 weeks and managed trips to Capri and Ischia as well as Pompeii and Herculaneum, using the ferries and trains. It’s a lovely area and we managed a boat ride back from Amalfi to Sorrento. Happy days!

    Liked by 1 person

  14. This is a great blog thanks for sharing it. I was recently in Naples and we made the trip all the way down to positano. One of my favorite places on the planet! The food, the lifestyle made me want to stay forever! Rome too was great but I was there a couple of years back before the pandemic. Italy is one of the best countries to visit. So diverse and so much to do. If you want to see a 5 minute video I made on my trip just let me know! thanks from Ireland.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you for dropping by! Italy is a wonderful place to visit, for sure.

      Like

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