There is a specific moment, somewhere past Praiano, when the road stops being a road and becomes a proposition. The cliff drops away on your right, the sea flexes silver in the afternoon light, and a three-wheeled Ape truck rounds the bend ahead of you carrying what appears to be the entire lemon harvest of Campania. This is the Amalfi Coast, and this is the deal it offers: give it your full attention, and it will give you one of the great drives on Earth.
The Amalfi Coast has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, recognised as an outstanding example of a Mediterranean landscape. [1]
The route, in brief
The star is the SS163 Amalfitana, a coastal ribbon that connects Sorrento in the west to Vietri sul Mare in the east. Most travellers run it between Positano and Amalfi town — a stretch of barely 16 kilometres that can easily eat half a day once you factor in the stops you will not be able to resist.
- Positano — the postcard: pastel houses stacked to the shoreline, best photographed from the road above town.
- Praiano — quieter, cheaper, and home to the sunset terrace at San Gennaro church.
- Furore — the fjord you almost miss; park above and walk down to the tiny beach under the bridge.
- Amalfi — the old maritime republic, with a cathedral staircase built for dramatic entrances.
- Ravello — a hairpin climb inland to gardens that inspired Wagner.
Drive it like the locals: slowly, generously, and with the horn as punctuation rather than protest.
— Elena Marchetti
When to go
May, June, and September are the sweet spot — warm water, open restaurants, and traffic that merely tests your patience rather than breaking it. July and August bring gridlock; the buses and the day-trippers arrive together, and the switchbacks become a very scenic car park. If you can only travel in high summer, start driving before 8 a.m.
Where to eat with a view
The coast runs on lemons, anchovies, and a pasta called scialatielli that exists mostly here. Book a long lunch rather than a rushed dinner — the light is better, the tables are emptier, and you will not be driving the hairpins in the dark afterwards.
For a deeper cultural detour inland, pair this drive with our guide to culture across the Mediterranean, or keep the sea on your right with more coastal drives worth the fuel.
Where to Eat
The coast runs on lemons, anchovies, and long lunches with a view. These five span the price range, from a boat-only beach shack to a MICHELIN-starred terrace in Ravello.
