The Amalfi Coast is a 50-kilometre-long bit of shoreline on Italy’s Sorrentine Peninsula, in Campania. It seamlessly blends one of nature’s biggest triumphs with beautiful, manmade towns. In fact, the lovely landscapes and views have been drawing in nobility since Roman times. Still to this day, celebs snap up the real estate like hot cakes. And it’s no wonder when it means they get to look out over the shimmering sea, pastel-painted houses and steep, terraced vineyards and lemon groves.
Every town on this stretch of coastline is as good-looking as the next. Amalfi is set at the foot of the towering Monte Cerrato and dominated by a huge Byzantine cathedral. Boat trips set off from its harbour, floating past the extravagant villas nearby. Ravello sits on a natural balcony, 350 metres above the sea. The pastel-coloured buildings of Positano tumble down the terraced hillside to the beach below. And the town of Maiori is home to a long lashing of silver sand, making it the perfect sunbathing spot.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once mused ‘it’s not the destination, but the journey’. Nowhere is this truer than along the Amalfi Coast. A list of the world’s best road trips wouldn’t be complete without the Amalfi Coast Drive. This stretch of road curves its way between the sea and mountains, stringing the towns together like a necklace. Driving’s best left to the locals, due to the hairpin bends and sheer drops. Plus, this way, you can take in the breath-taking views, which have earned this area a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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