Amalfi Holidays

Amalfi, the main town on this UNESCO-listed coastline, is a cluster of pretty villas spilling down the cliffside to the fishing port and beach below. The town – all Medieval architecture, winding alleys and steep steps – is set in a landscape of lemon trees and olive groves. It’s been a magnet for glamorous visitors for decades.

The pick of Amalfi’s public beaches is Marina Grande. The technicolour umbrellas on this half-kilometre stretch are circled by snack bars and cafés, and a tiny harbour shelters the beach from choppier waves. La Marinella Beach, meanwhile, is tiny – a two-metre-wide shelf of shingle, with a wooden walkway running above it. All the beaches are pebbly – if you want sand, you can head out to the villages of Minori and Maiori.

The Cathedral of St Andrew is the town’s centrepiece. A grand staircase of 57 steps leads into the 13th-century building, with its mix of European and Arabic architecture. The frescoed crypt contains the relics of St Andrew, but the cathedral’s highlight is the Chiostro del Paradiso – a Moorish-influenced cloister with a peaceful garden in the centre.

The coastline here’s dotted with sunlit caves and pretty villages, and you can explore them all on boat trips from the harbour. You’ll take in sights like the Emerald Grotto and dramatic Furore Fjord – a natural port joined to the mainland by a 19th-century bridge. You can also visit the picturesque island of Capri, with its designer boutiques and fashionable Piazzetta Square.