Amalfi, Ravello, Sorrento.

9-19-12 SORRENTO, ITALIA: We left Polignano after breakfast and drove westward across the ankle of the boot. We left the Autostrada on the outskirts of Salerno and picked up the Amalfi coast road, a famous corniche from many films and stories. Unlike the Gargano corniche [my new word], the Amalfi road is packed with hotels, restaurants, pizzerias, B & B’s, shops, businesses virtually shoulder to shoulder. This adds elements to the drive, avoid the pedestrian as well as all the traffic and don’t get hit by a bus. Another contrast with Gargano is that the Amalfi is mostly at the same elevation, while the Gargano has big ups and downs.

The Amalfi is on the southern side of a peninsula and Sorrento and the Bay of Naples is on the northern side. The land mass is long, narrow, mountainous and steeply sided and, again, composed of limestone. Erosion has created ravines, cliffs, islands, and alternating headlands and beaches. The road is carved out of the sides of cliffs, has several tunnels, and looks like a giant jigsaw puzzle piece. It is just one turn after another. The tourist buses are too big for the road and worsen the already heavy traffic. Parking any where is either expensive or sparse. All that said, it’s a fun drive.

Two towns in the center of the drive are the stars. Amalfi is a beach city with shopping, dining, resorts and congestion. Ravello is several hundred feet higher, on top of a mountain and slightly less congested. It features the Villa Rufolo and its gardens.

Sorrento is big with many deluxe hotels and shops with high style stuff. I am so informed by Judy—an unimpeachable source. I noticed some lady’s underwear on mannequins. It seemed quite stylish to me.


A typical beach village between headlands and under cliffs, full of resorts and pizzerias.

Ravello. A mountain top town with cathedral and the Villa Rufolo with very nice gardens and great views that enchanted many artists in the early 20th century.

View from Villa Rufolo, worth a tough drive.

Amalfi, center of the city, wall to wall cars, people, buses, tourist businesses.

The main street in Amalfi runs up a ravine that is a popular hiking spot.

Sorrento and the Bay of Naples south coast.