Life Abundant

Positano

Amalfi & Atrani

We spent an entire day exploring the neighboring towns of Amalfi and Atrani.  These towns are so close to each other and you can easily wander from one to the next through tiny back streets that lead you past locals’ houses with laundry hanging outside of windows and smells of incredible Italian cooking. You’ll see signs painted along the way that lead you to Amalfi. It’s well worth the walk, plus parking in Amalfi is nearly impossible.  We packed a picnic lunch of summer red vine tomatoes, freshly baked bread, and the best parmigiana I’ve ever tasted and sat along the water as we watched an afternoon storm roll in over the sea.

Fiordo di Furore

As you drive the coastline, be sure to stop at the Fiordo di Furore.  This beautiful little gorge dips down from the surrounding green cliffs with a small creek that is fed by a mountain waterfall and leads you to the sea. There is a small beach where locals and tourists alike find a quiet place to soak in the sun and enjoy a swim in the royal blue waters. There are a few small restaurants in the gorge including Al Monazeno that offer fresh seafood dishes if you decide to stay for lunch or dinner in this little oasis.

Ravello

Ravello was my absolute favorite town that we were able to explore during our time in Italy.  This romantic little town is perched on top of a lush green mountain just north of Amalfi and is full of secret little pathways and corners for its visitors to discover.  It offers stunning views of the coastline and of the rolling vineyards and gardens that clothe the surrounding landscape below.  It is most famous for its two villas which you can pay to enter and explore– Villa Rofolo and Villa Cimbrone.

Naples Pizza

If you’re going to the Amalfi Coast and you have an afternoon to spare, you have to take a trip about an hour and a half north to Naples.  Stepping into Naples feels almost like you’ve stepped into another country.  Cars whiz in every direction with absolutely no concern for traffic laws or pedestrians, laundry drapes from every balcony, Italians hang out of their windows to converse with friends below, and pizza shops are on every corner.  I loved the feel of Naples and wish that we had more time to spend there, but our afternoon stop on our drive north was more than worth it.  We went in search of the best pizza in Italy, which is Antice Pizzerea Da Michele, in my opinion. We found an illegal parking spot nearby, sat at one of their simple marble tables, and each ordered our own pizza margarita.  The fresh ingredients were tossed together and baked in their brick oven and within minutes we found ourselves enjoying the best pizza either of us has ever tasted.

Where To Stay

We stayed in a beautiful Airbnb run by the cutest Italian family in the little town of Tovere.  We had our own place right up the road from their house and spent many mornings visiting with them over lemon coffee that they prepared with freshly picked lemons from their terraced garden.  Their four beautiful children (with another on the way) loved to show us all their toys and play with us as we sat on their back patio that overlooked the beautiful sea below.  We would recommend staying outside of the main towns, as it’s a bit more affordable, but would really only work if you had a rental car to get around from town to town.

The Amalfi coast is well known for its lemon groves, which were in full bloom while we were there. Lemons were everywhere and were used in soap, cooking, limoncello, perfume, and even our new favorite coffee.  Amalfi exceeded all of our expectation and we are so blessed to have been able to explore it together!