I was a little apprehensive choosing Salerno and the Amalfi Coast as one of our areas to visit as I kept wondering if it would be as amazing as it was the first time that I visited there and then especially after staying at the most memorable town of Sulmona(view blog post here).
I searched for weeks to try and find the best place to stay at on the Amalfi Coast but just couldn’t find the ideal place. There are a few things to consider such as: how many steps do you need to climb every time you want to leave the apartment as most places are built on steep cliffs; will there be enough public transport nearby to where you are staying; will it be over crowded as most places are on that stretch of coastline? We eventually settled on the nearby town of Salerno and found this place with the most stunning view straight out of the window(kitchen and bathroom). It had to be the toilet with the best view ever. It felt like we were staying more with the local community than with other tourists so we visited the local supermarkets and local coffee shops. We could catch numerous buses into town or take a pleasant walk of just a few kilometers. Most of the town of Salerno is fairly modern but there is still the old part which has the old, cobble stoned streets and old architecture but you just have to search for this part as it is fairly off the beaten track. We also caught one of the many ferries that service the Amalfi Coast and headed off to either Positano or Amalfi. The trip there and back is unbelievable as the sea is so calm and the scenery indescribable, especially coming home in the dark with the warm breeze in your face and the twinkling lights along the coast making you feel like you are caught up in the best dream ever. Positano and Amalfi are tourist magnets so they are extremely crowded and with the narrow streets and alleyways making it feel even more congested they can feel overwhelming at times. Thankfully the views take your mind away from the crowds but I would love to visit there out of season if I had the choice. Staying away from the busy towns ended up being the right choice as we could leave the busyness behind and enjoy the slower pace down town in Salerno.
We spent 6 days exploring this part of Italy and thoroughly enjoyed the place we stayed at; the local supermarkets and coffee shops; the locals who took their dogs for walks every morning and evening; the trips into the actual town centre; the trips to Amalfi, Ravello and Positano; the swims in the sea and then of course the view from our apartment.
Next stop, Roma.
The view out of our apartment window. These sun beams were amazing and it looked like the clouds had split open to allow the beams to shine through. This was the day before the bad weather came. Every other day was blessed with glorious sunshine and hardly any clouds.
An incredible sunset(yes sunset) in front of our apartment. It was strange to have the sun rising to the left of the picture and then setting to the right behind that far point. What was even more hard to understand was waking up each morning and seeing the sea as flat as a lake, as it was the day before that and the at before that. For someone who is always searching for waves to surf and coming from a coast that has an abundance of swell this was really strange.
This was in the old part of Salerno town with the original cobble stone roads and old style buildings.
Sunset over the Amalfi coast with an aeroplane trail(a friend once called them “straight clouds”).
The picturesque town of Amalfi with Amalfi Cathedral in the centre. Duomo di Amalfi is a 9th-century Roman Catholic cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo. It is dedicated to the Apostle Saint Andrew whose relics are kept there.
Takes my breath away every time…and the view is not too bad either.
A panoramic view of the beach in front of our apartment at Salerno with the Amalfi coast starting from the mountains on the right.
One of the many interesting and “must be photographed” alleyways in the old part of Salerno town.
The small craft harbour at Salerno. I loved the shape of these old wooden boats.
The sun setting over the Amalfi coast in the distance. The view from our window.
The southern end of the town of Salerno as seen from one of the stone piers that stretch out into the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Sunrise over the Tyrrhenian Sea with a distant thunder cloud lighting up. The pebbles on the beach are so smooth that you just can’t stop picking them up and rubbing them in your hands.
I loved this cobble stoned road in the old part of Salerno town with all the flags hanging from the buildings. The video clip of this is really cool with the people walking by, the flags bringing colour and movement whilst the strategically placed scooter gives you an idea of what country you are in.
This was from the ferry after leaving the small craft harbour at Salerno and heading towards the Amalfi coast.
The beautiful little town of Positano with the calm, blue sea in the foreground and the dramatic mountains in the background. There are some really steep cliffs behind the town and what is amazing is that there are still houses on these cliffs as well as vineyards. Not for the feint hearted. I made the mistake the first time I stayed here of picking a place half way down the mountain so the only way to gain access was by catching a bus to the top and then walking down a couple hundred steps in order to get to the accommodation. This is all very well until you are dragging a huge suitcase, a camera bag(which is always as heavy as anything) and a smaller travel bag. Learnt that lesson very quickly.
I could be that little boat floating in the calm, blue sea right now. Aah, the life of a little boat.
The view from Positano looking up the coast to the next beach. All the beaches have these brightly coloured rows of sunbeds and umbrellas. You of course pay for these but you can sit to the side where there is just sand and no extras for free.
What a terrible life sailing along the Amalfi coast, poor buggers.
The full moon about to set just before sunrise.
The day of the sunbeams in black and white.
The beach in front of our apartment.
Sunset over the Amalfi coast.
The sun rising over a calm Tyrrhenian Sea. I swam out to those rocks and although I had no mask and snorkel I still managed to dive down and swim around and saw a few small fish. The water is much saltier here than back home which felt quite weird.
The moon setting over the Amalfi coast with the small craft and commercial harbours of Salerno on the right. I am going to miss this view.
