Host to many Jewels in the Crown of Italy.
The Bay of Naples, used as a port for thousands of years, has seen many rulers over the centuries - all attested to in the architecture and museums of the city and surrounding areas. Even the Neapolitan dialect reflects words coming from the Moors and Spaniards whose cultures were so entwined there.
Travelling east from Sorrento at the southern tip of the Bay of Naples this stretch of road winds around the towering cliffs in a series of hairpin turns that are not for the faint hearted. The road is narrow, with cliff face on one side and sheer drop on the other, making it nerve-wracking for the uninitiated driver or passenger. Needless to say tourist buses race up and down continuously during the long tourist season, leaving little space for cars on bends where some careful manoeuvring is necessary in order to pass. Then, of course there are the motorini that whizz in and out between cars and buses weaving their way along the road at break-neck speed!
Arriving in Positano, it is necessary to leave the car at the top of the town and walk down one of the stairways lined with upmarket boutiques and shops selling local produce such as limoncello. Once at the narrow beach front it is possible to take a ferry or hydrofoil to Capri, Naples, Amalfi or Salerno. The vertical town is host to many hotels as well as a myriad of eateries serving delicious regional dishes and locally produced wine.
Approximately 6 kms east of Positano is Praiano, a smaller and more authentic village, perfect for a more peaceful stay in such a hectic part of the coast. The entry to the Grotto dello Smeraldo is not far from here and attracts a lot of people who go to see this partly submerged cave with its jewel coloured emerald green water and glistening stalagmites and stalactites that pierce and drip from every surface. 4 kms further east is the town of Amalfi, set in a wide cleft of rock, it is perhaps the highlight of the Coast. It has been a seaside resort since Edwardian times when the British aristocracy spent winters there. It was also once home to Sophia Loren.
Entering the town through the single-lane tunnel passing directly under buildings attached to the cliff face is an experience in itself. The town has a rich maritime history with the invention of the compass being attributed to a local man, Flavio Gioia in 1302, which in turn led to great strides in navigation and trade and the exchange of knowledge with other culture.
Amalfi is most famous for its papermaking which dates back to 1231 in the nearby Valley of the Windmills. Today only about 10 paper mills remain in the valley and some still produce the same fine silky textured paper with unique watermarks – a craft almost lost in today’s world.
Heading towards Salerno and perched high above the road is the town of Ravello. Surrounded by steeply cultivated terraces of lemon and olive groves and boasting the best views of the coastline, French writer André Gide once wrote of it as being “closer to the sky than to the seashore”.
It has many beautiful old villas now converted into exclusive hotels and in the summer one of these - Villa Rufalo - is the setting for concerts in the memory of the composer Richard Wagner, who was one of many to fall in love with Ravello. The terrace of the villa and the panoramic backdrop create just the right dramatic atmosphere for his music. It is a not to be missed experience if you visit in July or August.
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| Amalfi |
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