The Amazing Amalfi Coast
Italy’s Amalfi Coast has long been a top tourist haven, and for good reason. This small section of southwest Italian coastline has attracted vacationers for millennia. Indeed, the island of Capri was a notable resort location even during the Roman Republic. Numerous emperors, governors, and important senators had estates there. Tiberius even moved permanently to Capri and ran the empire from his villas until his death more than a decade later.
The island of Capri and the famous Blue Grotto make an excellent starting point for a thorough investigation of the region. Popular trips with limited time usually start in the city of Naples, from which visitors can take a hydrofoil directly to Capri. After a few days on Capri, a shorter ferry can take you directly to the mainland, to the quaint town of Sorrento. I absolutely fell in love with this town when I visited as a teenager. Rome was too large, Naples was smaller but still a bit too large, Capri was too small and isolated because of its island nature, but Sorrento was just right. A quiet place on the Tyrrhenian Sea, Sorrento is replete with dramatic sea cliffs, luxurious hotels, and innumerable varieties of Limoncello. If you are prone to wandering, you can also find fantastic little isolated hole-in-the-wall eateries where you will have the best food you’ve ever had in your entire life.
About half-way between Sorrento and Naples are the famous ruins of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and towering Mount Vesuvius. In 79 AD these areas were destroyed and completely buried in over 60 feet of ash by the catastrophic eruption of neighboring Mt. Vesuvius; the towns were completely buried in only 2 days. Accidently discovered in the 1700s, these areas had remained untouched for centuries. Because of the rapid and complete nature of the explosion, everything is remarkably well preserved. It offers a fairly complete snapshot into what life was like in a Roman coastal town at the height of Rome’s grandeur. I remember that the colors on mosaics were still very vivid. The town seems merely 100-200 years old, not the 2000 years old that it is. The plaster casts of victims fleeing the town, who were engulfed in ash and flame, are sobering reminders of the human tragedy that occurred that day. Pompeii had a population of 20,000 at the time, and Herculaneum had 4000. With little warning, and little chance of escape; many people lost their lives in the ensuing disaster.
Another highlight of the Amalfi Coast is, obviously, the coastline itself. Tiny, winding roads are frequented by absurdly large bus drivers who seem to know every inch of the road. They pilot their buses at high speed with inches to spare on either side. I remember being quite impressed with both their finely honed driving skills and their obvious lack of fear. The jagged cliffs drop hundreds of feet to the sea, but they were not bothered in the slightest. This truly is a stunning landscape.
From the coast, many Italy tours will send you via bus to points north, most likely Rome. You can see the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel, explore the Colosseum in the city center, and walk the numerous piazzas. You will have just experienced the quintessential trip to southern Italy, and seen the sunny coastline in all its glory. Chances are, you will be back for more.
George likes to travel. Generally, the more exotic, the better, but George is equally comfortable sampling fine wines in the Piedmont of Italy and hiking 25 miles a day in the Western Saharan sun.