Scenic & Viewpoints
Drive the Amalfi Coast road
Naples · Campania
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Scenic & Viewpoints
- COUNTRY
- Italy
- REGION
- Naples · Campania
- DURATION
- A few hours, or a full day with stops
- DIFFICULTY
- No effort if you take the bus or ferry; driving the road requires nerve and a small car.
- BEST TIME
- Spring to autumn; the road is quieter outside the July–August peak.
ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE
The SS163, the Amalfi Coast road, is the single winding road that clings to the cliffs of the Sorrentine Peninsula between Sorrento and Salerno, and one of the most celebrated coastal drives in the world. It passes Positano, Praiano, Amalfi and the other villages as it threads the cliffs, with the sea far below and the lemon groves above, and the drive is the way most visitors see the coast if they are not on the ferries. The road is narrow and busy, and the buses and the scooters share it with the cars, so the drive is slow and the views are constant. For a visitor, the drive is both transport and sightseeing, and the best way to take it in is from the seat of a SITA bus or a ferry, leaving the driving to someone who knows the road.
WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE
What you’ll experience
THE EXPERIENCE IN DETAIL
What it’s really like
HIGHLIGHTS
Moments worth savouring
The cliff-edge stretches — the sections where the road hangs above the sea with the villages below.
Positano from the road — the pastel village seen from the bends above, the classic view.
The Praiano and Conca dei Marini stretches — the quieter villages along the way.
The approach to Amalfi — the descent into the main town of the coast.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Good to know before you go
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
MAP & LOCATION
Drive the Amalfi Coast road
Drive the Amalfi Coast road, Naples, Campania, Italy
40.6340, 14.6027
ATTRACTIONS NEARBY
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MORE EXPERIENCES
More to do in Naples
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele — the most famous pizzeria in Naples, the birthplace of the margherita, since 1870
Pizzeria Gino Sorbillo — the celebrated pizzeria on the Via dei Tribunali, queues around the block
Trattoria da Nennella — a boisterous trattoria in the Spanish Quarter for honest Neapolitan cooking
Trattoria San Ferdinando — a refined trattoria near the Royal Palace for classic Neapolitan dishes
Pintauro — the historic fry-shop on the Via Toledo, for cuoppo and fried street food since 1750
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Grand Hotel Vesuvio — a grand seafront hotel with views of the bay and Vesuvius, since 1882
Romeo Hotel — a design hotel by the harbour, with a rooftop pool and bay views
Hotel Piazza Bellini — a boutique hotel in the historic centre, in a 16th-century building
Hotel Costantinopoli 104 — a charming garden hotel near the National Museum, good value
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the journey
INTERESTS
Explore by what you love
PART OF
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