A slower summer on the Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast has a reputation for crowds, and in high summer it deserves it. But the coast was never designed for hurry. Its villages are stacked vertically, linked by stairways, boats and a single winding road. The only sensible response is to slow down.

Stay, don’t pass through

Choose one base and let the rest of the coast come to you by boat. Ferries link the main villages between spring and autumn, and the sea approach is the way these towns were meant to be seen — pastel façades rising out of the water, church domes catching the light.

Eat on the coast’s clock

Lunch is long and late; dinner later still. The region’s lemons — the large, fragrant sfusato amalfitano, protected by its own designation — appear everywhere, from salads to the obligatory glass of limoncello. Order what is local, and ask what came in that morning.

The coast was never designed for hurry. Its only sensible response is to slow down.

Walk the high paths

Above the villages, old mule tracks connect terraces of lemon and vine. Early morning is the time to walk them, before the heat and before the road below fills with traffic.

When to go

Shoulder months — late spring and early autumn — keep the warmth and lose much of the crowd. Check ferry timetables before you travel: services are seasonal and depend on the sea.