By all accounts, the Amalfi Coast of Italy, stretching along the southern coast of the Sorrentine Peninsula south of Naples, is one of the most beautiful spots in the world. Sheer cliffs seem to tumble down to the azure-blue waters, while small towns are scattered along the coastline, filled with red-tile-roofed homes and inviting small hotels with outdoor patios opening up to incredible vistas. A tourist mecca in the season, over the years the Amalfi Coast has been celebrated in writing by John Steinbeck, in film by Federico Fellini, and in music by, well, Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
The only problem is getting there. The only land access is a 35-mile-long road that seems to hug the cliffs on one side and simply fall into the water on the other. It’s so narrow that in spots a car will need to back up if a large bus approaches in the opposite direction until there’s enough room to pass safely. Back in 1953, just after he had published “East of Eden,” Steinbeck and his wife drove from Rome down to Positano, one of the most romantic towns on the Amalfi, and the famous author wrote of “weeping hysterically” on the road that “corkscrewed on the edge of nothing.”
The best way to see the Amalfi without all that terror, of course, is by boat, either on your own cruise or on a charter. Here’s a good introductory story about the charms of the Amalfi Coast, with some suggestions about how to get there on the water:
http://www.boatbookings.com/blog/2017/01/26/discover-the-delicacies-of-italys-amalfi-coast/
