The Amalfi Coast in winter: 4 excellent reasons to visit
4 minutes
Index
If you are tired of seeing it only on the screen, the winter period is the right time to explore this rich territory, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
There are several reasons to plan a trip to the Amalfi Coast in winter, not least the mild climate and undisputed peace. Have a wander through villages and natural surroundings and admire the iconic locations. Follow us on a tour full of surprises, where you will feel as if you are living out your own personal film, immersed in evocative landscapes, all waiting to be photographed.
Undisturbed peace, mild temperatures and affordable prices: the beauty of winter on the Amalfi Coast
Even in winter, the Amalfi Coast enjoys mild temperatures, especially until the end of the holiday season. You can enjoy relaxing walks while breathing in the salty air, the intense scents of the Mediterranean maquis, and being caressed by the cool breeze. Here, you will fill your senses with colours that, no longer exposed to the summer sun, soften into velvety hues.
Wherever you decide to stay, it is easy to get around by car without the summer traffic and hotels will offer you cheaper prices than in the summer. December and January are mellow months in these areas, and quiet reigns everywhere. You can admire Positano, Praiano, Amalfi and Ravello, Furore, Atrani, Maiori and Minori at their most authentic, and the locals will have plenty of time to share a leisurely chat over a good coffee.
At Christmas, the Amalfi Coast is brighter than ever
If your trip to the Amalfi Coast is during the festive season, you will find Amalfi draped in lights, and the precious Duomo will provide extra sparkle with its glittering façade, while the pipers will keep you company with their music.
In Ravello you can book a concert in the Oscar Niemeyer Auditorium, while in Atrani, the smallest village in Italy, you will literally be enveloped in a myriad of multicoloured lights.
Local folk groups parade in Minori for the festivities, and you can learn about traditional instruments while wandering through the alleys and squares or sitting at an outdoor table enjoying a glass of fragrant limoncello.
On the Amalfi Coast, every photograph becomes a work of art
The views of the Amalfi Coast are unique, suspended between the sea and other slopes, with lemon groves, vegetation and historic villages. You will never forget them, but you may lack the words to describe them. So, mobile phones and cameras at the ready, along with comfortable shoes: go on the hunt for vistas where you can take memorable photographs. There is no shortage of great shots, starting with the ones you capture while walking along the paths.
In Positano, you will discover magical views as you walk along the path from the boat dock to Fornillo beach, which in winter is ready to reveal its most intimate side.
Likewise on the Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods), one of the most beautiful nature trails in the world, along the Monti Lattari ridge, which leads from Agerola to the upper part of Positano in about 10 kilometres.
Look for the panoramic terrace with views of the island of Capri and the Faraglioni; it is the best place to snap away, as is the spot known as the Sperone del Pistillo. Amalfi is even more photogenic when photographed from the pier, while in Ravello, stand on the Terrazza dell'Infinito at Villa Cimbrone: sky and sea as far as the eye can see, in a wide-open view of the blue. Finally, in Furore, stop on the bridge to photograph the fjord and the small beach with its boats.
In the footsteps of actors and directors who have made history on the Amalfi Coast
Once you arrive at Villa Cimbrone, you will understand why some scenes from the film The Treasure of Africa, directed in 1953 by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart and Gina Lollobrigida, were filmed here. The 1950s consecrated the Coast as the capital of cinema, since Roberto Rossellini chose Maiori to shoot part of Paisà, with Federico Fellini and Anna Magnani: the Norman Tower was the set of the first episode. Then the director returned to Maiori, Amalfi and Atrani for Il miracolo (The Miracle) and back to Maiori for Viaggio in Italia (Journey to Italy), starring Ingrid Bergman, with filming in the streets and in Piazza d'Amato. An explosive love story began here between Rossellini and Bergman.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie also fell in love on the Amalfi Coast, while working on the film Mr and Mrs Smith. Head to the panoramic terrace of the Hotel Santa Caterina, which bewitched director Doug Liman. To retrace the locations of the 1961 film Leoni al Sole (Lions in the Sun), directed by Vittorio Caprioli, visit the Hotel Buca di Bacco, the Spiaggia Grande and La Scalinatella in Positano. And the latest film starring the Amalfi Coast? The Netflix production Under the Amalfi Sun.
All that accompanies your exploratory walks is the lapping of the waves: a sight you will be unlikely to forget.
