The WOW of the trip for me was visiting the stunning Amalfi Coast. We spent a week there.
Getting There
We rented a Fiat 500 and drove it from Rome to Praiano. Getting out of Rome was a little tricky but once we got on a highway the drive was easy. Having printed maps and GPS was useful even though GPS got confused on those windy roads on Amalfi.
Accommodations
We stayed at Hotel Onda Verde in Praiano, which was recommended to us. Our room had a balcony with a view of a sea (sunrise picture above). We spent every night hanging out on it with a glass of wine or beer. Hotel staff kept the room clean. The only drawback is the suboptimal customer service of a front desk personnel - I often felt that I was imposing on them with my questions and/or requests.
Dining
As expected on a coast the menu featured locally caught seafood. Here is a list of places we ate at.
La Tagliata Restaurant: This was my favorite place and more about it in my next post.
Bar Mare Petit Restaurant: We ate here twice. I enjoyed their baked branzino fillet with zucchini, local shrimp and braised eggplant with tomatoes.
Vivaro Wine Bar: It is run by one man, who is a cook, a waiter and a bartender. It was a fun experience. The food was good. Chatting with a bunch of people from our hotel added to a great night.
Il Pirata: This is another restaurant near Hotel Onda Verde. I enjoyed their fresh pan fried anchovies one night.
Hotel's restaurant was good as well but who wants to eat in your hotel every night?
Attractions
Just walking around and taking in the scenery was an attraction.
Hiking, hiking, hiking: We went on the Path of the Gods hike - this beauty deserves its own post (link here).
Beach: The beaches are rocky but the water is warm. One Fire beach rents umbrellas and chairs, offers food and drinks. We spent a day there.
Visiting towns of Amalfi Coast: Praiano is a small town situated between Positano and Amalfi towns. It is less touristy and thus, is more quiet. One day we took a water taxi from our hotel to Amalfi.
Walked in Amalfi and then took a bus to Ravello and back.
Next we took a boat from Amalfi to Positano. Walked in Positano and then took a bus back to Praiano.
Buses and boats are crowded.
Visit Capri: We took a boat to Capri one day with several other people. It was a nice way to see the grottos, Amalfi Coast and take a dip in the sea.
Capri is more lush than Amalfi Coast but has less culture. Prices are also much higher.
Visit Pompeii and Vesuvius: We took a one day trip to Pompeii and Naples - this also will have its own post.
Shopping
There are many ceramic stores along the Amalfi Coast. Amalfi Town also has a cotton paper mill, which we visited. Another local specialty is limoncello.
Other: TripAdvisor is very popular here for restaurant reviews. A local grocery shop is a heaven for those who love to cook: it sells porcinis, zucchini blossoms and even wild strawberries.
#amalfi #positano #praiano #italy
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