Amalfi Coast Travel Guide: Positano, Beach Days and the Path of the Gods

The Amalfi Coast is every bit as dreamy as you imagine: golden cliffs, turquoise water and lemon everything. It was the first stop of a three-week trip I planned two days before takeoff and packed into a personal item backpack, and it was the perfect place to begin.

My days there were slow on purpose: the beach, fresh lemon juice in hand, and the feeling of having nowhere else to be. The one big effort was a hike I still count among my favorite travel moments.

The plan at a glance

• Base: Positano, or a quieter town along the coast
• Do: beach days, a ferry between towns, and the Path of the Gods
• Getting around: buses and ferries; the coast road is narrow and winding
• Pack light: there are stairs everywhere

Positano

Positano is the Amalfi Coast town you have seen in photos: pastel houses stacked up the cliff, with rows of umbrellas on the beach below. Spend a day on the sand, then take the stairs and lanes up through town.

Winding roads, sea breeze in your hair and views that make you pause mid-sentence: that is this coast. The coves along the cliffs are where I spent my best hours, in and out of the clear water.

Hiking the Path of the Gods

The Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei) was one of my top travel moments of 2025, and I would put it among the most epic trails in the world. The classic route runs from Bomerano, in the hills above the coast, to Nocelle above Positano: about 7.8 km (4.8 miles) along the mountainside, with the sea below you the whole way.

Start in the morning to avoid the midday heat, wear real hiking shoes, and bring water. From Nocelle you can walk down to Positano on a long staircase or take the local bus.

Getting around the Amalfi Coast

SITA buses connect the towns along the coast road, and ferries run between Positano, Amalfi and Salerno in the warmer months. The ferry is the easier way to hop between towns, and you get the view from the water. If you are not used to narrow cliff roads, let the bus or the boat do the driving.

When to go

I went in late spring, and it was the right call: warm enough for the beach, before the peak of summer. July and August are the hottest and busiest months.

Keep on roaming,

Polina