Amalfi Coast

1. ~9:00a●Breakfast over the bay

   Sfogliatella and a cappuccino on a terrace as Positano's pastel houses tumble to the sea below — the slow Amalfi morning.

2. ~10:30a→Down through Positano

   The stepped lanes past ceramic shops and bougainvillea to the Spiaggia Grande, the church of Santa Maria Assunta with its Byzantine Black Madonna and majolica dome.

3. ~12:00p✦A boat along the coast

   Hire a gozzo (wooden boat) to see the coast as it's meant to be seen — from the water: the Li Galli islands, hidden grottoes, and a swim off the back into the blue.

4. ~1:30p●Lunch at a beach club

   Spaghetti alle vongole and grilled fish at a stabilimento like Da Adolfo (reached by its own boat) — feet near the water, a chilled Falanghina in hand.

5. ~4:00p◇Positano fashion & sandals

   The town invented 'Moda Positano' — linen resortwear, and a pair of made-to-measure leather sandals cut and stitched while you wait at a historic bottega.

6. 8:00p✦La Sponda at Le Sirenuse ⭐Anchor table

   Dinner under 400 candles on the terrace — refined Campanian cooking and the lights of Positano curving below. The marquee table; book well ahead, smart dress.

Positano is gloriously vertical — wear good shoes for the steps and expect to climb. See the coast from a boat at least once; it's the single best way to grasp its beauty, and beats the cliffside road traffic.

1. ~9:30a◆Amalfi town & its cathedral

   The coast's namesake — the dramatic striped Duomo di Sant'Andrea up its grand staircase, the Cloister of Paradise, and the old maritime-republic lanes.

2. ~11:00a✦Up to Ravello

   Climb high above the coast to serene, garden-filled Ravello — the music town, far above the day-trip crowds, with the coast's most sweeping views.

3. ~12:00p◆Villa Rufolo & Villa Cimbrone

   Villa Rufolo's gardens that inspired Wagner, and Villa Cimbrone's Terrace of Infinity — a balustrade of marble busts hanging over a thousand feet of blue nothing.

4. ~1:30p●A long Ravello lunch

   Hand-rolled scialatielli ai frutti di mare and a lemon-soaked dessert on a panoramic terrace, with a glass of the local white.

5. ~4:00p✦Limoncello & lemon groves

   The coast's terraced sfusato lemons are vast and fragrant — a grove visit and a tasting of limoncello made the traditional way, the scent of the whole region.

6. ~8:00p●Dinner back down the coast

   A trattoria for delizia al limone (the lemon-cream dome dessert) and fresh seafood, the cliffs lit and the sea black below.

Ravello is the coast's calm, cultured heights — escape the coastal crush up here for the gardens and the infinity views. The lemons are everything: the limoncello and lemon desserts are a true taste of place.

1. ~8:30a✦Boat to Capri

   Across the bay to the legendary island — go early to beat the day-trippers and have the Piazzetta and the famous Faraglioni sea stacks at their best.

2. ~10:00a✦The Blue Grotto

   Row into the sea cave where sunlight through the underwater entrance turns the whole grotto an electric, glowing blue — a Capri rite (sea conditions permitting).

3. ~11:30a→The Gardens of Augustus & Via Krupp

   The cliffside gardens for the classic Faraglioni view, then the Piazzetta's café society for a Capri spritz among the beautiful people.

4. ~1:30p●A Caprese lunch

   Insalata caprese (invented here), ravioli capresi, and a lemon granita at a garden trattoria — the freshest, simplest island cooking.

5. ~3:30p✦Anacapri & Monte Solaro

   The single-seat chairlift to the island's summit for the 360° panorama, and Villa San Michele's gardens and sphinx looking out to Naples.

6. ~7:30p●Back to the mainland for dinner

   Return across the bay and a final coast dinner — or stay late on Capri for the island after the crowds leave, glamorous and quiet.

Capri is magical but mobbed midday — go early or stay late for the island's real spell. The Blue Grotto depends on calm seas and calm winds; have a backup plan if it's closed.