Amalfi Coast, Italy

Tucked into Amalfi's old town, this beloved family-run trattoria has been feeding locals and fortunate visitors for generations with deeply honest Campanian cooking. Order the spaghetti alle vongole, made with clams pulled from the bay that very morning, and pair it with a crisp local Falanghina. The sun-dappled courtyard seating and grandmotherly warmth of the service make every meal feel like a cherished family occasion.

High above Positano in the hillside village of Montepertuso, this rustic mountain gem is worth every hairpin bend of the winding journey up. Chef Salvatore Russo champions hyper-local mountain ingredients, serving earthy pastas, wood-fired meats, and handmade mozzarella that tastes impossibly fresh. The terrace rewards you with quiet valley views far removed from the coastal crowds, and the house limoncello flows generously at meal's end.

Accessible only by the restaurant's own little red boat from Positano's pier, this beach trattoria has a wonderfully earned cult following among those in the know. Tables are set beneath a trellis of vines on a tiny private cove, and the grilled pesce spada with mozzarella melted over lemon leaves is legendary for good reason. The whole experience, boat ride included, feels like discovering a delicious secret that the rest of the world somehow hasn't found yet.

Perched at the entrance to Ravello with a terrace that floats seemingly above the entire coastline, Salvatore has been a benchmark for refined southern Italian cuisine since 1950. Signature dishes like ravioli stuffed with local buffalo ricotta and drizzled with lemon butter demonstrate a kitchen that understands restraint and quality above all else. Watching the sun slide into the sea from your table here while sipping Aglianico is a memory you will actively work to recreate for years afterward.

Perched dramatically on the cliffside just outside Amalfi town, this legendary hotel has welcomed guests since 1880 with timeless elegance. Private elevator lifts descend to saltwater pools and sun terraces carved into the rock face above a sparkling sea. Expect impeccable service, lush citrus gardens, and rooms dressed in hand-painted Vietri ceramics.

This iconic pink palazzo in Positano has defined romantic Italian luxury since 1951, offering sweeping panoramic views of the pastel-stacked village and shimmering bay below. Each of the 58 rooms is uniquely furnished with antiques, locally crafted tiles, and crisp linens that glow warm in the coastal light. The rooftop pool and acclaimed La Sponda restaurant make leaving feel genuinely impossible.

A 17th-century Dominican monastery in Conca dei Marini has been breathtakingly transformed into one of the coast's most serene luxury retreats. Terraced infinity pools cascade down toward the sea through manicured gardens bursting with bougainvillea and ancient olive trees. With only 20 rooms, the intimacy is extraordinary and the spa, set within original vaulted chambers, feels genuinely otherworldly.

Tucked within the medieval gardens of Ravello high above the coast, this romantic villa offers a sense of peaceful seclusion that is extraordinarily rare on the Amalfi Coast. Greta Garbo once hid here, and the atmosphere of cultured quiet and jasmine-scented terraces still feels deliciously secret. Wake to fog rolling off the mountains, then stroll to the famous Terrace of Infinity for views that stretch endlessly over the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Richard Wagner was so moved by these extraordinary terraced gardens in Ravello in 1880 that he declared them the inspiration for Klingsor's magic garden in Parsifal. Moorish-influenced towers and crumbling medieval architecture frame riot-coloured flowerbeds that tumble toward an impossibly blue horizon. Visit in summer when the gardens host the famous Ravello Festival concerts, with music literally performed above the clouds and the sea.

Hidden at sea level near Conca dei Marini, this luminous sea cave earned its name from the ethereal emerald glow created when sunlight filters through an underwater opening and illuminates the grotto from below. Small boats row visitors slowly through the cathedral-like interior, past stalactites and the submerged ceramic nativity scene visible through the transparent green water. Morning visits offer the most dramatic and magical quality of light, making the colours appear almost impossibly vivid.

The Sentiero degli Dei is arguably the most spectacular coastal hiking trail in all of Europe, threading along ancient mule paths between Bomerano and Nocelle high above the glittering Tyrrhenian Sea. The roughly six-kilometre route passes through wild thyme and fennel, limestone outcroppings, and abandoned terraces, with Positano appearing like a scattered mosaic of colour far below. Start early to catch morning mist filling the valleys and to earn that post-hike limoncello in Nocelle with a deeply satisfying sense of achievement.

The Cathedral of Saint Andrew dominates Amalfi's main piazza with its gloriously striped Arab-Norman façade and 62 wide steps that seem to rise theatrically from the bustling town below. Built in the 9th century and expanded over subsequent centuries, the interior blends Byzantine mosaics, bronze doors cast in Constantinople, and the crypt of Saint Andrew himself in a richly layered historical narrative. Climb in the golden late-afternoon light when the intricate geometric tilework on the campanile catches fire and the piazza below hums with the warm life of the town.