Things to do in Amalfi
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Cattedrale di Sant’Andrea
You can’t miss Amalfi’s fabulous cathedral, sitting like a grande dame at the top of a sweeping flight of steps, generally crowded with idle tourists, boisterous students and chattering locals creating a great ‘wish-you-were-here’ holiday-pic backdrop.
The cathedral dates in part from the early 10th century and its striking stripy facade has been rebuilt twice, most recently at the end of the 19th century. Although the building is a hybrid, the Sicilian Arabic-Norman style predominates, particularly in the two-tone masonry and the 13th-century bell tower. The huge bronze doors also merit a look – the first of their type in Italy, they were commissioned by a local…
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Grotta dello Smeraldo
Four kilometres west of Amalfi, Conca dei Marini is home to the Grotta dello Smeraldo, a haunting cave named after the eerie emerald colour that emanates from the seawater. SITA buses regularly pass the car park above the cave entrance (from where you take a lift or stairs down to the rowing boats). Alternatively, boat service is available from Amalfi (€14 return) at 9am and 3.30pm. Allow 1.5 hours for the round trip.
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Osteria da Luisella
Great food, great people-watching and an atmospheric setting make this a winner. Grab a table under the arches and sit back to some fresh-off-the-boat seafood. The menu varies, but if they’re on, the warm seafood salad and the cassuola (octopus stew) are scrumptious. Herbivores might go for the caporalessa, a tasty baked concoction of aubergines, tomatoes and cheese.
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Trattoria da Baracca
Touristy and over the top with its stripy blue awnings and maritime paraphernalia, this cheery trattoria serves excellent seafood. The scialatiella con vongole e zucchini (pasta ribbons with clams and courgettes) is delicious and the fish soup something of a local celebrity. If you don't like fish, play safe with lasagne and gnocchi alla sorrentina.
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Trattoria Il Mulino
A TV-in-the-corner, kids-running-between-the-tables sort of place, this is about as authentic a trattoria as you’ll find in Amalfi. The menu features the usual pizzas, pasta and seafood, but the food is tasty and the prices honest. The scialatiella alla pescatore (pasta ribbons with prawns, mussels, tomato and parsley) is fabulous.
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Ristorante La Caravella
The regional food here has recently earned the restaurant a Michelin star with dishes that offer nouvelle zap, like black ravioli with cuttlefish ink, scampi and ricotta, or that are unabashedly simple, like the catch of the day served grilled on lemon leaves. This is one of the few places in Amalfi where you pay for the food rather than the location, which in this case is far from spectacular, sandwiched between the rushing traffic of the road and the old arsenale. But that doesn’t worry the discreet, knowledgeable crowd who eat here. Wine aficionados are likely to find something to try on the 15,000-label list. Reservations essential.
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Boat Operators
For all its seafaring history, Amalfi's main beach is not a particularly appealing place to swim. If you're really intent on a dip, think about hiring a boat. You'll find a number of boat operators along Lungomare dei Cavalieri, charging about around €50 for a couple of hours.
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Trattoria San Giuseppe
Whether for huge helpings of pasta or wood-fired pizza, this back-alley trattoria is an atmospheric spot. The occasional whiff of antique drains might be a bit too atmospheric for those dining outside, but you can always try the fan-cooled interior.
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Arsenale
Harking back to Amalfi’s days as a great maritime republic, the cavernous Arsenale was once the town’s main shipbuilding depot. Today it’s used to host temporary exhibitions – opening hours vary according to what’s on.
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Museo della Carta
Amalfi’s paper museum is housed in a 13th-century paper mill (the oldest in Europe). It lovingly preserves the original paper presses, which are still in full working order, as you’ll see during the 15-minute guided tour (in English) which explains the original cotton-based paper production and the later wood pulp manufacturing. Afterwards you may well be inspired to pick up some of the stationery sold in the gift shop, alongside calligraphy sets and paper pressed with flowers.
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Dolcería dell’ Antíco Portico
Located under the arches, this place is run by celebrated pastry chef Tiziano Mita, who has worked in Paris and Milan and at the revered Palazzo Sasso in Ravello. Mita applies a contemporary twist to traditional sweet treats, like sfogliatella in the form of a trullo (conical roofed building unique to Puglia). Olive-oil biscuits, almond pastries and lemon cream cake are similarly delicate and delicious. They also do coffee and have a couple of tables outside.
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Museo Civico
In the town hall, the one-room Museo Civico contains the Tavole Amalfitane, an ancient manuscript draft of Amalfi’s maritime code, and other historical documents.
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Regatta of the Four Ancient Maritime Republics
The Regatta of the Four Ancient Maritime Republics, which rotates between Amalfi, Venice, Pisa and Genoa, is held on the first Sunday in June. Amalfi's turn comes round again in 2009.
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Chiostro del Paradiso
To the left of Amalfi’s cathedral porch, these magnificent Moorish-style cloisters were built in 1266 to house the tombs of Amalfi’s prominent citizens; 120 marble columns support a series of tall, slender Arabic arches around a central garden. From the cloisters, go through to the Basilica del Crocefisso, where you’ll find various religious artefacts displayed in glass cabinets and some fading 14th-century frescoes. Beneath lies the 1206 crypt containing the remains of Sant’Andrea.
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Skin-Divers Pilgrimage
Every 24 December and 6 January, skin-divers from all over Italy make a pilgrimage to the ceramic presepe submerged in the Grotta dello Smeraldo.
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Naples Airport to Amalfi Private Arrival Transfer
by Viator
Travel from Naples Airport, Railway Station or hotel to your chosen Amalfi Hotel. Transfer services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is a…Not LP reviewed
from USD$30.06 -
Amalfi to Naples Airport Private Departure Transfer
by Viator
Travel from your Amalfi Hotel to Naples Airport, Railway Station or hotel. Transfer services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is a private…Not LP reviewed
from USD$30.06 -
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Supermercato Decò
Picnickers and self-caterers can stock up here.
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Marina Grande
Run by the third generation of the same family, patronised primarily by locals and fronting the beach, this restaurant serves fish so fresh it is almost flapping. Consider the tasting menu (€48) with dishes like warm seafood salad and linguini alla scoglia (calamari, prawns, scampi, shellfish and cherry tomatoes). And it gets better… Marina Grande is a member of the Slow Food Movement and uses almost exclusively organic produce. Reservations recommended.
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Lo Smeraldino
Head eastwards past Marina Grande to reach this inviting blue-and-white beachside restaurant overlooking the fishing boats. As well as crisp-based pizzas, this is a good place for fancy risottos, like smoked salmon and caviar, or simple classics like grilled or poached local fish. Despite the location, this is not a place where you come wrapped in a sarong wearing flip flops; the atmosphere is one of understated elegance. Book ahead at weekends.
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Le Arcate
On a sunny day, it’s hard to beat the dreamy location – at the far eastern point of the harbour overlooking the beach – with Atrani’s ancient rooftops and church tower behind you. Huge white parasols shade the sprawl of tables, while the dining room is a stone-walled natural cave. Pizzas are served at night, while daytime fare includes risotto with seafood and grilled swordfish; the food is good, but it’s a step down from the setting.
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La Taverna del Duca
Grab a chair on the square at this popular restaurant with its fishy reputation. Specials vary according to the catch of the day but might include carpaccio di baccalà (thin strips of raw salted cod) or linguine with scampi. Or go for a pasta dish like pasta fagioli e cozze (with mussels and beans). There’s an excellent and generous antipasti spread and the interior is elegant, with candles on the tables and tasteful oil paintings on the walls.
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La Risacca
This boisterous Atrani bar is about as lively as it gets. Music pumps out over square-side tables as tanned students sip on garish cocktails and bottled beer. Save yourself a euro or two by stocking up during happy hour (between 6pm and 8pm). Pizza and bruschetta are available to ward off hunger pangs.
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L’Arco Antico
Amalfi’s connection with paper making dates back to the 12th century, when the first mills were set up to supply the republic’s small army of bureaucrats. Although little is made here now, you can still buy it and the quality is still good. This attractive shop sells a range of paper products, including beautiful writing paper, leather-bound notebooks and huge photo albums.
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La Pansa
A stuck-in-a-time-warp cafe on Piazza del Duomo where black-bow-tied waiters serve a great Italian breakfast: freshly made cornetti and deliciously frothy cappuccino.
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