The spectacular Amalfi Coast includes 13 towns with Vietri sul Mare as the eastern most town and Positano as the western most town. (Note, Sorrento is not on the Amalfi Coast; it is located on the Amalfi Penisula, but its waterfront is on the Gulf of Napoli.) During each of our six trips to Italy we have visited  the Amalfi Coast; spending over a week at a villa 100 yards from the water, visiting four different wineries, three in Tramonti and one in Vietri sul Mare, and a limoncello (or sfusatello) producer, enjoying dinner at highly acclaimed restaurants,  cruising along the coast in a boat, strolling through the

towns of Vietri sul Mare, Minori, Ravello, Amalfi and Positano, climbing the 1,000 stairs from Minori to Ravello and attending a pizza-making class.  Over the next several weeks I will share our experiences in more detail, but for this post I will provide an overview of the Amalfi Coast.

Positano, Ravello, and Amalfi are the “English speaking friendly” towns.  We have found almost all shop owners and restaurant staff fluent in English. That is not to say that English is not spoken in the other towns, but there is no certainty that that all clerks and restaurant staff will speak English. Be cognizant that in the more “Italian” towns the siesta is observed. For example. when Ro and I first arrived

at the Il Monaco villa; located in the Ravello frazione of Marmorata and a short walk to the Town of Minori, we took a mid-afternoon walk to the Town of Minori. Nothing was open except for several café, which never seem to close as Italians seemingly need to have a constant intake of espresso (or machiatto). We were looking to buy some groceries and fruit. Finally, at around 5:00 pm, the local grocery store and several fruit stands were back in business. Siesta is not followed as much in the English speaking friendly towns, nor in the large Southern cities such as Napoli and Salerno. There are some towns, such as Vietri sul Mare, which is referred to as the “ceramic capital” of the world, that observe a partial siesta. Last year we found that most of the ceramic shops in the center of Vietri sul Mare closed for at least an hour or two in  mid-afternoon, but not as long as the shops in Minori.

I am not a shopper; never have been and never will be (unless I am shopping for wine!). But I have observed that the Amalfi Coast is a shoppers delight. One of our friends, however, was disappointed in Ravello as a shopping destination as she described it as being too “touristy”. We have found excellent

value at the ceramic shops in Vietri sul Mare. Positano is overwhelming as there seems to be shops of all types in the town’s bustling walking district. Of all the towns we have visited Positano had the biggest “buzz”. At 11:00 am the shopping area was jammed and this was in the month of October. Both Amalfi and Ravello feature a large piazza where many tourists (including yours truly) chill out at one of several café and take in the sights and sounds with an espresso or a beer – not a glass of wine. Cafe’s do not feature great wine selections, or for that matter beer selections, as the focus is on coffee.

Over the next several posts I will share our Amalfi Coast experiences; and you will see why this part of Italy is so widely popular.