Italy Tour Day 3: Amalfi Coast

Today we visited the Amalfi Coast, stretching 40 kilometers, or 25 miles, in its jagged pattern from Naples to Salerno along the western side of the Italian boot shaped peninsula. Commonly described as a vertical city, sharp, winding roads forced us to disembark our coach buses for minibuses to reach the coast city square. The treat of seeing the painting-like landscapes of the tiny houses dotting the mountains and a breezy boat tour made the daunting downhill-drive all the worth it, however.

Trips to the fishing town of Positano are leveled between chore and treat. Hitching buses to the city square is not uncommon for tourists, and it is recommended to have locals familiar with the steep, winding slopes as navigators. The city square itself gives a clear perspective of Italy’s own booming tourism. English is as commonly spoken in this area as the native tongue; shopkeepers are typically well-versed in both and will do their best to make you feel at home wherever your excursions take you.

Positano may be famous for its tie production, but gelato was all the craze during our short visit. Positano and the Amalfi Coast was our first true Italian shopping and exploration experience, and certainly a time to remember. You just need to bear the killer heat to enjoy it! What wasn’t immediately evident on our first encounter with the town were its subtle allusions to the greek mythological sirens that supposedly lived off the coast luring unsuspecting sailors to their own demises. And while we never saw these creatures during our boat tour, they may be another reason to pull us back to the city, preferably with safe passage.

Austin Kuo, violin