Amalfi Bites Deep
Italy's famous Amalfi Coast takes its name from mythology and its beauty from the salt and sun of the Mediterranean. Here are 4 towns you can't miss in there!👇🏼
According to legend, Italy’s famous Amalfi Coast takes its name from a sea nymph loved by Hercules. Amalfi dies young, leaving their love story unfinished. Heartbroken, Hercules searches for the most beautiful place on earth to lay her to rest. He wanders for a long time, until he finally believes these cliffs are the resting place worthy of Amalfi. From that day on, the coastline bears her name.
And after seeing the Amalfi Coast even once, it’s hard not to believe the legend. Pastel-colored houses clinging to the cliffs, lemon groves filling the air with scent, stone stairways descending all the way into the Mediterranean… Where else could be the most beautiful place on earth?
Here are 4 must-see towns on the Amalfi Coast👇🏼
1- Amalfi: Masters of Paper
Amalfi is not just the town that gave the coast its name, but also one of the most powerful maritime republics of the Middle Ages. Alongside Venice, Genoa, and Pisa, Amalfi’s sailors once dominated Mediterranean trade. Among the knowledge they brought back from the East was the art of papermaking. Amalfian craftsmen refined these techniques and became some of the earliest paper producers in Europe. A 13th-century paper mill still stands today and can be visited as a museum.
Even more fascinating, Amatruda, Amalfi’s oldest paper mill, is still the official paper supplier of the Vatican. Documents signed by the Pope are still written on paper made using centuries-old methods.
2- Ravello: Woolf’s Waves
Perched 360 meters above sea level and often called “the balcony of the Amalfi Coast”, Ravello has attracted artists for centuries. The gardens of Villa Cimbrone were a favored retreat of the Bloomsbury Group in the early 20th century. Virginia Woolf, one of its members, is also believed to have stayed here. From the villa’s famous Infinity Terrace, the sea and sky seem to merge into one. It is said that Woolf may have drawn inspiration from this view when thinking of her novel The Waves.
3- Atrani: The Hidden Gem Rediscovered
With a population of barely a thousand, Atrani is the smallest town on the Amalfi Coast. But in 2024, the release of Ripley suddenly brought it into the global spotlight. In the series, adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s novel, Dickie and Marge, followed by Tom Ripley, live in this very town. For filming, the center of Atrani was closed for a month and transformed into 1960s Italy. After the series aired, the town became one of the most sought-after destinations in the region.
4- Positano: Steinbeck’s Dream
Nobel Prize–winning author John Steinbeck once described the road from Rome to Amalfi as “a nightmare of hairpin turns along the edge of a cliff”, but he forgot those words the moment he arrived in Positano. In 1953, he wrote about the town for Harper’s Bazaar, saying:
“Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.”
One More Thing…
If you’re getting this newsletter, it’s either because you recently used Piri Guide or you subscribed to it yourself. If you don’t want to get these newsletters anymore, you can unsubscribe at any time. We appreciate your time. 😇
Stay inspired and explore more on our Instagram and TikTok! Follow us for travel tips, behind-the-scenes stories, and more adventures!✨
Have a great weekend, everyone! See you next week!👋🏼