The Sorrentine peninsula pushes out into the Tyrrhenian sea like a gnarled finger, its southern shores blessed by some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in the world. Linking the towns is the SS163, the legendary Amalfi Coast Drive, a 16 km twisting, turning two-lane road that weaves and dips torturously in and out and up and down gorges, clinging to the cliff face from Positano to Amalfi. The background is lemon and olives groves, picture-perfect whitewashed villages and the ever-present shimmering blue sea.
This itinerary focuses on the principal stretch of the SS163, but the corniche road continues no-less dramatically all the way to Vietri-sul-Mare and tends to attract fewer crowds in this eastern stretch. A word of warning; the road is notoriously difficult to navigate, mainly for the sheer volume of traffic. In high season (May to September), you are likely to find yourself at best crawling along at a snail’s pace, bumper-to-bumper behind scores of tourist buses. So either move around by sea or avoid these months; April and October are good times to visit.
For further Amalfi Coast inspiration, see our guides to the city’s best hotels, restaurants, nightlife and things to do.
