Amalfi Coast Kayak Tour to Pandora Cave and Hidden Beach

Maiori, the starting point by the longest beach

Maiori lies in a wide valley on the eastern half of the Amalfi Coast, and its sandy seafront is the longest beach on the coast, about a kilometre from end to end. In the Middle Ages it was an important town of the Amalfi republic, with shipyards and salt warehouses, and a medieval watchtower still stands at the end of the beach. After a flood in 1954 much of the lower town was rebuilt, which gives Maiori its broad promenade.

The kayak base on the seafront has changing rooms, luggage storage and toilets, so you can arrive in your clothes and change before the tour. How to get to Maiori: local buses run along the coast road from Amalfi and Salerno, seasonal ferries stop at the pier, and there is paid parking about 50 metres from the base. Our team can also arrange a private transfer from your hotel.

Paddling under the Amalfi Coast cliffs

After a safety briefing and a short lesson on paddling and steering, your guide leads the group out along the coast. Seen from a kayak, the Amalfi Coast is a different place: limestone walls rise straight from the sea, streaked with orange and grey, with caper plants, wild fig trees and seabirds clinging to the ledges. You paddle past small inlets, rock arches and old watchtowers built in the 16th century to warn of pirate raids.

The pace is relaxed, with regular pauses to rest, drift and take in the view back to Maiori and the lemon terraces of the hills. The sea is usually calmest in the morning, which is why the tour starts at 10:00. Your guide watches the conditions throughout and adapts the route if the wind picks up.

Pandora Cave

The highlight of the paddle is Pandora Cave, a sea cave hollowed out of the limestone by thousands of years of waves. Its entrance is only reachable from the water, and in a kayak you can glide inside when the sea is calm. In the half-light the water glows in shades of blue and green, and the sound of each paddle stroke echoes off the vaulted rock.

Your guide explains how caves like this form along the coast, as the sea dissolves and wears away weaker layers in the cliffs, and points out the marine life on the rocks near the waterline. It is a quiet, memorable moment and a big reason why a kayak tour on the Amalfi Coast is worth it: no motorboat can come this close.

The hidden beach: swimming and snorkelling

Next the group lands on a small hidden beach at the foot of the cliffs, a cove with no road access that most visitors to the coast never see. Here you have time to swim, rest on the pebbles and snorkel in clear water with the kit provided. Look for small fish around the rocks, sea urchins and the changing colours of the sea floor.

Fresh fruit and bottled water are served on the beach before the paddle back to Maiori, and your guide takes photos throughout, sent later by email so you can keep your hands on the paddle. The tour lasts about three and a half hours in total. Rock shoes are useful on the pebbles and are not included, so bring a pair if you have them.