Amalfi, Positano and Capri Hydrofoil Day Trip from Salerno

Amalfi town and the Cathedral of Saint Andrew

Amalfi gave its name to the whole coast. From the ninth to the eleventh century it was a powerful maritime republic trading across the Mediterranean, and its wealth still shows in the Cathedral of Saint Andrew, which rises at the top of a broad flight of steps above Piazza del Duomo. The striped facade, the bronze doors cast in Constantinople and the bell tower of green and yellow tiles mix Romanesque, Byzantine and Arab-Norman styles in a way you will not see elsewhere in Italy.

Your hydrofoil lands in Amalfi at 08:45, before the day crowds, which is the best time to visit Amalfi. With about 1 hour 45 minutes you can enter the Cloister of Paradise, a white thirteenth-century courtyard of interlaced arches that once served as a burial ground for noble families, then wander the paper-making lanes behind the square. Cathedral and cloister tickets are bought on the spot.

Capri: the Piazzetta, the Gardens of Augustus and the Blue Grotto

Capri is the jewel of the Bay of Naples, a limestone island of cliffs, sea stacks and terraced lemon groves. Boats arrive at Marina Grande, where the funicular climbs in a few minutes to Capri town and its famous Piazzetta, the little square of white cafes and the clock tower. A short stroll leads to the Gardens of Augustus, laid out on a terrace with the best view of the Faraglioni rocks and the zigzag road down to Marina Piccola.

This Capri day trip gives you more than four hours on the island, from 11:30 to 15:45, enough for the gardens, lunch and a ride up to Anacapri. Many visitors ask whether the Blue Grotto is worth visiting: if the sea is calm, small rowing boats take you into the glowing cave from its own landing, but the boat and entry are paid separately and depend on the swell. Plan your return to the port twenty minutes before departure.

Positano, the vertical village

Positano tumbles down a steep ravine to the sea in a cascade of pink, peach and ochre houses, with narrow stairways instead of streets. At the bottom stands the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, crowned by a dome of green, yellow and blue majolica tiles, which keeps a revered Byzantine icon of the Virgin. In front of it the Spiaggia Grande, the main beach of dark sand and colourful boats, is the picture every visitor remembers.

The hydrofoil reaches Positano at 16:20 and leaves at 18:04, so you see the village in the soft late light, the best time of day for photos. Two hours is enough to visit the church, browse the linen and sandal boutiques on Via dei Mulini and sit by the beach. Wear comfortable shoes: the lanes are steep and the return to the pier is downhill but uneven.

Salerno and the sea route along the Amalfi Coast

Salerno sits at the eastern end of the Amalfi Coast and is the practical gateway for travellers arriving by train from Naples or Rome, with easy, cheaper accommodation and a long seafront promenade. Departures leave from Molo Manfredi, the modern maritime station a short walk from the old town. Travelling by sea is the smartest way to see the Amalfi Coast in summer, when the single coastal road is famous for slow traffic and full car parks.

From the water you see the coast as it was meant to be seen: cliff villages such as Vietri sul Mare, Cetara and Minori, watchtowers built against pirates, and lemon terraces hanging above the sea. The leg from Capri to Positano crosses open water and passes the tip of the Sorrento peninsula. Sit on the right side heading out for the best coastal views, and keep a jacket for the evening crossing.