Once a forgotten fishing villages,
Praiano, Amalfi, Positano are now the
best attractions on the
Amalfi Coast. From Praiano, Positano and Amalfi you can take
ferries to Capri
in summer, escorted bus rides to
Ravello, and tours of the Grotta dello
Smeraldo. If you're staying in
Positano, check whether your hotel has a
parking area. If not, you will have to pay for space in a parking lot,
which is almost impossible to find during the high season, from Easter to
September. The best bet for day-trippers is to arrive by bus -- there is a
good, regular service -- or else get to Positano or
Amalfi early enough to find a
parking space.
The wide territory of Praiano occupies
that part of the Amalfi Coast between Positano and Conca dei Marini, on
both sides of the promontory of Capo Sottile (Thin Cape). The town of
Praiano is on the easterly side of the cape, between 80 and 180 meters on
the sea level, with houses spread on the final stretch of the incline
falling from the 1122 meters of Mount Tre Galli. The name is derived from
the latin Pelagianum (open sea) who changed in the Middle Ages to
Plagianum and finally to Praiano.
At the age of the Maritime Republic of Amalfi, Praiano was chosen as a
summer residence for the Dogi (Dukes of Amalfi), as testimony of the
vocation by this place for the relaxing and discrete vacation, far from
the usual touristic routes and loved by elites.
The lower part of Praiano stretch up to
the Marina di Praia, the only landing point of the ancient Plagianum, with
a narrow beach between two rocky walls, at the mouth of the rough ravine
of Praia. On the promontory there is the Guard Tower of medieval origin,
built to watch the sea and alarm the town when the ships of Saracen
pirates came for forays. Nowadays the Marina di Praia is an appreciated
sea resort and by renting a boat is possible to visit the surroundings,
most of all the beautiful grottos of Suppraiano and of the Africana. On
the other side of Capo Sottile, with wonderful view over Positano and the
whole final part of the peninsula up to
the isle of Capri, there is
Vettica Maggiore, today hamlet of Praiano, but in the past autonomous
village. At a few distance of the centre of Vettica Maggiore, going down
to the sea, there are the Tower of Grado, built by the Spanish during the
Viceroyalty, and the Beach of Gavitella in the cove with the same name,
the only beach on the Amalfi Coast lightened by the sun until sunset, for
its favourable position facing the West and view over Positano and Capri.
The town of Amalfi is romantically situated at the mouth of a deep gorge
and has some good-quality hotels and restaurants. It's also a convenient
base for excursions to Capri and the Grotta dello Smeraldo. The parking
problem here is as bad as that in Positano. The small lot in the center of
town fills quickly; if you're willing to pay the steep prices, make a
lunch reservation at one of the hotel restaurants and have your car parked
for you.
Perched on a ridge high above Amalfi and the neighboring town of Atrani,
the enchanting village of Ravello has stupendous views, quiet lanes, two
important Romanesque churches, and several irresistibly romantic gardens.
Set "closer to the sky than the sea," according to André Gide, the town
has been the ultimate aerie ever since it was founded as a smart suburb
for the richest families of Amalfi's 12th-century maritime republic.
Rediscovered by English aristocrats a century ago, the town now hosts one
of Italy's most famous music festivals.
Spread out along its bay, Salerno was long a sad testimony to years of
neglect and overdevelopment, but the antique port is now reevaluating its
artistic heritage. It's a well-connected base for exploring the Cilento
area to the south, which has such lovely sea resorts as San Marco di
Castellabate and Palinuro, and inland some fine mountain walks and
spectacular gorges and caves, such as Castelcivita and Pertosa.
