Amalfi Coast in pictures

The Amalfi Coast

This is part of a series of posts where I look back at some of my favourite pictures from different cities that I have visited. You can read the rest of the series here.

I'm not sure I've been to too many places more photogenic than the Italian Amalfi Coast. From houses perched on the sides of hills, to beautiful churches and cathedrals, all framed by an incredibly blue sea, the Amalfi Coast is picture perfect. It's probably not somewhere to go on your own like I did, and it isn't the cheapest place in the world either - but I can promise, you won't find much better scenery anywhere else. You can read about my full trip to the Amalfi Coat here, and my visits to Pompeii and Herculaneum here.

Travel advice for Sikhs

No big issues as a Sikh. The closest airports for travel from the UK are Naples and Rome. I went through both and had no issues at either airport. However, the people in the Amalfi Coast are slightly different. This is the playground for the rich, and if you're brown, in their mind you're nothing more than a poor immigrant. They made sure to remind me of prices before I ate or brought anything, and I wasn't a big fan of that.

Let's start just north of the Amalfi Coast with Pompeii and Herculaneum. If you're heading south from Naples to the Amalfi Coast, a stop off at these world famous archeological sites is a must. I managed to catch an off-season heatwave, so even though it was January, the weather was beautiful. It also meant there was no one around as this photo shows. What seemed like never ending straight roads, with no one in sight.

I really enjoyed Pompeii, it's been a place I've wanted to visit since I was young. Perhaps my favourite photo was near the exit, a beautiful statue overlooking the horizon onto Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that would end up burying the town under lava.

It says "Beware of the Dog".

Pompeii might get the fame, but Herculaneum is even more interesting, especially when you see the quality of the ruins - some of the frescos still have their original colour which is pretty incredible. Believe me, if you like Pompeii, you'll love Herculaneum.

Sorrento was the first stop, and my least favourite place, it felt like somewhere on the Spanish coast where British pensioners go to retire. I took this crossing over the bridge just outside Sorrento on my walk to Bagni della Regina. It wasn't a view that I had anticipated, and as I turned a corner and saw this, my jaw hit the floor quick!

I try to save every penny I can on my travels, and a short taxi ride turned into a dangerous walk when I went to Bagni della Regina. Jaw dropping views of Sorrento aside, there were no pavements, and all sorts of vehicles rushing past, mere inches from my body. It was all worth it though. I took this photo walking around the area, completely isolated from the tourist town a couple of miles away. Closing my eyes and feeling the sea breeze is a pretty special memory.

I visited in January, and other than the odd shower, I caught a random mini-heatwave. That being said, a huge Christmas tree in the middle of Sorrento reminded me of the season.

Positano is more upmarket than some of its neighbours, and in terms of beauty, hands down the best. A short bus ride dropped me at the top of a hill and I decided to walk the short distance down the winding roads to the beach at the bottom. The sun was just beginning to set and as I made my way down the hill, I managed to take one of my favourite photos I have ever taken.

It's a pretty steep hill to go down, but the views from some of the tight alleyways were spectacular. I love being able to take photos where there is dichotomy like this between the foreground and the background, which really adds depth.

By the time I got to the bottom, the sun was very low on the horizon, and it gave the town of Positano a beautiful golden glow.

The actual town of Amalfi was probably my least favourite. Smaller than Sorrento, there is a beautiful hike, and I might have enjoyed it more had it not decided to absolutely pour down with rain, making my grip on the cobblestone path like a deer on ice.

That being said, the Duomo di Sant Andrea was just another in a long line of incredible cathedrals I visited in southern Italy. The top of the staircase provided a good opportunity to see the main square below, just on the side of the ancient staircase, a nice little detour that I enjoyed taking.

....and if you thought the outside was good, just take a look at what it looks like from the inside.

Let's be honest, the Amalfi Coast is either for wealthy middle-aged people, or a romantic stop for couples. It's probably not marketed to a relatively young brown guy and that meant that while aesthetically pleasing, it's not somewhere at the top of my list of places I'd like to visit again. That being said, getting a chance to look back through my photos made me appreciate just how visually stunning it is.