According to Rick Steves, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast drive are a bit much for one day. “Pompeii really requires about 4 hours to do it justice, and I would suggest a full day visit for each.” Whilst this is true, not everyone can spare a couple of days of their vacation to see both Amalfi coast and Pompeii. Wild, daring and romantic, the Amalfi Coast is an obligatory stop in any journey to Italy. The incomparable beauty of the Amalfi Coast has enchanted visitors from all corners of the earth. For more Amalfi Coast Pompeii info, keep reading !

Amalfi Coast Sights

Atrani faces the sea with the characteristic profile of the Maddalena Church (1274) that is topped by a bell tower and cupola that is covered with vividly coloured majolica. The neoclassic church of San Salvatore de’ Bireto, on piazza Umberto I was founded in 940. It was in this church that the election ceremonies and inaugurations of the new Doges of the Republic were held. The Grotto of the Saints can be reached by the state road. Here the ruins of the ancient Benedictine monastery of Santi Quirico e Giulitta, founded in 986, are visible. The little grotto is decorated with byzantine style frescoes that date to the 12th century. The nearby Conca dei Marini is a fishing village hemmed in by a marine loop that offers a attractive slice of panorama.
The two extremes of this marvellous bay are Capo di Conca, dominated by the Torre di Conca (erected in the 1500’s) testimony to the terrifying incursions of pirates. Almost tied to Amalfi, Atrani preserves in the intricacy of its little streets, stairs and overpasses, its medieval texture. During the Republican era of Amalfi, Atrani was inhabited by noble families. Here Doges were crowned and buried. Between alleys, arches, courtyards, little squares and with its typical small stairways, it seems like a nativity licked by the sea. The Emerald Grotto. The waters breaking into the grotto bring on an intense green hue, caused by light filtration. This grotto is full of stalactites and stalagmites, often fused together to form limestone columns of up to 10 meters. A few miles from the coast are Li Galli, or “Sirenuse”, a tiny archipelago made up of three islets: the Gallo Lungo, the Rotonda and the Castelluccio, considered the ancient dwellings of the enchanting Sirens.

Ravello Sights

From Amalfi a winding road ascends seven kilometres up the “Dragon’s Valley” to the hill town of Ravello. A must see spot in Ravello is the Villa Cimbrone, with a magnificent park that tops this most magical of hills. Being located so high up, It is no wonder, that this town, with its head in the clouds and its clear, sunny climate, has appealed for centuries to writers, artists, musicians, travellers. Just for it mere beauty has appealed for many years to writers, artists, musicians, travellers… and dreamers! Boccaccio, D. H. Lawrence and Wagner are among the “greats” who succumbed to the spell of Ravello.

Along the “Avenue of Immensity” huge pink oleanders line the way to the Belvedere posed on the cliff’s edge. From this little building you can pause to take in the unforgettable views from here across the “Infinite Terrace” to the sea and sky beyond. Villa Rufolo was built in the thirteenth century as a Convent of the Order of St. Augustine. Its paved balconies and weathered stone walls crystallize an ambiance which is ageless. It is easy to conjure images of medieval life in this town as you stroll through its intriguing alleys, stairways and roofed passages to find yourself at Villa Rufolo. Beautiful gardens with views across the mountains and the Coast below, surround this home of the powerful medieval family of that name. It is a magnificent building; its Moorish cloisters beckoning from an avenue shaded by ancient trees. The extensive gardens of exotic plants and brilliantly coloured flowers frame vistas of the water far below. Here, each Spring a Wagnerian festival is held at sunset; there, suspended high above the cerulean sea and the coastline, the composer is commemorated, and so too is the inspiration he derived from his love of Ravello.

Sant Angello Near Sorrento

Sant’Agnello, Sorrento’s quieter suburb but quick to reach with its own hotels, restaurants and bars. Sant’Agnello is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 25 km southeast of Naples. This is really the perfect spot to spend a Pompeii Vacations .

More Amalfi Coast Pompeii Shore Excursions

Naples makes a great base for exploring the Bay of Naples and other interesting parts of the Campania region. Naples Cathedral, with the chapel where San Genaro’s blood mysteriously liquefies every year in a most sacred ceremony that involves every Neapolitan. Leaving Naples, you will cross the valley of Mount Vesuvius, passing through the villages of Ercolano (Herculaneum), Torre del Greco and Torre Annunziata before arriving in Pompeii.

Naples Archeological Museum

Over the years the largest archaeological collection of all time, relics from the city and from the villas buried under the ashes of Vesuvius in 79 BC, was brought here. The vast epigraph collection includes over 2,000 pieces representing all of the languages once spoken in Campania taking the visitor from Greek to Oscan, Etruscan to Latin. The most important collection of the museum is that of the mosaics, paintings, jewelery and objects recovered from the buried vesuvian homes. This is a collection unmatched in the world that attracts, millions of visitors every year.
The most important collection of the museum is that of the mosaics, paintings, jewelery and objects recovered from the buried Vesuvian homes.