Ahh-malfi, enjoying the Amalfi Coast

To the beach

We have the good fortune to stay at my husband's fathers home when we are in Italy.  It's a home that is only used by family and only in the summer months.  There is no whole house heating in use any longer, there are 2 fireplaces--one that faces into the kitchen and the backside of that facing into another room. 

With a dose of faith we headed there towards the end of September and our stay was to last until the second week of October.  We took our time getting there by starting in Paris and driving from there through southern France.  We stayed at various locations in France and northern Italy and were blessed by some beautiful weather.  We were still enjoying warmth and sunshine when we arrived in Baranello. 

They say all good things come to an end, well the weather took a nosedive and we took a dive too--to the south. 

The splendor of the Amalfi Coast comes not only from the abundance of sun and warmth but from so many tangible and intangible things that go along with that. There is a main road that travels along the coast and it slices through the mountains bisecting a flurry of seaside villages.  From this vantage point imagine our joy at seeing for ourselves the seemingly impossible construction of homes directly into the rising stone cliffs.  The site can be dizzying as you look up and see a community clinging to the edge of stone, but look down and you will see even below there are more homes below road level jutting above the sea.  With this kind of construction there is little or no room for parking so be prepared, you will likely park at road side parking and climb up or walk down many steps to get to dining or accommodations.  That's a great thing though--the food in southern Italy is so good you will want the extra exercise just to work some of it off!

We didn't make formal arrangements before arriving but from the map decided we may want to stay in Nocelle.  Driving around the coast we found the area of Praiano to be absolutely breathtaking and instead zeroed in on a place called Costa Diva in Praiano perched below the road and owning some wonderful views.

Lucky for us it was past the height of tourist season and we were able to choose from a couple rooms.  A staff member escorted us through the property to begin showing us choices for accommodations.  I was immediately struck by how sweet the area smelled and looked up to see an overhead trellis laden with vines that were dangling their flowers and fruits from above.  There were lemons, bougainvillea, a honeysuckle type vine and on and on it went. there were nooks and crannies created throughout the property where visitors could sit and relax or enjoy a beverage.  It was unbelievably romantic.

We decided on a room that was tucked in a bit and had a large hot tub outside with a small deck and was surrounded by some of the gardens.  Someone on staff got our bags from our car and walked them down to us as we further explored the property.  My mistake, because I then came upon another area that had a large balcony facing the sea with unobstructed views.  While the room cost more than the other it was the "off season" and was still a good deal so we ended up moving to that room.

from the room towards the balcony in the evening, from which you can smell
the scents from the restaurant while enjoying a glass of wine

It wasn't long before our hunger was summoned to the forefront by the scent of food being prepared by the restaurant on site.  We decided to have a light lunch before exploring the surrounding area. 

The restaurant is located on the first sub-street level terrace.  We ate under the shade provided by the fruit and flower vines hanging overhead and from that vantage point you are able to take in the multi-level property that makes up Costa Diva.  The owners use every bit of space available by constructing terraces to expand the hotel onto but also a large amount of space is utilized for gardens. 

restaurant seating

gardens on terraces

It is from these gardens that Costa Diva gets it's produce.  Our first day for lunch we had crisp,sharp arugula dressed with olive oil and the lemons on the property along with mozzarella di bufala and sugar sweet tomatoes.  It was explained to us that the fisherman we could see in the mornings and early part of the afternoon supply the fish that the restaurant uses each night.  Enough said, no need to look any further--we found where we are having dinner.  And that's where we ate every night.  The food was so outrageously good and fresh we couldn't see the point in going any further than a few steps from our room each night, it was sublime!  The seafood out of this world--the waiter will bring a tray over showing what was caught that day and the one you select is the one they prepare for you!  They also make pasta in house and it is incredibly tender, a favorite was the fettucine with a light red sauce from their sunkissed tomatoes and gamberoni (large prawns).  The room rate includes breakfast pastries made each day, fruits and espresso/cappuccino.

What else might you see along the coast? 

Not far from Costa Diva is a public beach along which are a couple of restaurants and a small concrete boardwalk where you can enjoy a coffee or a drink while watching the vendors set up for the day.  the beach itself is probably only 200' x 300' so I can imagine in the summer it is packed.  But in October it was a great place to take in the sights and read a book. 

There is a trail called "Path of the Gods" (Sentiero Degli Dei), runs through several Amalfi Coast towns and could be accessed not far from where we were.  We were all good intentions and no action on that so we have a reason to return, but if you are in the area this is said to be spectacularly scenic.

you will find brightly colored pottery in shops throughout the coast and here is a good way to bring some of Amalfi home.

On our last day we took a boat excursion along the coast, it is something I would recommend, from the sea the vantage point is perfect.  You can also get a ferry to Capri if you have some extra days, the island is highly rated as a destination.

As we drove away, we headed a little further up the coast to actually go to the town of Amalfi.  Even outside of tourist season there are cruise ships continuously off of Amalfi, be prepared to move aside when the passengers disembark!  We made our way to the side of the main pedestrian area and spotted a sign pointing up steps leading to a restaurant tucked away from the chaos along the road.  It was a small hike up some steps and didn't have the sea views, but it made up for it with the quality of the food and the quaint, quiet interior.
Overall Amalfi was fine at this time of year but I would be hesitant during the midst of summer travelling season to visit Amalfi and would instead stick to one of the other towns to either direction.