Where to stay in the Amalfi Coast: the 5 areas to know in 2026
On the Amalfi Coast, you're not just choosing a village, you're choosing how many steps you'll climb every evening. Positano has the most famous view, at the price of the stairs. Amalfi, in the middle, has the harbour, the boats and the buses. Ravello watches over the coast in silence, and Maiori or Minori have sand and flat streets.
Allow $169* for a simple room in Maiori or up in Agerola in summer. A hotel with a sea view in Amalfi or Praiano often asks $340*, and in August the grand hotels of Positano go beyond $1,130*. Book early: the best rooms go in winter.
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One base or several?
An hour by bus separates Positano from Maiori: one base is enough, two if you want both Positano and the calm of Ravello.
- A long weekend: A single base, in Amalfi: boats to Positano, the bus to Ravello, and everything else on foot.
- Four or five days: A single base, in Praiano or Amalfi: the Path of the Gods, Positano, Ravello and a day on a boat.
- One week: Two bases: three nights in Positano for the postcard, then four in Ravello or Amalfi for the east of the coast.
How much driving between two bases?
Times by bus or boat, outside summer traffic. The boats run from April to October.
| Route | Driving time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Naples Airport → Positano | 1 h 30 | by bus or transfer |
| Salerno → Amalfi | 35 min | by boat |
| Positano → Praiano | 15 min | by bus |
| Praiano → Amalfi | 20 min | by bus |
| Positano → Amalfi | 25 min | by boat |
| Amalfi → Ravello | 25 min | by bus |
| Amalfi → Maiori | 20 min | by boat |
| Maiori → Vietri sul Mare | 30 min | by bus |
At a glance: our picks by traveller type
Pick the profile that fits you and go straight to the recommended area.
Map of the areas in the Amalfi Coast
See how the areas sit relative to one another before choosing your base. Click a name to jump to its description.
Positano Positano, Spiaggia Grande, Fornillo and the hamlet of Nocelle
for the postcard and terraces over the sea
The village in every photo. Positano tumbles down the cliff in pink and yellow houses to the Spiaggia Grande, where the boats come in. In the evening the terraces light up one by one above the sea. Fornillo, on the other side of the rock, is quieter. The downside: steps everywhere, the highest prices on the coast, and dense crowds in August.
Arriving in Positano, whether by foot or by boat, is surreal.
Where to stay in this area
Le Sirenuse Luxury
The great family house of Positano, blood-red above the beach, with its pool facing the village.
Hotel Poseidon Mid-range
On Via Pasitea, a few minutes from the beach in Positano, with a big terrace and a pool facing the sea.
Pros
- The coast's most famous view
- Boats at the foot of the village
Cons
- Steps at every turn
- The highest prices on the coast
Praiano and Furore Praiano, Marina di Praia, the Furore fjord, Conca dei Marini and Agerola on the heights
for sunsets and the Path of the Gods
The quiet coast. Praiano stretches along the cliff between Positano and Amalfi, facing west and its sunsets. Below, little Marina di Praia and the Furore fjord hide beneath the road. Above, Agerola marks the start of the Path of the Gods. The downside: few shops, and the bus for almost everything.
Where to stay in this area
Hotel Onda Verde Mid-range
Clinging to the cliff above Marina di Praia, in Praiano, with terraces facing the sunsets.
Pros
- The finest sunsets
- Gentler prices than Positano
Cons
- Few shops and restaurants
- The bus for almost everything
Amalfi and Atrani Amalfi, the Valley of the Mills, Atrani and the village of Scala on the hill
for a first stay and getting around without a car
The heart of the coast. Amalfi huddles around its cathedral and its harbour, where boats and buses leave for every village. Five minutes' walk away, Atrani is an untouched fishing village with its little beach. The downside: day-trip crowds, and a packed town beach.
Rentable lounge chairs and umbrellas are packed on top of each other, and the beach is right next to the road and the town (which at least has the merit of being pretty).
The towns in this area
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Hotel Marina Riviera Mid-range
Facing Amalfi harbour, two minutes from the boats and the cathedral, with a terrace pool facing the sea.
Hotel Santa Caterina Luxury
The grand hotel of Amalfi, clinging to the cliff, with a lift down to its private bathing platform.
Pros
- Boats and buses for everywhere
- Atrani five minutes' walk away
Cons
- Day-trip crowds
- A packed town beach
Ravello Ravello, Villa Rufolo, Villa Cimbrone and the Tramonti valley
for calm, gardens and concerts
The coast's balcony. Three hundred and fifty metres above the sea, Ravello lives around its square, its cathedral and its villas with hanging gardens. In the evening, once the coaches have gone back down, the village falls silent, and in summer concerts are played over the void. The downside: the sea is far below, and you need the bus for a swim.
Where to stay in this area
Hotel Villa Cimbrone Luxury
In the villa itself, at the end of Ravello, with its gardens and Terrace of Infinity reserved for guests in the evening.
Pros
- Calm and the view from above
- Gardens and concerts
Cons
- The sea far below
- The bus for a swim
Maiori, Minori and Vietri Maiori and its long beach, Minori and its Roman villa, Erchie and Vietri sul Mare
for sand, families and gentler prices
The family coast. Maiori has the longest sandy beach on the coast and a flat seafront, and Minori, next door, its lemon pastries and Roman villa. Further east, Vietri sul Mare paints its ceramics twenty minutes from Salerno station. The downside: less charm than Positano, and 1960s blocks in Maiori.
Where to stay in this area
Villa Romana Hotel & Spa Mid-range
On the main street of Minori, two minutes from the beach, with a pool and a spa.
Hotel Botanico San Lazzaro Luxury
Perched above Maiori, in the middle of a botanical garden, with a pool and a view over the whole bay.
Pros
- The coast's sandy beaches
- Flat streets and gentler prices
Cons
- Less charm than Positano
- Blocks in Maiori
Our tips for booking the right place
- Count the steps before you book: In Positano, Praiano and Ravello, some hotels can only be reached on foot, up hundreds of steps. Ask whether the hotel has car access or a porter for luggage, especially with children or heavy cases.
- Stay near a bus stop or a pier: Without a car, everything goes by bus and boat. A hotel a few minutes from a stop or pier spares you expensive taxis and climbs in the sun.
- Come in May, June or September: In August prices double and the buses are full. In spring and early autumn the sea is pleasant, the boats are running and sea-view rooms are much cheaper.
- Arriving by car without booked parking: spaces cost dozens of euros a day, when there are any left.
- Staying in Naples to see the coast as a day trip: three hours of travel there and back, and the midday crowds.
- Coming between November and March without checking: the boats stop and many hotels close.
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