shayna

My fiance and I are just beginning to plan our honeymoon for next summer and we are seriously considering the amalfi coast. We are planning on traveling for a week and a half at the end of August to the beginning of September. We would love any advice on hotels, restaurants or romantic places not to miss. I know very little and will be greatful for any tips.

Vincenzo

My suggestion is to plan Capri at the beginning or the end of your honeymoon and deserve the whole week for Amalfi Coast.<BR>About hotels it depends on your budget. On Amalfi Coast there are four wonderful hotels: Palazzo Sasso in Ravello, Santa Caterina in Amalfi and San Pietro and Le Sirenuse in Positano.<BR>They are very expenisve, anyhow.<BR>About restaurants, please do not miss in Amalfi Lido Azzurro and Gemma and if you love wine, Cantina San Lorenzo. Very nice is in Minori, Il Cortile dei Mori.<BR>In Positano very good (and expensive) La Buca di Bacco and Chez Black. Very good also in the hamlet named Monte Pertuso, Donna Rosa.<BR>Have a nice trip.

Dan

Shayna, My wife and I stayed at the Santa Caterina in Amalfi, and loved it!! The hotel is wonderful, and the restaurant is great too. I agree with Vincenzo to also check out Palazzo Sasso and Le Sirenuse - They are wonderful hotels, but were not available when I booked our trip. We really enjoyed staying in the town of Amalfi - We also visited Sorrento, and Positano, but I would definitely choose Amalfi over the other places. Good Luck with your plans. You will love the Amalfi coast - It's just beautiful.

JAFA

Hi Shayna --<BR><BR>I'm compelled to respond to your post, because my husband and I spent part of our honeymoon in September, 2001, in Positano, and we absolutely fell in love w/ the town, and the Amalfi Coast in general. In fact, it was the one area of Italy we re-visited this past September. The word I always use when describing it to people is &quot;magical.&quot; It is simply breathtakingly beautiful; the people there are incredibly friendly and warm, and the food and wine are outstanding. And, we were not disappointed when we returned this year.<BR><BR>I would need to know more about your budget and your preferences to advise you, and I'm no expert, but I can tell you we loved the fact that Positano was a smaller town (compared to Amalfi,anyway), and that a lot of the day travelers were gone by nightfall, and it became more intimate. I think someone looking for more activity may get bored if they were to stay more than 3 nights or so, but we stayed 4 nights both trips, and did not regret it.<BR><BR>We took day trips to Capri, Amalfi, and Ravello, and we had great times there as well. I would imagine, and have heard, Capri would be similar to Positano in terms of the day-trippers leaving on the last boat. We rented a scooter both times and toured the island that way, and came back to Positano in the evening, but I can imagine staying on Capri for a few nights and really loving the quiet beauty.<BR><BR>We tried to get into Le Sirenuse and San Pietro for our honeymoon, but they were both booked, so we ended up staying at Covo dei Saraceni, right on the beach. We loved it, but I would advise anyone who books there to request one of the suites. The sea views are breathtaking, and I believe they all have balconies/terraces. Our second trip, they put us in a tiny double room the first night, and it was extremely disappointing. The view and the higher floor as well as the size of the bigger room made a huge difference in our stay. (We switched to the larger room for the next three nights.) Rooftop pool is lovely when you just want to relax and stare at an amazing view of Positano.<BR><BR>Just quickly, as far as restaurant reco's, I second Vincenzo's suggestion regarding Donna Rosa. An incredible restaurant. A beautiful family runs it, and the view of the kitchen is the real star (as well as the food of course). We went back a second time two nights later.<BR><BR>The restaurant at Le Sirenuse (La Sponda) is amazing, and very romantic. We went once each trip, and I must say, this is the place the difference between lire vs. Euro was most obvious, but it's certainly worth the splurge, especially on your honeymoon.<BR><BR>We went to Chez Black once each trip, but enjoyed our lunch more than our dinner. The people watching is fantastic there, and the food is quite good. It's a scene though!<BR><BR>Those are just some quick thoughts. If I knew more about your needs/likes/dislikes, I could probably give you more.<BR><BR>Good luck with all your planning!<BR><BR><BR><BR>

Letah

We recently returned from the Amalfi Coast and posted a trip report of our favorites. We loved the Villa Brunella in Capri. The view from our suite was breath taking. Capri is a very romantic spot especially after the crowds leave in the early evening. We loved staying at Buca Di Bacco in Positano. Karen Brown gave the hotel a great review and said to request room number 10. We got this room and has an enormous balcony and great view.If you do not want to spend the rates at Le Sireneuse consider this charming spot. You will have a wonderful time.

Kay

Shayna:<BR><BR>Just want to second the vote for the Santa Caterina in Amalfi. We stayed there several years ago and would go back in a minute. The setting is wonderful and we had one of the less <BR>expensive rooms but it was very nice and the pool area and restaurants and staff were the best. Our friends had stayed at Le Sirenuse and suggested Amalfi and the Santa Caterina to us after their trip. This was our good luck! Had dinner at <BR>Chez Black in Positano, was delicious and the setting perfect. Have a great trip.