When to Go

When to Go

Sheltered by the Lattari Mountains arcing east to west across the peninsula and inland from the Amalfi Coast, and exposed to cool breezes from two bays, the Amalfi Coast enjoys a climate that is among the mildest in Italy; the temperature rarely falls below 10°C (50°F) in winter, or climbs above 31°C (90°F) in summer. Winter is least crowded but is sometimes overcast, and many hotels close from November to March.

Easter time can be rainy and wet -- locals call it passione de Pasqua ("tears of passion"), and it's safe to assume it will rain on Good Friday. And, for that matter, increasingly in other sunny times: readers have gloomily reported weeklong storms in once what was picture-perfect September. On Italian public holidays (in particular, Easter Monday, April 25, and May 1) and Sunday, the roads heave with lemminglike Neapolitan motorists, so if you plan on taking a long walk in the country, schedule it for one of these busier days.

Although April and May are sublime, Italian students are then on break and can overrun major sites. Summer is filled with festivities and offers the best weather for sunning and swimming, bringing dense crowds and higher prices, especially during the middle two weeks of August, when Italians vacation en masse. Summer months may, in fact, be the new "off-season" -- horror stories of torrid days and humungous crowds have driven ever more people to travel here during May/June and September/October and the region is packed to the gills with travelers during those months.