Will I like the Amalfi coast?
Dec 17th, 2002, 01:58 AM
#1
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Will I like the Amalfi coast?
I do not know if I should go to the amalfi coast. I like what in travel books especially the scenery. I have been to southern france and marbella in spain and didnt like either beach resorts. Then again I love the coast south of San Fransisco. My criteria for liking a place are 1-safe area 2- beautiful scenery 3- not too crowded 4-clean area 5- nice drive<BR> Since I do not swim or sunbathe I prefer going in the off season when the weather is colder. I love beaches in the winter.
Dec 17th, 2002, 02:07 AM
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While there are beaches on the Amalfi coast, they are not generally considered sunbathing towns. They are extremely scenic.<BR><BR>I've never heard of anyone being or feeling threatened. Safety is really not an issue.<BR><BR>The drive along the coast is spectacular. You can visit Positano, Amalfi and then up to Ravello. <BR><BR>Try a boat ride to Capri. Beautiful Island.<BR><BR>Also, to or from Sorrento the bus ride is an experience. Sorrento itself is a more interesting town than it's given credit for.<BR><BR>Hope this helps.<BR>
Dec 17th, 2002, 10:00 PM
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Lynn- <BR><BR>The scenry along the Amalfi Coast is breathtaking- when described to Hwy 1 thru Big Sur,,,,,well, that is an understatement-- the scenery is even more beautiful and much more frightening a drive.<BR><BR>The towns are safe- the beaches are rocks--<BR><BR>If you go off season,you won't run into intense amounts of tourists--<BR><BR>Most touristy area: Sorrento<BR><BR>All towns are clean---
Dec 18th, 2002, 06:27 AM
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I've always thought the two most beautiful places I've seen are the coast of California (northern and central) and the coast of Italy (either Amalfi or Liguria). <BR><BR>It's plenty safe, scenery is gorgeous, if you go in winter it won't be crowded (but also not as pretty - many of the flowers, plants, etc. won't be in full-bloom), any area in Italy that caters to tourists will be clean, and it's one of the world's great drives.<BR><BR>Have a great trip.
Dec 18th, 2002, 02:09 PM
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The Amalfi Coast is sublime!!! Since you want to go in the off season (smart) stay in Sorrento and ask the hotel to arrange for a car and driver to take you. It's worth the expense and you can stop to see what you want to see. If you have time, go further south, thru Salerno to Paestum. The archeologic site there has the best preserved Greek temples outside of Greece. They are magnificant. The round trip from Sorrento, with a leisurely lunch in one of the towns along the way, is a perfect one day experience. Capri is also worthwhile. Be sure to take the ride in the sky at the top. I can't recall what the thing is call - it's rather like a ski lift. You get beautiful views while hanging in mid-air.
Dec 18th, 2002, 07:32 PM
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Your #3 criteria: Not too crowded. The Amalfi Coast is almost entirely developed, with buildings crowding up against each other and against the road. If you love Big Sur for its unspoiled beauty, the Amalfi Coast is the opposite. The scenery of the Amalfitano is beautiful, but in a very different way than Big Sur.<BR><BR>Your #4 criteria: Nice drive. The Amalfi Coast is not what I would call a "nice drive." It requires your complete attention to the road (narrow) and the other traffic (usually heavy, including the regional bus service). Better if someone else is driving.<BR><BR>We visited the area in October 2002. We weren't overwhelmed by the scenery the way some people seem to be, and I was turned off by the ticky-tacky tourist shops all selling the same things. At the other end of the shopping spectrum, the designer stores do nothing for me (probably because I work in Beverly Hills). <BR><BR>However, we couldn't get to Ravello due to a large accident that closed the road, and I have heard that Ravello is the place to go for scenery.<BR><BR>Overall, we preferred Capri.
Dec 19th, 2002, 07:46 AM
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<BR><BR>1-safe area: yes<BR>2-beautiful scenery: absolutely<BR>3-not too crowded: in the off-season, yes<BR>4-clean area: ah the good old c-word. clean what? people? beaches? towns? sidewalks? words? utensils?<BR>5-nice drive: spectacular scenery but the drive itself can be intense
Jan 27th, 2013, 04:13 AM
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Amalfi is quite magnificent. Scenically it is debatably even more beautiful than Big Sur, although if you like open, relatively wide, easy-to-navigate roads then Big Sur wins by a mile.
I adore the Amalfi Coast. It's one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, and the best meals I have had in Europe have been there. Best food of all that I had was in Nocelle, and best view on the Santiero Degli Dei hike ('The Walk of The Gods'). One of the most beautiful places you can possibly go.
To answer your Amalfi Qs directly:
1-Safe? : YES! Once you're past Naples, it's very pedestrian and safe.
2-Beautiful scenery: Amalfi is MAGNIFICENTLY beautiful.
3- Crowded? : Hideously crowded normally. I've been off season and it was 'ok'.
4- Clean? : It's not very clean (a lot of Europe isn't, I find).
5- Drive Quality: The drive is NOT easy, but the scenery is very beautiful.
Thinking of your criteria makes me think of another destination though, in Africa. Arguably even more beautiful than the Amalfi Coast or Big Sur is the coast of Cape Town, in the Province of The Western Cape, in South Africa. Geographically it's even more spectacular than Amalfi, but it also has the huge wide open spaces of the stunning Californian areas, with roads that are amongst the best I've ever been on anywhere in the world (FAR better than Amalfi!). It's very safe, and luxury is very easy to access affordably. Most of the finest meals of my life have been in the areas in and around Cape Town, especially the wineland areas within an hour of the city centre like Fransch hoek. Naturally it's more exotic than either destination, so it wins on all front I'd say! If I apply your questions to Cape Town:
To answer the same questions for Cape Town:
1-Safe? : Yes! Avoid obviously sketchy areas, as you would in any city of four million, but it is definitely safe. South Africa has a bad reputation for crime, but this tends to be localized and is especially bad in Johannesburg (the largest city). Cape Town's crime is lower than almost all similarly sized cities in the US or Europe. I've spent months there, and it's nothing to be concerned about.
2-Beautiful scenery: Possibly the most beautiful place I've ever been, and I would say clearly the most beautiful coastline in the world.
3- Crowded? : NOT AT ALL! Paradise. So much space, so efficient, amazing. I have seen beaches five miles long with NO one on them! IN a city! It is unbelievable.
4- Clean? : Most everywhere is spotless. One of the cleanest cities I've ever been. This does NOT apply in poorer areas of the city, but as a tourist you're unlikely to go there.
5- Drive Quality: Magnificent. Roads are brilliant, and the city offers several of the world's most beautiful coastal drives. Make sure to do both "Clarens Drive", also known as R44, and "Chapman's Peak Drive".
I adore the Amalfi Coast. It's one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, and the best meals I have had in Europe have been there. Best food of all that I had was in Nocelle, and best view on the Santiero Degli Dei hike ('The Walk of The Gods'). One of the most beautiful places you can possibly go.
To answer your Amalfi Qs directly:
1-Safe? : YES! Once you're past Naples, it's very pedestrian and safe.
2-Beautiful scenery: Amalfi is MAGNIFICENTLY beautiful.
3- Crowded? : Hideously crowded normally. I've been off season and it was 'ok'.
4- Clean? : It's not very clean (a lot of Europe isn't, I find).
5- Drive Quality: The drive is NOT easy, but the scenery is very beautiful.
Thinking of your criteria makes me think of another destination though, in Africa. Arguably even more beautiful than the Amalfi Coast or Big Sur is the coast of Cape Town, in the Province of The Western Cape, in South Africa. Geographically it's even more spectacular than Amalfi, but it also has the huge wide open spaces of the stunning Californian areas, with roads that are amongst the best I've ever been on anywhere in the world (FAR better than Amalfi!). It's very safe, and luxury is very easy to access affordably. Most of the finest meals of my life have been in the areas in and around Cape Town, especially the wineland areas within an hour of the city centre like Fransch hoek. Naturally it's more exotic than either destination, so it wins on all front I'd say! If I apply your questions to Cape Town:
To answer the same questions for Cape Town:
1-Safe? : Yes! Avoid obviously sketchy areas, as you would in any city of four million, but it is definitely safe. South Africa has a bad reputation for crime, but this tends to be localized and is especially bad in Johannesburg (the largest city). Cape Town's crime is lower than almost all similarly sized cities in the US or Europe. I've spent months there, and it's nothing to be concerned about.
2-Beautiful scenery: Possibly the most beautiful place I've ever been, and I would say clearly the most beautiful coastline in the world.
3- Crowded? : NOT AT ALL! Paradise. So much space, so efficient, amazing. I have seen beaches five miles long with NO one on them! IN a city! It is unbelievable.
4- Clean? : Most everywhere is spotless. One of the cleanest cities I've ever been. This does NOT apply in poorer areas of the city, but as a tourist you're unlikely to go there.
5- Drive Quality: Magnificent. Roads are brilliant, and the city offers several of the world's most beautiful coastal drives. Make sure to do both "Clarens Drive", also known as R44, and "Chapman's Peak Drive".
Jan 27th, 2013, 04:39 AM
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We have been to the Amalfi Coast in early October and didn't find the crowds bad. The later you wait to go, the more rain you may encounter. Summer resorts in the winter are not as beautiful as in the summer and many things will be closed.
The AC is beautiful, safe, and pretty clean. The drive is scary and the driver doesn't see much of the scenery. It will be impossibly crowded during the high season and somewhat crowded during the spring and fall. I wouldn't go in the winter.
We preferred Capri. It meets all of your criteria except "nice drive" and we found it to be less crowded especially early and late in the day.
The AC is beautiful, safe, and pretty clean. The drive is scary and the driver doesn't see much of the scenery. It will be impossibly crowded during the high season and somewhat crowded during the spring and fall. I wouldn't go in the winter.
We preferred Capri. It meets all of your criteria except "nice drive" and we found it to be less crowded especially early and late in the day.
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