Praiano, Minori, Maiori as a Base?
 

Hello Fodor Friends! What would you recommend as a base for the Amalfi coast - Praiano, Minori, or Maiori? Or somewhere else? We are two couples spending a week on the coast and want a town where we can have dinner and drinks and spend time on the beach for 2-3 days and use the other 2-3 days to explore the area. Thank you, amici!

The beach in Minori is a nice long sandy beach. We stayed up the hill on a lemon farm but enjoyed the town itself; it was October so we didn't swim.
We found it easy to get to other towns on the Amalfi from here, Amalfi town is just a few minutes up the road.

Will this be your first time in the area?

I would not choose Praiano. Among other negatives, there is no ferry stop there, so you are limited to private driver/taxi, or the bus to visit other towns; and getting to the beaches require a long steep walk. many restaurants are strung out along the main road....

I'd trust Rainycity Girl; she knows italy and knows her hotels!

I've stayed in many of the towns in the area and if I were to return, I'd take a good look at Cetara; nice small beach right in town, atmosphere seems to me like much of th coast must have been a few decades ago, before mass tourism did its damage. It also happens to be the food mecca of the AC.
Ravello is gorgeous, especially when the day trippers leave, and some (luxury) hotels have free shuttles to their own private beach clubs.
I've stayed in Amalfi a couple of times and enjoyed that as well.

I understand the draw of the Amalfi Coast, but for me, if I wanted beaches and sightseeing, I'd head further south, to one of the coastal towns in the Cilento (we liked Santa Maria di Castellabate) or even to the beautiful Maratea.
Would that even be an option for you and your party?




Big questions: What's the general hotel budget?
When will this trip take place--in high season??


I apologize for going off track here....

We stayed four days at Atrani, said to be the smallest commune in Italy. A quiet unspoiled little town/village, a short 7-8 minutes walk away from Amslfi and its multiple transport options. We found it a welcome haven from the hustle and bustle of the bigger towns.

Despite being small Atrani has some very good restaurants, and of course Amalfi is right next door. There’s a small beach too, but of course it’s mostly pebble, as in most of the coast.

When are you going?

I stayed in Minori in October 2024. By the time I was there, the beaches closed down and some restaurants had even started to shutter. Minori is teeny but given the choice, I'd probably stay in Maoiri next time. Much bigger beach and a few more restaurant options.

I did not go to Praiano so no recommendations there.

Thanks for your feedback, everyone. Unfortunately, because I’m a teacher, I have no choice but to travel in high season! Our budget is about $300-400 a night. We’ve been to the Amalfi Coast a few times, most recently staying in Nerano, but we’re going with first-timers so for our interest, we’re looking for a new area along the coast to visit, but we want them to get a feel for the AC. I’m going to look into the towns you all recommended … intriguing, some I’ve never heard of.

We plan to stay about 5-6 days in AC and then drive to Puglia. I’m going to make a post about that, but any recommendations about where to base there? Has anyone done that drive? Is it manageable. Thanks again!!

How much time can you devote to Puglia? It's a large region.

About a week, but we’re flexible. I don’t feel the need to necessarily cover a lot of ground, knowing I’ll likely return. So maybe 2-3 towns, one as a base. Grazie!

Good for you! Sensible response that I agree within full..

Hi Barb,
Small and manageable Minori is an excellent base with probably the best range of restaurants plus delis.
Meh Maori is where the best deals for lodgings are, but it lacks the charm of its neighbors.
I wrote about that in our hella-long and photo-dense TR here.
Good luck.
I am done. The retiro insegnante sosteno teacher