Imagine having the Amalfi Coast all to yourself.
On one side of the empty scenic highway stretches the azure waters of the Tyrrhenian. On the other, the peaks of the Lattari Mountains. Coming around a bend, the town of Positano climbs up the cliff. You pull into a deserted overlook to photograph the vista in the late afternoon sun. Afterward, you head to Sorrento for dinner, parking on the main square, just feet from a famous restaurant. You are seated despite having no reservations.
Traveling the Amalfi Coast with no traffic, no parking problems and no meal pre-planning sounds like a fantasy, especially as everything written about the area in the last few years has focused on the hordes of cruise ship tourists and Instagram photographers. Yet, this is exactly how I traveled, proving it is still possible to enjoy a relaxing vacation there, full of spontaneous adventure. How? Go during Thanksgiving.
An Introduction to Italy’s Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast is the stretch of coastline south of Naples that wraps around the Sorrento Peninsula, consisting of thirteen towns, the most famous Amalfi, Ravello, Sorrento, Positano, and the island of Capri. Once thought of as the most beautiful summer destination, tourists have given the Amalfi Coast another less flattering reputation as being one of the most crowded vacation spots in Italy. Highways, restaurants, hotels, and the land’s charm are drowned in a sea of humanity. Yet, as the days grow shorter, the waves of people recede, and everything that brought them there in the first place waits to be discovered by visitors who arrive in November.
Recommended Fodor’s Video
The Pros of Visiting the Amalfi Coast’s Attractions in the Off-Season
The region’s most renowned attraction is the Pompeii archeological site. Though not technically on the Amalfi Coast, with its fame and close proximity, it often tops the list of must-dos when visiting the area. In November, you won’t have to worry about timed entrances selling out or waiting in line once you arrive. One of the most raved-about tours, an Airbnb experience offering a local archeologist as a private guide, can be booked the night before. Not to mention that when wandering the ancient city, you can often find yourself walking down the stone-lined streets with barely a person in sight, perhaps even less crowded than they were at the city’s height. It isn’t just the comfort of fewer crowds, as the weather in November can still be warm enough to go without a jacket, versus battling the blazing summer sun in the largely uncovered 163-acre ruin.
Another popular site down the coast in Amalfi is the Duomo di Sant’Andrea. Known as one of the most stunning churches in the region, it is also known for ticketed tours selling out months in advance in the summer. You can still enter with a single ticket. But instead of enjoying the silence in spiritual contemplation, or wandering the interior, spending extended time with a thirteenth-century crucifix or the sarcophagus of the Peter of Capua, in the summer, you most often will jostle through murmuring masses hoping for a glimpse of the church’s highlights.
Arguably the top sight in the area, or at least the image that first comes to mind when thinking of the Amalfi Coast, is the scenic highway drive that traverses the peninsula’s coastline. When traveling in the summer, you can still appreciate some of what Pompeii and the Duomo have to offer, but the scenic drive is all but ruined. It isn’t just the traffic, though there is lots of bumper-to-bumper to contend with. Minimal parking in towns leaves the non-existent shoulders crowded with cars and pedestrians, making the drive more harrowing than picturesque. Take your eyes off the road to enjoy the view, and you risk running into the cars which often stop in the middle of the single-lane highway to snap a picture.
You Can Get Photos With Fewer Crowds in the Background
If capturing the sites in photographs is your passion, then your opportunities only improve when you push your travels into the off-season. Duomo di Sant’Andrea provides an amazing photo opp, with its grand sixty-two stairs leading up to bronze doors set in a marble mosaic facade. In the summer, you will have to make do with pictures that capture the hordes climbing to the entrance, while in November, with some patience, you can choose who to include or not include in your photos.
Opportunities on the scenic drive also improve. There are overlooks where one can capture the famous houses on the cliffs or the towns jutting out into the sea. Snagging a spot in the summer is near impossible, hence the pausing in the middle of congested traffic to capture a shot. The overlooks are largely deserted in November, leaving plenty of time and space to set up a tripod and wait for the perfect light. Shorter days provide just as much magical light in the hours close to sunset, but it will occur earlier than in the summer, so it is best to get your pictures before heading to dinner.
It’s Easier to Dine at the Amalfi’s Coast Best Restaurants
Reservations to famous restaurants, such as Michelin-star, Il Buco in Sorrento, or Lo Scoglio (the seaside restaurant visited by Stanley Tucci), are often available the day of, versus fighting for reservations months in advance. Getting into small, less gourmet though no less acclaimed restaurants require just as much preplanning to snag a summer reservation, but in November, you are more likely to be ushered in like family and treated to a glass of wine in the unlikely chance you have to wait for a table to open up.
After my day at Pompeii, I wandered across Via Plinio into the highly-reviewed but small, Stuzzico by Lucius. The chef came out from the kitchen to assist with serving and ensure his dishes were approved. Even though this small restaurant is at reduced capacity in the winter, having to forgo outside tables, walk-ins that could never be entertained in the summer months are met with open arms.
What to Consider When Visiting the Amalfi Coast in the Off-Season
Keep an eye on your weather app, as you are more likely to encounter a rainy day with lower average temperatures. Unless you are the polar-bear type, you probably won’t be swimming in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Check hours of operation, as they may be slightly more limited. You can still take the ferry to Capri and probably get on it more easily, but the number of ferries is fewer. All of the above can be said about going during the Christmas holiday, too, with many sites and restaurants closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day.
During my trip to celebrate Thanksgiving, I raced down the steps in Positano to reach the beach for some pictures of the town drenched in cherished sunset light. I did not go in the water, but I slipped off my shoes and enjoyed a barefoot walk on the sands, walking amongst the fully-clothed sunbathers in the late afternoon. I enjoyed some handmade pasta at a small, local restaurant and gave thanks for my magical time on the Amalfi Coast—free of crowds.