Amalfi Coast

Amalfi Coast

Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997, the Amalfi Coast (in Campania), which takes the name from its main town and historic center, is one of the most famous coastlines in the world. It owes its popularity to the unique landscapes drawn by the mountains diving into the sea, to landmarks like Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, and to its rich cultural and historical heritage. The many ancient towers (around 30, including some on the Sorrento side) dotting the landscape witness its past, when they were used to sight and defend from saracen pirates attacking the coast. Each tower was built in a strategic position and able to see the previous and next ones, so that when a threat was sighted a fire signal was lit through the full network, immediately alerting the whole population, which could in turn take shelter and hide deep in the woods or caves up in the mountains.
The coast is almost fully part of Lattari Mountains Regional Park so, aside from the seaside, there's plenty to see in the mountains and through their paths as well. The main coast road is the renowned Amalfi Drive (SS163), stretching from Vietri sul Mare to Positano and crossing most of the towns of the coast, while for a few other ones some detours are required, on the SS366, SS373, SP1 and SP2. Those are all roads great for cycling, and quite different from each other: the Amalfi Drive is the most popular and easiest, with its rolling hills, and the only road connecting Amalfi to Positano, hence it gets quite busy with cars in high season and weekends; the SS366 is a long climb heading up to Agerola, but always facing the sea, while the SP1 and SP2 climb up to the Chiunzi Pass through some wild countryside going inland, deep into Lattari Mountains.
The Amalfi Coast, with all its municipalities, is part of the wider Sorrento Peninsula.

Sorrento Peninsula

The Sorrento Peninsula includes 22 municipalities, 13 of which form the Amalfi Coast in the province of Salerno, the other 9 are part of the Metropolitan City of Naples, with 6 of them along the Sorrento Coast: