Where to Stay on the Amalfi Coast

Positano stacks pastel houses up a cliff and charges accordingly. The main drag, Via Cristoforo Colombo, runs from the SITA bus stop down to Spiaggia Grande beach. Most hotels sit along Viale Pasitea or up on Via Marconi. The walk down is romantic. The walk back up is 400 stone steps and you will feel every one. Le Sirenuse and Il San Pietro are the splurges. Casa Albertina and Hotel Savoia are calmer mid-range picks. Skip the beach restaurants on Spiaggia Grande and eat at Da Vincenzo on Viale Pasitea instead. Book a hotel with a sea-view terrace or you are paying Positano prices for a courtyard.

Best for

Honeymoonsanniversariesphoto trips

Walk times

Spiaggia Grande beach 5 min
Fornillo Beach 12 min
SITA bus stop on Via Marconi 8 min

Skip if: You hate stairs, hate crowds, or want to spend under $300 a night

Local tip: Take the ferry from Sorrento or Salerno instead of the bus. The coast road is one lane and traffic in July adds two hours.

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$392per night

Amalfi

The practical base with the cathedral square

Luxury $180-$450/night

Amalfi town sits in the middle of the coast and that is its superpower. Ferries to Positano, Capri, and Salerno all leave from Molo Pennello, the main pier. The cathedral, Duomo di Sant Andrea, anchors Piazza Duomo where most cafes and gelato spots cluster. Hotels along Via Lorenzo d Amalfi and Via Pietro Capuano put you a flat five-minute walk from the water. Hotel Luna Convento, on the cliff edge, is the famous one. Hotel Centrale is the value pick on the square. Eat at Trattoria da Gemma above the cathedral. Marina Grande beach is right there but it is small and gets packed by 10am, so go early or take the ferry to a quieter cove.

Best for

First-time visitorsfamiliesday-trippers to Capri

Walk times

Marina Grande beach 4 min
Ferry pier at Molo Pennello 5 min
Piazza Duomo 3 min

Skip if: You want quiet evenings or a clifftop view from your room

Local tip: Day-trip to Atrani next door. It is a five-minute walk through the tunnel and feels like the Amalfi Coast 30 years ago.

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$202per night

Ravello

Up in the hills, where the noise stops

Luxury $220-$700/night

Ravello sits 365 meters above Amalfi and you feel it the second you arrive. The town centers on Piazza Vescovado with the duomo on one side and Villa Rufolo on the other. Villa Cimbrone, a 15-minute walk down Via Santa Chiara, has the famous Terrace of Infinity. Hotels here are smaller and quieter. Palazzo Avino and Caruso are the five-stars with the cliff-edge pools. Hotel Toro and Villa Maria are the calmer mid-range options on Via Roma. There is no beach, so you take the SITA bus or a taxi down to Amalfi or Minori for swimming. Go for the gardens, the Ravello Festival concerts in July and August, and dinners on terraces with no scooters buzzing past.

Best for

Quiet staysclassical music fanssecond-time visitors

Walk times

Villa Rufolo 2 min
Villa Cimbrone 15 min
SITA bus down to Amalfi 3 min

Skip if: You want the beach steps from your hotel

Local tip: Walk the Path of the Gods trail from Bomerano back toward Positano. The trailhead is a 20-minute taxi from Ravello and it is the best free thing on the coast.

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$246per night

Praiano

Positano views without the Positano bill

Mid-range $120-$400/night

Praiano is the village between Positano and Amalfi that most travelers drive past. That is why it stays cheaper and quieter. The town splits into two parts. The upper part, around the church of San Gennaro on Via Capriglione, has most of the hotels and restaurants. The lower part, Marina di Praia, is a tiny cove with two restaurants and a pebble beach reached by 200 steps. Hotel Onda Verde and Casa Angelina are the cliff-side picks with full sunset views over Positano. Hotel Margherita is the friendly mid-range option. The SITA bus stops at Piazza San Gennaro and runs every 30 minutes to Positano (15 min) and Amalfi (20 min). Eat at Trattoria San Gennaro for a proper local menu at half what you pay one town over.

Best for

Budget travelersrepeat visitorsanyone over Positano crowds

Walk times

Marina di Praia beach 12 min
SITA bus stop at Piazza San Gennaro 2 min
Africana Famous Club beach bar 15 min

Skip if: You want walkable nightlife or a sandy beach

Local tip: Watch sunset from the steps at Chiesa di San Gennaro. The whole coast lights up and it costs nothing.

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$134per night