Throughout the more than 10 years I've spent studying the world of taste, there have been countless times when I’ve found myself dreaming of certain destinations inspired by ingredients whose stories made me travel, first and foremost, in my mind. For me, Amalfi was all about lemons. That’s how I started dreaming of those landscapes with endless blue skies, colorful houses, and terraced villages nestled between mountains and sea, longing to one day explore the Amalfi Coast—the land of those plump and juicy lemons I had read about, said to be the best in the world. And I wanted to see them in their natural home—which, as you’ve probably guessed from the title, happened this year. So, if you’re in need of a dose of inspiration, keep reading and let yourself dream of adventures on the Amalfi Coast, because today I’m bringing you stories with the taste of lemons, Mediterranean blue, and endless serenity.
I visited the Amalfi Coast twice this year, first in June when I explored part of it, and again in October when I returned to see the rest. Although Sorrento isn’t technically considered part of the Amalfi Coast, my journey began there—a town famous for its lemons, different from those of Amalfi, which always reminds me of Paolo Sorrentino, one of my favorite directors. Sorrento is often seen as a "gateway" to the Amalfi Coast, with many tourists choosing it as their base and taking day trips to other coastal towns—which is what I did on my first visit.
As much as I loved Sorrento, for my second trip, I decided to start from the other end of the coast, with my base in Salerno, for two reasons.
The first was that this time I wanted to avoid Naples—a city I had romanticized, thanks to Dean Martin’s songs (‘when you walk in a dream but you know you’re not dreaming, signore / scusami but you see back in old Napoli, that’s amore!’). But when I actually visited Naples, the music in my head stopped like a scratched vinyl. It wasn’t quite amore, and maybe I’ll make another attempt to discover its poetry one day, but this time I wanted to head straight to the coast. And since I was coming from Rome, I was able to bypass Naples with a quick, direct ride on the high-speed Frecciarossa train to Salerno.
The second reason was that after the Amalfi Coast, my southern Italy exploration continued through two other regions, Basilicata and Puglia, and Salerno was the perfect connection point. It turned out to be a brilliant idea: I discovered a charming town, far less crowded than Sorrento, and every morning, after a cappuccino and a sfogliatella, everything was just a ferry ride away.
Still, the crowds were understandable: like you, everyone else wants to be there for a simple reason—there’s no doubt that the Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful places in the world, which also makes it one of the most visited.
Reading about its history, I learned that even Roman emperors preferred to come here to relax—a tradition that has lasted over time. From Roman emperors to contemporary celebrities and stars, the Amalfi Coast remains one of those dream destinations that captivates everyone.
So much so that the uniqueness of the place was officially recognized in 1997 when the 16 towns that make up the Amalfi Coast were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. And that uniqueness isn’t just about the breathtaking landscapes but also the extraordinary relationship between man and nature, which over time has shaped the distinctive character of the region. It’s a harmony that has allowed for both human development and nature preservation, enriching both in the process—a true lesson.
Only when you start exploring these places on foot do you really begin to understand this exceptional character. The terraced settlements built between the mountains and the sea, the colorful houses and boats that evoke Amalfi’s past as a maritime republic, the cobblestone streets and maze-like stairways, and the almost suspended lemon groves—all tell the story of this greatness, not just of nature but also of humanity, working hand in hand with and respecting nature.
I felt this at every view that left me speechless, but one of the most beautiful memories was walking the Sentiero dei Limoni.
Sentiero dei Limoni (or the Path of Lemons) is a trail that connects Maiori to Minori. Over the course of 6 kilometers and about 1,000 steps, it offers splendid panoramic views of lemon groves and the sea. It started, like a scene from a movie, with the iconic sound of bells ringing on the hour, followed by a climb up narrow cobblestone streets, as if inside a fortress, all leading to the highest point just in time for the magic moment when the sun set over Minori, giving me one of the most spectacular sunsets of the entire trip. I had dreamed of lemons—I found around 800 lemon groves. I had dreamed of lemons—I found magic. The people who live there are truly lucky.
But, of course, the Amalfi Coast is about much more than just lemons (which will have their own separate article), and each of the towns scattered along the coast has its own unique charm, even if some are more famous than others. I adored Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi, but during this second trip, I was equally delighted to discover the smaller places like Vietri or Cetara, somewhat overshadowed by their more glamorous and renowned neighbors.
Their beauty is just as remarkable, if not more so, because, not enjoying the same fame, they are less crowded with tourists chasing strategic check-ins and Instagram-worthy selfies. They captivated me so much that I’m already longing to return, especially to explore more of these smaller, idyllic towns, straight out of a cinematic scene.
In Vietri sul Mare, for instance, renowned for its ceramics that you find everywhere—from people's homes to shops and even on the streets—I visited an artisanal ceramics workshop. I had the privilege of stepping behind the scenes to see how the ceramics they sell are actually made. Like any place touched by modernity, Vietri has ceramic shops that range in authenticity, but Juvenes, the artisans I visited, are among those who still uphold tradition, crafting everything by hand—from the pottery wheel to glazing and hand-painting. They work exclusively on custom orders, and their ceramic creations are shipped all over the world.
In Cetara, a former fishing village now famous for producing a very special sauce called colatura di alici, I found true joy. Back when I was just starting to explore the world of taste, long before culinary school and my studies in France, I came across this book by a Latin author named Apicius, considered to be the oldest cookbook in the world. In this book, there's mention of a sauce used in ancient Roman recipes called garum, which no longer exists in its original form today. Well, the modern descendant of that ancient sauce is colatura di alici, the anchovy sauce for which Cetara is famous. Of course, I have some at home, as the memory of that lunch of spaghetti cetarese with a sea view while waiting for the ferry to Maiori has stayed with me in my taste memory. Just like the ricotta and pear tart I savored in Minori, at the most famous pasticceria in southern Italy, right before I began the Path of Lemons hike.
There are so many such memories. If I look through the photos in chronological order (which is no easy task, as there are so many!), I can almost taste each one and remember the exact moment they happened. Then, there’s the taste of those experiences that haven’t yet happened but are there, waiting on the list of future adventures. After all, a traveler’s mind often lingers not so much on what they’ve already seen but rather on what they have yet to discover.
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