This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

Life on the Amalfi Coast moves to its own rhythm, inviting long lunches, lazy swims and evening aperitivos overlooking some of the most spectacular coastline on Earth. It’s lined with sheer cliffs and pastel-hued villages: Positano, with its steep streets; Amalfi, once the seat of a maritime republic; Ravello, known for its sweeping views over the Tyrrhenian Sea. Artists from Picasso to The Rolling Stones found inspiration here, and the old-world glamour lingers — at any moment, you feel you might see a silver-screen star strolling by in Capri pants and a jaunty headscarf. This vintage elegance is captured at plenty of palatial hotels, but there are also intimate boutique stays and seaside pensioni to be found, as well as some bargains, especially if you use relaxed Sorrento as a base.

Best for: joyous colour
The rosy hue of Ravello’s 12th-century pink palace will gladden the heart of even the weariest traveller. Its signature shade is echoed in various interior design details, from candy-striped poolside umbrellas to pearlescent tiles in the 43 bedrooms and suites, but visitors will also feel the love when it comes to service, with a staff-to-guest ratio of two employees to every room. Sea views are also gloriously inescapable, whether you’re selecting from the 100-strong drinks list at its bar, settling in for dinner at its Michelin-starred restaurant or lolling in its rooftop infinity hot tub. Palazzo Avino’s beach club is reached by a 15-minute shuttle, while closer by are the historic villas of Rufolo and Cimbrone, both surrounded by precipitous gardens open to the public. Rooms: From €485 (£413), B&B. OT

The rosy hue of Ravello’s 12th-century pink palace will gladden the heart of even the weariest traveller.

Photograph by AWL IMAGES; Courtesy of Palazzo Avino

The hotel’s signature rosy shade is echoed in various interior design details.

Photograph by AWL IMAGES; Courtesy of Palazzo Avino

Best for: old-world vibes
Set on a cliffside by Amalfi, this property — part of Leading Hotels of the World — embodies the classic glamour of the coast, from the hand-painted floor tiles to the terrace draped with wisteria. Santa Caterina opened in 1904, when Giuseppe Gambardella transformed his house into an inn with six rooms. It’s since expanded into 72 rooms and suites, with vintage furniture, marble bathrooms and balconies fit for visiting stars — but the founder’s elderly granddaughters still visit daily to greet guests by name. The Michelin-starred restaurant serves ingredients from the hotel garden, and there’s a glass lift leading to a beach club. Rooms: From €509 (£430), B&B. CL

Set on a cliffside by Amalfi, this property — part of Leading Hotels of the World — embodies the classic glamour of the coast, from the hand-painted floor tiles to the terrace draped with wisteria.

Photograph by Umberto D’Aniello

Best for: seaside living
This vibrant, nautical-style clifftop property overlooking Sorrento is Jean Paul Gaultier in hotel form. It’s owned by interior designer Marco de Luca, who’s paired a palette of reds, whites and blues with eclectic artworks and objects — a Marina Abramović print in the lobby, a Back to the Future cut-out mounted over a staircase, a replica Stormtrooper standing sentinel in a corridor. The 12 bedrooms are designed with sea-gazing in mind; several have small balconies, others a double-aspect view. The vista from the terrace is also a knockout, whether you’re relaxing in the whirlpool tub or lingering over a breakfast of cooked eggs, griddled vegetables and buffalo mozzarella. Rooms: From €465 (£395), B&B. OT

Liza Minnelli is among several stars whose photo hangs in white-tiled Bianca Bar, a temple to good times helmed by a charismatic barman.

Photograph by Umberto D’Aniello

Best for: vintage glamour
This 16-suite property on the outskirts of Positano pulls off an almost cinematic sleight of hand, creating the distinct impression that guests are staying at the behest of its former owner, the late film director Franco Zeffirelli. Perhaps he’s nipped over to Capri, with his pal Liza Minnelli? The actress is among several stars whose photo hangs in white-tiled Bianca Bar, a temple to good times helmed by a charismatic barman — part-raconteur, part-master mixologist. Terraced kitchen gardens supply ingredients for his one-off elixirs, as well as the zesty Mediterranean dishes served at the all-day restaurant. After lunch, the On the Rocks beach club is the spot for some elegant loafing, its bathing platform dotted with blue parasols and stripy loungers. Kayaks, standup paddleboards and a private boat are available for adventures further afield. Rooms: From €747 (£633). OT

Best for: history
When the bells toll over this renovated 13th-century monastery just minutes from Amalfi, you’re drawn back to a time when monks would tend to the terraced herb gardens and meditate under the lemon-draped trellis. The guest rooms are pared back, with stucco walls and neutral textiles, but far too luxurious to be monastic — especially the suites with Jacuzzis overlooking the sea. Yet, there’s a consecrated church and remnants of a cloister, and its history is woven into every detail, such as the spa treatments inspired by healing rituals or the house amaro (liqueur) created with the hotel’s ‘consultant friar’ and flavoured with myrtle and wild fennel. Rooms: From €535 (£450), B&B. CL

The guest rooms are pared back, with stucco walls and neutral textiles, but far too luxurious to be monastic — especially the suites with Jacuzzis overlooking the sea.

Photograph by Bernard Touillon

Best for: minimalists
When this hotel opened 20 years ago in Praiano, a village between Positano and Amalfi, its white walls and modern furniture were a radical departure from the region’s signature pastel palette. The 36 rooms are elegantly understated, and come with velvet-soft robes and cashmere throws on beds. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame a 180-degree display of sea and sky. And the common areas embody the philosophy of ‘quiet luxury’, from the lemon-scented pool deck to the softly lit Michelin-starred restaurant. Rooms: From €670 (£565), B&B. CL

Best for: location
With its striped facade, Amalfi’s Duomo di Sant’Andrea Apostolo has to be the coast’s most striking church — and there are few better views of it than from this hotel. The decor is pared back, with white furnishings and Mediterranean floor tiles, but the magic of this place is what’s beyond the windows. Ten of its 17 rooms are directly across the square from the cathedral’s grand staircase, making it feel almost close enough to touch. Guests can drink in the views along with their espresso at the terrace restaurant. Rooms: From €153 (£130), B&B. CL

Best for: family hospitality
This harbourside B&B is a great base from which to explore the coast — a mere pebble-splash from direct ferries to Amalfi and beyond. But after experiencing its hosts’ welcome, you may struggle to tear yourself away. Mother-daughter duo Roberta Fiorentino and Alice Amoroso serve trays of pastries at breakfast and spritzes at aperitivo. The 10 rooms are unique — one has views to Mount Vesuvius, others feature Vietri tiles or tufa stone. All are a testament to the family’s style and make use of heirloom furniture. Rooms: From €255 (£215), B&B. OT

Stairs lead down from the roadside to vine-draped terraces and gardens overlooking the sea; further down, there’s a private swimming platform with steps descending into the deep blue water.

Photograph by Brechenmacher & Baumann

Best for: la dolce vita on a budget
This 12-room, family-run pensione is located just steps from the busy coastal road that sweeps around the Amalfi Coast on the way to Ravello, yet it’s somehow quiet. Stairs lead down from the roadside to vine-draped terraces and gardens overlooking the sea; further down, there’s a private swimming platform with steps descending into the deep blue water. Rooms are basic and simply furnished, but almost all have sweeping views, and some come with terraces that wouldn’t be out of place at properties with far higher price tags. Meals are served at a taverna-style restaurant, with daily dishes created from what’s fresh at the market or ripe in the garden, such as rabbit roasted in lemon leaves, washed down with homemade limoncello. Rooms: From €160 (£135). CL

Owned and operated by a noble Neapolitan family since 1951, Le Sirenuse combines museum grandiosity with opening-night atmosphere, and each year it commissions a new artist to add to its collection.

Photograph by Brechenmacher & Baumann

Best for: art-lovers
The mythological sirens who lived off Positano’s coast used their beauty to lure passing sailors — and visitors to this maximalist hotel named in their honour will find themselves similarly enchanted. Owned and operated by a noble Neapolitan family since 1951, Le Sirenuse combines museum grandiosity with opening-night atmosphere, and each year it commissions a new artist to add to its collection. Highlights include Nicolas Party’s swimming pool installation and Martin Creed’s neon typography, but each of the 58 rooms is an artwork in its own right, featuring handmade local textiles and original cabinetry. If your budget doesn’t stretch to a stay or meal at the restaurant, serenaded nightly by mandolins, come for drinks at Aldo’s Bar, which features a striking pair of Rita Ackermann paintings depicting two women entwined with serpents. Rooms: From €649 (£552). OT

Published in the July/August 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).

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