THE BEST TIMES OF THE YEAR TO VISIT THE AMALFI COAST
The Amalfi Coast is breathtakingly beautiful in every season! However, there are better times of the year than others to visit, when you can really appreciate it all-around. Read on to find out what they are and why!
by Roberta Cascone
The moment you've been waiting for for so long has finally arrived: planning your trip to the Amalfi Coast! If you are here, it means you are gathering all the information you need to make the best decisions and enjoy every moment of your vacation. Well, you are in the right place!
Obviously, the first step is about choosing the time of year to embark on your trip. If possible, I recommend avoiding the high season months, i.e. July and August. There are so many reasons why these months are not to be preferred: the high temperatures, the crowds of tourists and heavy traffic, the beaches, the hotels and restaurants that are almost always fully occupied, the higher-than-usual costs... all these factors risk making your vacation stressful, and that's the last thing you deserve!
Of course, summer is also the time when most events take place: festivals, concerts, village festivals abound in every village. But don't think that during the rest of the year life on the Coast stops! On the contrary, if you want yours to be an authentic experience and if you want to get to know the locals in a more relaxed and non-frenetic atmosphere like the summer one, you must necessarily prefer alternative periods.
Finally, winter also has its upsides. December with Christmas and New Year's Eve has its charms, with the villages lit up and festively decorated; on the other hand, low temperatures and rain may make outdoor walks less enjoyable, and, something to keep in mind, many hotels and restaurants observe their closing period during these very months and you may be disappointed at the lack of available options.
In short, my advice is to plan your trip, if possible, in the spring months such as April, May and June, or in the fall months such as September and October. Read the next paragraphs for more details!
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Spring in Villa Rufolo
The beauty of Spring
At this link we have talked in depth about all the advantages of visiting the Amalfi Coast in spring. First of all, temperatures are generally mild, with beautiful sunny days that also allow you to go to the beach and are perfect for walking among the villages without breaking a sweat. In addition, it is the time of blossoming: the gardens (click here for more details) of Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo in spring are made even more enchanting by the colors of the thousands of flowers that cover the flower beds and pergolas; moreover, even the narrow streets of the villages are colored with the cheerful hues of bougainvillea and wisteria, and are pervaded by the scent of orange blossoms: in short, when nature awakens it makes the villages even more beautiful to admire and photograph!
Not only that: spring and autumn are also the ideal times to take on the trekking and hiking trails of the Coast, which I have talked about in depth here, including the very famous Path of the Gods. Even the steepest trails become a real pleasure to hike without the mugginess and crowds!
Finally, if you like holidays, you could come to the Coast in conjunction with Easter and you can both taste superb typical dishes such as pastiera and casatiello, and take part in impressive religious and traditional rituals, such as the procession of the Battenti that takes place every year in Minori on Holy Thursday.
The beauty of fall
September and October leave the big crowds of the high season behind: this is when coastal villages breathe again. The streets are finally clearer and life returns to a quieter, more livable pace.
These are the ideal months for the last swims: the beaches are easily accessible again and temperatures return to mild after the peaks of August heat. It's also the perfect time for boat tours and cultural walks: since it's less crowded, you can enjoy more offshore tours and visits to the coast's many museums and churches.
Among all of them, I mention the MAR in Positano, the Paper Museum and the wonderful Amalfi Cathedral, unmissable stops for anyone arriving in this magnificent land.
In addition, if you plan to organize day trips starting from the Coast, I recommend taking advantage of the beautiful autumn days for this kind of activity as well: Pompeii, Capri, Sorrento, Paestum, which I told you about in this article, are also super-crowded destinations in the summer months, and visiting them once the crowds are over has a whole different flavor.
There, now you can make an informed decision about when to plan your Amalfi Coast vacation! Don't waste any more precious time and start planning your trip!
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- Rainy day? Fear not! Click here for our suggestions on what to do on the Coast when it rains.
- The fast ferry company Travelmar offers a combination of ferry plus shuttle to the Path of the Gods. Find out all the details at this link.
- Pompeii is also easily accessible with Travelmar! If you are interested in learning more, click here.