Honeymooning in Italy Part 2 // The Amalfi Coast
Photography by Sergio Sorrentino
In Part 1 I covered the first leg of our trip and the details of our Tuscan stay. Most of the questions I received about our trip had to do with the Amalfi Coast portion: how to plan, where to stay, where to eat, how many days to take it all in etc. So here we are! Part 2 of our Italian honeymoon full of all the details of our stay & adventures.
Photography by Sergio Sorrentino & Lace and Luce
Since neither of us had been to the Amalfi Coast before, we wanted to be “where the action is”. We decided to stay in Positano and Ravello — until it turned out Ravello was not meant to be (more on why this turned out to be a good thing in a bit). When we postponed from 2020, we were able to just move our dates in Tuscany and Positano, but has to cancel our hotel in Ravello. When it came time to rebook for the new dates, the only available rooms were three times as expensive and we decided it just wasn’t worth it. Instead, we added on more dates at our Positano hotel for a total of 2 weeks and planned to explore from there. We also didn’t want to rent a car and worry about the extreme roads, parking and navigating. As we were on our honeymoon we wanted to be as relaxed as possible. Our plan was to walk or arrange car transfers as needed.
To get to the coast, the flight options from Florence were taking us all around Europe with multiple stops which made no sense. We decided to book a first class high speed train ticket instead and had Borgo Pignano arrange for a car transfer to Santa Maria Novella station in Florence. This moment made me wish we had spent a few days in this city I love, but I had to keep reminding myself that wasn’t the point of this particular trip. In just under 3 hours we arrived at Napoli Centrale Station in Naples and had the hotel arrange for a pick up there. It was a pretty seamless and hassle free experience and we really enjoyed the actual train ride through the country.
Naples itself is huge. It’s a lot bigger than I imagined and was our first clue to how the roads and driving styles were about to blow our minds. The easiest way for me to get my bearings was to remember the Coast laid out as left to right starting in Sorrento, winding through the hilly road with towns along the way to Salerno. With our first glimpse of Sorrento, I knew this was heaven. The 60s old Hollywood glamour vibe is still strong here, even with newer renovations and additions, you feel the magic of this place instantly.
The roads are as extreme as everyone says. Imagine a one lane road here in Toronto. But now imagine two way traffic, a pedestrian walkway, and cafés on the side, all squeezed into that one road. Local drivers drive fast, “feel” the road more that anything and use this instinct to navigate the tourists, the giant coach buses and other fellow fearless drivers. Needless to say we were glad we didn’t have to drive.
For our stay in Positano I chose Hotel Poseidon after hearing great things about it from one of my favourites, Gray Malin. If it’s good enough for Gray, it’s good enough for me! I liked that it was still a family run property, had a lot of old school charm & allowed us a room with a balcony overlooking the town, beach & bay. A little dated and perhaps not as exclusive and glamorous as some of the other iconic options in Positano, this hotel was charming above all else and their service was outstanding. We truly felt like family from the moment we walked in (again maybe due to the fact that I had been annoying the staff with my many questions and requests before we even got there!).
They gave us the option of the room we booked with the walk out balcony, but also showed us the unique “funny suite” which is on the top floor and has a massive terrace, but funny because to get to the terrace there is a small winding staircase from the living room instead of a walk out. Despite this layout quirk we fell in love with the terrace instantly. It was private, had the BEST views and so much space for lounging, dining and watching the sun go down. We unpacked, settled in & had the most relaxing dinner at their hotel restaurant. Because Il Tridente is a popular place in town (the views & greenery covered canopy are super romantic), we had to make sure we had reservations for any lunch or dinner we wanted to have at the hotel. There were a few restaurants I had booked far in advance, but some days we wanted to have the flexibility to find something spontaneously or just stay in at the hotel. Tip: Book any “must visit” to you restaurants as soon as possible. We were on a waitlist at La Sponda for months and never ended up getting a table. More on how to still visit and enjoy if this happens below.
Details: Lake robe, similar here and here; Zara two piece set; Amazon blue & white dress, similar here and here; Heart sunglasses, similar here; Etsy custom sun hat; Chicwish bathing suit
Melissa Andre recommended I visit Il San Pietro di Positano for dinner so this was a very luxe night for us. We took a car over since it’s a bit on the outskirts even though it’s technically still in Positano and started with drinks on their gorgeous terrace before trying the tasting menu at their Michelin starred Zass. The drinks were fantastic but my favourite details were the tiled “bench” seats all around the perimeter and the very private views. This is one of the most exclusive hotels in town, if not the coast, so it was also fun to people watch and just take in the atmosphere while we enjoyed each other’s company.
Details: Reformation dress, similar here and here; Alexandre Birman shoes, similar here
Tip: Learn to time the aperitivo ritual and dinner accordingly. Depending on when the sun sets when you visit, you ideally want to be set up somewhere with a view for your aperitivo. In most places this includes the drinks you order and usually bottomless bar snacks that come with them (olives, chips, nuts etc.) Savour this part of the evening. We had pretty early dinner reservations since we started waking up really early for breakfast (no idea why, we are definitely more of a sleep in late when possible kind of people) but I would recommend making later dinner reservations but not missing out on golden hour/sunset views by finding a great aperitivo spot.
Photography by Sergio Sorrentino
A few days in and we were reunited with our friend Sergio who met us at our hotel and we made our way down the many steps to the main beach (Spiaggia Grande) for a little shoot around the area before heading out on a boat for the morning. Tip: Most people and books will tell you all about the many stairs in town. It’s definitely “the vertical city” and at times the walk gets steep but it wasn’t as bad as I pictured it. I was fine in my sandals. and didn’t end up needing my sneakers at all. Before we visited I was nervous about finding our way around town, having to meet people at specific point etc. but once you’re there you realize how small it really is and pretty clear to navigate. Down is towards the beach. There is one spot where all boats dock so not as confusing as I pictured it. You’ll get the hang of it!
Photography by Sergio Sorrentino
Again, I loved the idea of doing a professional shoot here to capture the atmosphere and allow ourselves to take it all in focused on just having fun together.
Photography by Sergio Sorrentino
We met up early in the morning to avoid the majority of the crowds and even though there was rain at sunrise, we were blessed with another gorgeous day to explore the town.
Details: Sleeper dress, similar here and here; Hat Attack sun hat, similar here; Steve Madden sandals
Sergio recommended Boat Experiences Positano for a morning on the water and as soon as I saw this adorable boat I knew we had to do it. Tip: Be patient and understand that things work differently here. I type this while laughing because as a planner I like everything to be clear and booked solid with multiple confirmations. When we confirmed with the company owner over What’s App, we were told to me at the dock at 9 am. That’s all we knew. I wasn’t able to call him that morning so finally Sergio figured out how to get a hold of the owner and quickly in Italian figured out that it was the owner’s son Gennaro that would be taking us out. It was probably closer to 9:30. It won’t be perfectly according to schedule but if you can let that go and just go with the flow, I promise you’ll have an amazing time.
We took in the town from the water which was honestly one of my favourite parts of the entire trip.
Photography by Sergio Sorrentino
Gennaro had the boat stocked with bubbly, snacks & music so all we had to do was relax and enjoy.
Photography by Sergio Sorrentino
Once again, Sergio so masterfully captured this beautiful moment in time and it still blows my mind that these are all on film.
Photography by Sergio Sorrentino
He took us around a private island off the coast where we were able to swim for a while, in between more coasting and taking in the views & more beach swims. I would highly recommend Boat Experiences Positano. You can choose a full day option or half way like we did. You can also do a sunset trip for the ultimate aperitivo view. Gennaro was so great and told us so many stories while also allowing us to relax and take everything in together.
The entire coast feels surreal. Photos don’t really do it justice & your eyes feel like they’re deceiving you. From the water it’s another level entirely. If you don’t have a car but want to get around to the neighbouring towns, the public ferry is great and for a low price you’ll get to take in the postcard views from the bay.
We took it easy after our day on the water (we still felt like we were on the boat for a couple of hours) and enjoyed a relaxing aperitivo at Il Tridente before our dinner reservations at Il Ritrovo. Tip: When researching restaurants see if they provide a shuttle. Some will provide this service for free and pick you up and drop you off right at your hotel. Il Ritrovo did and considering it’s higher up in the mountains it was a welcome ride.
Details: Reformation top, similar here; Abercrombie jeans, similar here; Banana Republic heels
Il Ritrovo was one of our favourite meals. The restaurant was completely packed and had that quintessential historic family “hidden gem” quality. It would also be a fantastic place for lunch to take in a different vantage point in the daylight. The food was incredible & at the end of our meal one of the owners gifted us a blend of local spices to take home.
Details: Lake x Julia Berolzheimer night gown
Some days instead of heading down to the restaurant for the breakfast buffet we opted to have breakfast delivered to our room so we could enjoy it privately on our terrace. I figured while we have this gorgeous space and view we might as well use it well!
Details: Lake robe, similar here and here
This is something I still feel and think about almost daily. The complete feeling of relaxation, the only thing on the agenda being lounging in the sun & getting ready for our next incredible meal. Everything felt slower, and especially after COVID and shutdowns and not knowing if we’d even be able to go on this trip, I was just so grateful to be there, breathing in the air & soaking up all of this magic.
Details: Antonio Melani swimsuit, similar here and here
One of the hottest places in town is Franco’s Bar, right next to Le Sirenuse. Due in large part to the hype on social media, most young tourists flock to the bar before sunset. There is a line before it even opens (5pm when we were there), there aren’t too many tables, the drinks are expensive and it’s clear that they have to keep pouring for you to keep the coveted table. The centrepiece is a statement fountain created by a Roman artist who was inspired by those popular in the 17th century. Is this a place I’d go back to again? Probably not. Am I happy we went once to have the experience? Absolutely. There are so many places to have a drink in town with a view, but if you want a taste of that Sirenuse glamour, it’s a pretty worthy stop.
Details: Cara Cara dress, midi version here; Winners purse, similar here; H&M x Brock Collection sunglasses, Castaner Espadrilles and here; Pastiche Earrings
With no reservations for the evening we stumbled into Ohimà for a late dinner after a walk through town and took in another perfect evening under the stars.
I was very excited to visit Villa Treville, another hotel on the list of the most exclusive in town. It’s a popular wedding and event destination so of course the planner in me wanted to envision how an event would flow here. When my family visited without me a few years ago, they told me about how they spontaneously decided to visit for drinks & the hotel sent a boat to pick them up. Well it seems as it has exploded in popularity some things have changed and the iconic Salone Bianca is only open in the evenings, I believe has a cover charge/minimum spend, and would definitely require more precise planning these days.
Details: Reformation dress, similar here, here, here and here; Prada heels; Nicola Bathie earrings, similar here
I did ask for the boat transfer and they were able to accommodate us (we just had to meet them on the dock) and we enjoyed a stroll through the gardens before our lunch reservation at Maestro’s. It was hot, quiet & gave us the most picturesque views of the town. You can tell this is the kind of place that really cares about the details and the intentional design really shined through. I would love to experience a stay here in the future.
We had another relaxing day at Hotel Poseidon & enjoyed some takeout pizza on our terrace watching the full moon come up. This was such a simple evening (and probably the cheapest, with the pizza at 10 euros and a complementary bottle of bubbly from our hotel) but one of my favourites. Watching the moonlight spill over the town & boats in the bay is magical.
Since we didn’t get to stay in Ravello I wanted to explore the town & take in the quieter pace. It just so happened that I connected with Jen & Sal from Lace & Luce again and it turned out they were on the coast for some weddings & suggested they spend the morning with us in Ravello. Sal is originally from Praiano so we got a local’s point of view (and thankfully a local’s ride to Ravello) and some great recommendations. They are such a lovely couple and I can’t wait to work with them again either here or in Italy!
Photography by Lace and Luce
We stopped in Amalfi and Atrani (the smallest town in Italy!) on the way & enjoyed a quiet sunny morning on the coast.
Details: Chicwish dress; Prada heels; Nicola Bathie earrings, Pastiche market bag
We strolled through town and visited Villa Cimbrone first. It was so quiet in the morning we had most spaces to ourselves.
Photography by Lace and Luce
The Terrace of Infinity was one of the main reasons I had fallen in love with the coast and wanted to visit so badly. Where the sea meets the sky, you truly feel like this is the closest to heaven you can get on Earth. It was a powerful place to reflect on the blessing of this trip and our uninterrupted time together.
Photography by Lace and Luce
There’s a café in the gardens if you need a coffee or gelato break. We recharged before exploring the vast gardens & taking in the history of the Englishman who bought the property and restored it to its current glory. Again, the planner in me loved all of the perfect nooks ideal for ceremonies & receptions.
We spent our day exploring the town & thanks to Jen & Sal’s recommendation had another wonderful, local meal at Cumpa Cosimo. Run by the family for decades, this spot was so warm, welcoming & delicious.
Up next we visited Villa Rufolo which was very much a “museum” type of walkthrough with more gorgeous gardens overlooking the water. This was also the only place we had to show our vaccine proof & chose to wear masks as it was the most crowded place we encountered. The initial layout dates back to the 13th century and you can feel the history as you walk through. There are a few interactive exhibits/rooms but I was highly inspired by the textures, interiors of the main villa & the gardens.
Funny story here: Nick got very into taking photos and without me even asking for them anymore was going to the extreme to get “THE shot”. He wanted me to pause here so he could get as much of the background as possible, and didn’t notice that he was slowly backing into one of the pools in the garden. He stepped into it and to try to stop himself from falling in, leaned forward and scratched up his leg on the stone. I didn’t realize he was going in until it was too late. So now he was bleeding, one leg drenched in SWAMPY ancient looking water and we had fancy drinks scheduled for later in the day. Step one was to find some WiFi and find a pharmacy. Because of the water we figured we should disinfect and clean the wound. We found the pharmacy but from the signage and a few people waiting around it seemed like it wasn’t opening until later. So we had the option to get a cab back to Positano and go to the pharmacy we knew next to our hotel, or wait for this one (which would have be pretty much the same time). Nick decided he wanted to stay so we grabbed some clean water to at least wash the wound and strolled around some more grabbing gelato & doing some shopping. We went back to the pharmacy only to be told by a local that they’re closed on those weekdays. So we cleaned him up the best we could and headed to our drinks.
Now for some more honest truth. We were originally supposed to stay at the Belmond Caruso but as mentioned earlier had to cancel due to the postponement of the trip & when we went to rebook it just wasn’t worth it to spend three times as much as we would have in 2020. I decided we’d have a private dinner there instead and originally wanted Lace & Luce to capture that for us. Our plans changed and it seemed better to start in the morning and spend the day there so we changed our request to just drinks in their iconic terrace bar.
Now this is a pretty exclusive place, and here we come, Nick wounded and bleeding through his light linen pants. But I was so excited to experience this place. I dreamt of staying here so I wanted to enjoy every second we had here. Now I can’t speak for accommodations or anything but overall, I was disappointed. Usually I’m a very positive person and will always find something to salvage even the worst travel experience. In this case, I was just disappointed and actually glad that it didn’t work out for us to spend a lot of time here. It’s hard to explain, but the terrace bar was underwhelming and not what I pictured from my research. When we sat down at our table for drinks, I looked down to see this “private table” experience we almost booked. The table isn’t really nestled in their gardens so you don’t have much privacy with rooms & the bar staring right at you. Overall it just wasn’t how I pictured it. It was sad to feel so let down but it was a lesson in “the best” not always actually feeling the best.
We took a taxi back to Positano & in doing so met the owner of Ravello Taxi who was a fantastic companion for the ride. He was hilarious & told us so many great stories. He is based in Amalfi and operates between the towns so if you want a reliable service for the town to town trips I would highly recommend him.
Photography by Lace and Luce
A few more days relaxing and taking it easy at Hotel Poseidon and we were joined for a day by my family friends from Ukraine who happened to be staying near Sorrento. They weren’t able to make it to our wedding in August so it was great to catch up and spend some time together in Positano.
One of my favourite activities was just to stroll around town. There is always a new staircase or alleyway to discover, countless ceramic shops to visit & gelato to cool down with.
As I mentioned earlier, we couldn’t get a table at La Sponda but our hotel recommended we try Aldo’s Bar which is the seafood bar at Le Sirenuse. They take walk ins if they have space but I found a late reservation a couple of days prior so we headed for a late bite. It’s a very sexy kind of terrace lounge, very dimly lit, featuring low lounge/bar tables so don’t expect to be seated at a proper table for your meal. We decided to taste a few different things from the menu enjoy the signature drinks. It was a very “date night” kind of atmosphere as the full moon illuminated the iconic Sirenuse pool & town view. Le Sirenuse is definitely somewhere I’d stay on another visit to Positano to experience more of its magic.
Details: Aritzia dress, similar here and here
Another must visit on the coast for me was Capri. Because we didn’t want to move around too much we didn’t stay on the island overnight but if you can, I would recommend 2-3 days here to fully take it in. We didn’t get to see everything and only passed through while on the way to a beach club for the day, but there’s a unique energy to the island and it would be fun to immerse yourself in it if you have the chance. We wanted a relaxing day at another iconic spot I found via Gray Malin, La Fontelina beach club so we bought roundtrip public ferry tickets from Positano and made our way over.
Since 1949 La Fontelina has been the go-to place for delicious eats and iconic swims and remains the closest beach club to the famous Faraglioni. Upon our arrival in Capri we got a little lost, thinking we could walk across the island and find the boat shuttle to the beach club but quickly learned that was feasible or relaxing. We returned to Marina Grande and caught a taxi to Marina Piccola where we wandered around a little more until we found the location for the shuttle. We had lunch reservations first and enjoyed delicious seafood before claiming our spot on the rocks and enjoying the views.
Details: Reformation dress, similar here; Pastiche sun hat and market bag; Bydee swim suit
It was a perfect, lazy kind of day, taking in this iconic spot. Tip: Book well in advance. During certain months they only accept reservations for multiple days. Your reservation comes with changing room/shower access, chairs or mattresses and an umbrella. Bring your own beach towels or rent some on the spot. If you don’t want to have lunch, you can also order drinks right to your lounge spot. It was definitely a unique experience and a day we had to be pretty flexible for but it’s a day I remember fondly because even though a lot of it was unexpected, we had an adventure together and figured it out. If you don’t want to stay overnight but want another special way to experience Capri, there are private boat charters that take on small or private groups and take you around Capri and the Faraglioni with all the drinks & snacks to make it a special occasion. You can inquire with your hotel or try one of the booths at the main beach in Positano.
Overall, Positano was exactly what we needed. A chance to soak up the sun, relax in our hotel, pace our days exactly how we wanted to and explore the food and the sites. To commemorate the trip we decided to have a special plaque made at one of the ceramic shops in town. All along the coastal town you’ll find unique plaques depicting local sites, colourful tiles or lemon motifs on residential building and shops. These can be just the street numbers, full address, the name of the building etc. Our house number is usually hard to see so we decided to put our full address on the plaque. When I saw this lemon and blue floral one, I knew it was the one (even though it ended up being the most expensive option, having the painted tile set in a piece of marble). It matches porch chairs I found last year PERFECTLY and I can’t wait for us to install it this spring. The owner at Emporio della Ceramica was wonderful and can ship any of his inventory anywhere in the world.
Details: Abercrombie top, similar here and shorts, similar here
For our final dinner, I pre-booked a romantic table at Il Pirata in Praiano. We took a taxi over to the neighbouring town and were dropped off at the marina closest to the restaurant. We enjoyed some cocktails as the sun went down and soaked up our last special night at this quiet, unique spot.
Details: Sleeper dress, similar here and here; Nicola Bathie earrings
With all the packing we had to do and the fact that the airline changed our afternoon flight to an early morning one which had us leave the hotel at 3 am, we didn’t go to sleep and instead took in the evening sights from our terrace. After a bit of a wait in Naples we transited through Frankfurt again and it was absolute chaos. Most people didn’t have or know how to use the Arrive Can app that Canada needs (needed? not sure what the current rules are) so there were first lines to confirm all the paperwork required and then new lines to board. We got another chance to upgrade our tickets to business class at the gate and it was the best decision we could have made. After that the process was super smooth and we quickly boarded to once again be spoiled by the comfiest pods and relaxing return to reality.
If we have the chance to visit again, I would probably spend a couple of days in Sorrento, then make my way over to a town like Praiano so we’re still close to everything but staying in a quieter place, and head over to Ravello and finish with a stay on Capri. I would love to experience more of the historical sites next time as well, finally visiting Pompeii, Herculaneum and Paestum to name a few. In this case, it would be beneficial to rent our own car so I guess I should start practicing extreme driving now.
If you made it all the way here, thank you so much for checking out Part I and II, I truly poured my heart out into all of the details for you. This was the best 3 weeks we’ve ever had together and whether you go for a weekend or a month, I guarantee you will leave buzzing with the magic of this place. If you have specific questions or questions about any of your plans (there are lots of places I researched that we didn’t end up staying in or dining in) I would be happy to share!
In case you’re just here for the main points, here is a summary of the places we stayed and dined in that I would recommend:
Stay
(Didn’t stay but were on my list) Le Sirenuse, Villa Treville, Hotel Buca di Bacco
Dine
La Fontelina (Capri)
Il Pirata (Praiano)
Cumpa Cosimo (Ravello)
(Didn’t dine but were on my list) La Sponda, Chez Black (plus wanted to check out the nightlife action); Da Adolfo, La Guarracino
Questions? Let me know below!