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  • The Amalfi Coast stretches for 30 miles along the southern coast of the Sorrentine Peninsula

  • in Southern Italy.

  • Like a beautiful necklace,

  • this spectacular coastline sparkles with hillside vineyards,

  • fragrant groves and a grand sweeping history.

  • There are some places that are so famous

  • and so legendary that even before you set foot there,

  • it feels familiar.

  • The Amalfi Coast with itsRoad of a thousand bends

  • is one such place.

  • The Amalfi Coast has attracted society’s rich and beautiful

  • for thousands of years and inspired

  • some of the world’s greatest artists and writers.

  • The area’s largest city, Amalfi is a great place to begin this legendary journey.

  • This town was wealthy and powerful during medieval times,

  • and merchants here had gold coins to spend

  • instead of the barter system used throughout the rest of Italy.

  • Visit the magnificent buildings that reflect that early wealth

  • such as the Cattedrale di Sant'Andrea

  • and take the short trip to the picturesque hillside village of

  • Pontone, where Amalfi’s elite used to escape the crowds.

  • Although the fishing village of Atrani is only just over the hill,

  • it maintains its own traditions and even a local dialect.

  • Atrani is the smallest municipality in Southern Italy

  • and its medieval streets and alleys feel untouched by the hands of time.

  • The nearby villages of Praiano and Furore

  • have many beautiful beaches including Fiordo di Furore,

  • an ancient gorge that was used for many centuries as a hideout for bandits.

  • A little further along is the site of one of the greatest legends of all time.

  • Just off the coast from Positano is where,

  • according to Greek mythology,

  • Ulysses resisted the mythical call of the sirens.

  • Positano is perhaps the best known destination on the coast.

  • A favourite of celebrities since the 1950s,

  • this town glitters with old-world glamour.

  • From Marina Grande Beach,

  • most of the paths lead right to the town centre and the Santa Maria Assunta.

  • Hikers come from all over the world

  • to stroll through fragrant lemon orchards

  • on trails with names likeGodsPathway.”

  • Follow ancient trails to the hilltop town of Ravello,

  • an elegant village known for the magnificent architecture of Villa Rufolo,

  • once the private home of a rich and powerful family.

  • Visit the Terraces of Infinity, at Villa Cimbrone,

  • The famous American writer Gore Vidal called it

  • the most beautiful view in the world.”

  • Before it’s medieval glory days,

  • the Amalfi Coast’s charms drew the Roman aristocracy.

  • The tiny fishing village of Minori was where society's elite enjoyed their summer days

  • From Minori the road leads to Maiori,

  • a fishing town with one of the largest beaches on the entire coast.

  • Dominated by the Castle of San Nicola de Thoro-Plano

  • this is one of the last remnants of the area’s powerful defence system.

  • John Steinbeck once called the Amalfi Coast

  • a “dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there

  • and beckoningly real after you have gone.”

  • With its endless sunshine,

  • mediterranean colours and a landscape of gripping drama and breathtaking beauty,

  • the Amalfi Coast truly is

  • a legendary destination.

The Amalfi Coast stretches for 30 miles along the southern coast of the Sorrentine Peninsula

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