Visiting the Amalfi coast with Kids

Driving along the Amalfi coast from Positano to Salerno is both frightening and enchanting. It is frightening because of its roads with many bends. It is enchanting because of its breathtaking seascapes which draw attention from off the road. I had to warn my husband a hundred times not to look to the side while driving. “It’s not safe. I will enjoy the view of you instead.”

Amalfi: Don’t look down while driving – road

UNESCO described the Amalfi coast as ‘an outstanding example of the Mediterranean landscape, with exceptional cultural and natural picturesque value.’ In other words, the Amalfi coast is very popular and also a very expensive tourist destination. It is a magnet for celebrities, rich people and filmmakers. A lot of famous films have been set along this adorable coastline. So what were modest people like us were doing there? Just taking photos. We visited three top movie locations in one day: Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello.

Positano

Positano is one of those cities from where you immediately want to send a postcard. “Kids, let’s pick up the most beautiful postcard of Positano to send to granny!” Among hundreds of picturesque postcards, they chose the one with a cat. “Mum, we want to send a postcard with a cat to granny!” “No, darling, we can’t send a cat postcard from Positano. It is Positano.” The children were persistent though. “But Granny love cats!” “Okay,” I replied. “I guess we could say it is a cat from Positano.”

Greetings from Positano

Once upon a time, Positano was a small fishing village but now it is one of the most expensive and most popular destinations on the Italian coast. Positano looks like a city engraved in rocks of colorful houses intertwined with millions of stairs and arcade passages.

Positano

A parking spot is about 7 euros per hour. That is the main reason why our visit to Positano was so short. We walked down over a million stairs to the beach. The beach sand was black and the sea was not crystal blue, but the view of the city was worth climbing all those staircases.

Positano

If you would like to have a cappuccino at this beach, it will cost you 10 euros. When we saw the price lists in Positano, we suddenly remembered that we had other plans for that day. Climbing back up one million stairs was challenging though. The kids wanted to give up at 537 steps. I believe this kind of climbing will burn calories to the equivalent of ten pizzas.

Positano is not very kid friendly because of too many stairs

Cathedral in Amalfi

The huge sandwich is not the only attraction in Amalfi. From the main square with a fountain, stairs lead to the bronze doors of the 11th-century cathedral. Namely, they preserved there the relics of the Apostle of Andrew.

Cathedral in Amalfi

Unique Fountain in Amalfi

Whenever our children see a fountain, they like to throw coins into it. There are a lot of fountains in Italy. If we trust the statistics, then some wish made could possibly be fulfilled. Children loved the Amalfi fountain with its many details. The figurines of the peasants and shepherds stand on a rock that looks like it has been shaped by water droplets over centuries.

Amalfi fountain

Ravello

The writer Andre Gide gave a splendid description of this romantic place, “Ravello is nearer to the sky than it is to the shore”. Everything is expensive; the accommodation, food, and drink, but two things are free: the breathtaking views and the wind in your hair (if you have it). Villa Cimbrone’s terrace earned the name ‘Terrace of Infinity’ because of this spectacular view. A lot of movies have been filmed just on this terrace.

A lot of movies have been filmed just on this terrace.