Italy’s Amalfi Coast: A Photojournal

“Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.” -John Steinbeck, Harper’s Bazaar, 1953

Last week, my family and I traveled farther south in Italy than we had ever visited, to the Amalfi Coast, a region of soaring mountains beside a jewel-toned Sea. We stayed in a village beside Positano, called Praiano, where we even saw donkeys used as means of transport. And so our pace of life slowed considerably, and having a seaside cappuccino became the most pressing item for each day. It was spectacular! I’m so glad I had my camera with me, because after we returned from the trip, the beauty of it all didn’t seem possible, or real.

I will always remember the Amalfi Coast as a place unlike no other I have ever seen. It’s a region of village steps and tiny walkways (350 steps down to the Sea in Praiano), of one long coastal road that winds in dangerous turns precariously above the Sea, and of daily seafood, stunning sunsets, and rich ancient legends. But the photos say so much more than I could in words …

Amalfi, Positano, Praiano, Ravello, Minori — if you ever have the chance to visit the villages along the Amalfi Coast, your time and experiences will linger in your mind. It’s a place like no other. Just don’t forget to bring your camera!

A big thanks to Erika Robuck for sending the quote and John Steinbeck essay on Positano my way!