Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast's cliffside villages share a single, unrepeatable geography: lemon terraces, pastel houses, and azure water 300 metres below your balcony. The SS163 — the coast road — is one of the most dramatic drives in Europe and one of the most congested in summer. A car is useless; a boat is essential. The best way to experience the Amalfi Coast is from the water.

Positano is the most glamorous village: Le Sirenuse, the coast's defining hotel since 1951, is a converted 18th-century palazzo with the most celebrated terrace in southern Italy. Il San Pietro di Positano, built into the cliff face below the village, is the most dramatic arrival on the coast — a private lift descends 60 metres to the beach. Both are among the most romantic hotels in Europe.

Ravello, perched 350 metres above the sea, is the quietest and most aristocratic village on the coast. Palazzo Avino (a 12th-century palazzo with the coast's best wine cellar) and Caruso Belmond (a converted 11th-century palazzo with the most famous infinity pool in Italy) are the two defining addresses. Wagner composed here; Virginia Woolf stayed here; Gore Vidal lived here for 30 years.

Praiano, between Positano and Amalfi, is the coast's most private village — fewer tourists, steeper steps, and Casa Angelina, a design-led boutique hotel with the most minimalist aesthetic on the coast. For guests who want the Amalfi experience without the Positano crowds, Praiano is the answer.

May and September–October are the Amalfi Coast's best months: warm, sunny, and manageable crowds. June–August is peak season — extremely crowded, very expensive, and the coast road is effectively gridlocked. November–March sees many hotels close and the coast at its most atmospheric but least accessible.