Amalfi Coast Tour

Today we travel to Ravello, which has long been a favourite destination for both musicians and well-heeled travellers.

The Amalfi Coast cuisine is renowned for the combination of traditional techniques and superb fresh ingredients. Today we learn how it’s made as we team up with a local chef to cook lunch.

We meet our charming chef on a terrace with a view out over the Tyrrhenian Sea, you could well linger here for the morning. Here we work through the preparations for our lunch, which we then enjoy overlooking the coast. First we get hands-on making fresh mozzarella, with the ‘casaro’ (cheesemaker). This will later be an ingredient in our antipasto. Then we work through the preparations for our lunch, which we enjoy overlooking the coast.

After lunch we visit the famous Villa Cimbrone. The villa was built originally in the 11th century as a residence for a noble family. The grounds are beautifully kept, and the terrace adjacent to the formal garden offers the best views in Ravello, looking down over terraced lemon groves to the sparkling waters below.

We spend the remainder of the afternoon in Ravello with some free time.

You may choose to visit the Villa Rufolo, another noble residence which famously inspired the composer Wagner.

Or simply wander through some of the lanes and relax around the piazza area where there are numerous shops and cafes.

MEALS: BREAKFAST AND LUNCH (INCLUDING WINE)

In the morning we visit the cathedral in Amalfi. This is more than just a church. Rather it is a complex of different buildings from different era and is the heart of Amalfi. From the evocatively named ‘Cloister of Paradise’, with elegant marble colonnades, frescoed private chapels and an ancient Roman sarcophagus; the Romanesque style Church of the Crucifix to the 13th century Crypt of St Andrew, down below the church where Saint Andrew is buried. And finally into the main cathedral, with its elaborate baroque decorations.

By moving through the sections of this cathedral complex you get a feeling for the illustrious history of Amalfi, from ancient Roman times, through to the Marine Republic years and on to more modern times.

Late morning we drive to a small town in the hills above Amalfi where we visit a wine producer. On the drive up to this winery you’ll be glad we have hired a professional driver, such are the tight turns. On arrival at the winery you also see during our vineyard visit how difficult this land is to work, and the ancient vines that they are custodians of.

We have a guided visit through the vineyards and the winery. This winery is family run, and after our visit they prepare for us a lunch – including the excellent salami that they also produce.

During our lunch we enjoy a number of their reserve wines. Some of the varieties used to make these wines are unique to the Amalfi area.

This morning we are taken into a valley beyond Amalfi, nestled into the hills, where the famous Amalfi Coast lemons are produced. We are shown around a family company who for seven generations have been producing limoncello. This is called ‘vertical farming’ – lemons are cultivated on terraces on a steep hillside. The back of this valley is a type of heat trap, the hillside lemons gaining excellent sun exposure. After seeing how the lemons are grown, we are shown how their limoncello is made. Of course, we sample their excellent product too!

Today we visit Positano, famous for elegant fashion boutiques and seaside charm, this has been a holiday destination since Roman times.

Positano has an enviable combination of a good beach with a broad seaside promenade, with cafes and chic boutiques jostling for position in the pastel coloured buildings. This is a good time for a swim.

We meet Positano for lunch, in a restaurant overlooking the beach. After a relaxing lunch we have some free time in the afternoon. You can spend some of the afternoon exploring the narrow back streets lined with bougainvillea, or just find your nearest café, put your feet up and sample the local gelato.

To return to Amalfi we go by boat, and cruising along the coast reveals a new perspective on the area, with some incredible houses tucked away and tiny hidden beaches.

MEALS: BREAKFAST AND LUNCH (2 COURSE LUNCH INCLUDING WINE)

Today we travel to Capri, a favoured destination for the rich and famous in recent times, but also with an interesting history stretching back beyond ancient Roman times.

On Capri we take the funicular railway up to the town centre, where top fashion boutiques jostle for space alongside locals selling fruit and vegetables.

Starting from the centre of town we first visit a monastery that many people who visit Capri do not come across. This is a fascinating place, with the remains of excellent frescoes in the chapel. In the cloisters we see where the monks previously tended their medicinal herb gardens.

We then walk to a view point called the Punta Tragara, passing a series of luxury villas and gardens to get there. At the viewpoint we look out over the Faraglioni, the towering rocks emerging from the sea which are such a distinctive feature of Capri.

Later in the afternoon you’ll find Capri has plenty of scope for simply browsing the shops and enjoying the ambience. And a stroll down to the Gardens of Augustus provides more great views.

MEALS: BREAKFAST AND DINNER (3 COURSE DINNER INCLUDING WINE)

By now you know the local barista by name – and he knows which coffee you order – but we must say ‘arrivederci’ to Amalfi.

First we visit the ancient ruins of Pompeii. Here we have a guided visit, where we see both evidence of the lifestyle of the inhabitants of this Roman city, as well as the destruction caused by the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

Even for those who have visited Pompeii before, having a specialist archaeological guide provides an in depth experience and is very revealing.

We enjoy a final lunch together in Pompeii, having our last chance to enjoy regional cuisine, before driving a short distance to Napoli Centrale, the central train station in Naples.

We finish the tour here by 4pm.

MEALS: BREAKFAST AND LUNCH (3 COURSE LUNCH INCLUDING WINE)