Praiano might not be the most beautiful town on the Amalfi coast (Costiera Amalfitana) with the competition it faces from the world renown Positano and Amalfi, which has actually given the name of the entire coastline, but it still carries the typical relaxed and full of bright colours atmosphere of one of the most beautiful coastlines in Italy.

And its strategic location allows you to enjoy the entire cost, reach every place you would like to visit and yet have upscale and affordable accommodation, while enjoying some of the best sea-food you have ever tried. And here is how:

We arrive at Praiano in an early afternoon in the beginning of August. Already with a hotel recommendation from friends who have been there before us and go there every year. The hotel or rather “pension“ as we see written on the illuminated sign in front of it, is called “Pellegrino“. Looks beautiful from the outside and we have the assurance of those who recommended it to us that all the rooms have a view towards the Mediterranean.

This whole thing of hotel vs. pension did mix me up a bit, since at the cross-road before entering Praiano, where most of its hotels are listed with their respective directions, I did see “Pellegrino“ with one star next to it. And yes, the standard of stars varies from country to country and from place to place, but to be honest I have never until now stayed in a 1 star hotel. Being open and positive I did take it with a sense of humour and said to myself “Let us see what the Universe is going to surprise us with!“

And we were in for a real surprise, because once we reached “Pellegrino“, which is located 200 meters after Praiano and so in case you are headed there don`t turn back as we did asking for directions or if we have missed it. So once we reached it and the owner Luigi met us and showed us to our room and this is when the big surprise came. Because this was definitely not a room, but a suite. And we had not one, but two terraces both facing the sea and both accommodated with sun beds.

I do travel a lot and I love travelling and yes I have never stayed in a 1 star hotel until now, but then I have never stayed in such an enormous suite for which you pay as if it is a room either! Probably the 1 star comes from the fact that it is a pension and not a hotel, but seeing the rooms I decided that from now onwards I am really prepared to stay only in 1 star hotels if they are all like this one.

And then we were in for more surprises, because when we asked Luigi`s sister at the reception how to get to the beach and she just said “I will take you there“. And she got into a car and waited for us to get in, to drive us to the best access to the beach. And while in the car she also gave us advice on which way to climb down, because you do need to climb down an impressive number of stairs before you actually reach the beach called “Gavetella“. And then she also told us how instead of climbing back, which can be really exhaustive and to get on one of the boats which go to the other side of Praiano where there is another beach with no stairs to climb and told us “give me a call and I will come to pick you up“. Makes you think about the service quality hotel chains are always trying to improve and how open and ready to help people, who do it from their heart can actually be!

The other surprise awaited us next morning when we went up the stairs on the third floor of the “Pellegrino“ to have our breakfast. Just imagine a terrace covered with flowers with 10-15 tables all facing the morning sea. And when breakfast came there was fresh fruits and yogurt and home-made marmalade and orange juice and real Italian cappuccino or coffee of your choice. And while enjoying the freshly toasted bread with those delicious marmalades (peach being my favourite as I discovered) you can watch how the sun is slowly taking over the mountain and the colours of the houses are waking up with the sun rays.

Praiano is really well located along the coast, because if you decide to go to Positano you do not need to take your car and face a parking challenge there and since the coast is really well connected with both public transport and “the orange busses“ as the locals call them, with which you need no more than 15 min to reach Positano and encounter another of the Amalfi coast marvels. But that, as well as where to go in Praiano for dinner and what Italian sea food delicacies to savour is to follow in another article.

Useful information:
If you are headed for the Amalfi coast and decide to have Praiano as your tourist headquarter on the cost, here are the contact details of the Pensione “Pellegrino“ tel: 0039 089 874-186, 0039 089 874-186 or go to www.pensione-pellegrino.it

To move between Praiano and Positano and from there to Capri and do take the “orange busses“ which belong to a company called Flavio Gioia and then buy your Capri Jet tickets from the key of Positano. As for the timings of both and do ask at the reception.

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Capri in the summer is not for the faint hearted, and the hustle and bustle is quite overwhelming, but the second we went through the gates we were immediately in an oasis of calm and total luxury. I also loved the way the crowds on the street all stopped to look as the gates opened, it made me feel like a film star!!

Greeted with complimentary champagne, snacks, and towels, quickly shown to the Venetian Room, which certainly did not disappoint. It was beautifully furnished with a wonderful terrace, which we were to make great use of during our stay. It also had a Turkish bath which was well used by us.

A nice touch was the complimentary fresh fruit plate, indeed the first of many complimentary offerings we were to receive at the Villa le Scale. Already we could see why this is rated one of the best European honeymoon destinations, and one of the most romantic hotels in Europe.

We had breakfast on the terrace every morning amidst the perfumed jasmine and the gardens. I also had a couple of massages on the terrace-highly recommended!!

Lunch by the pool was another delight, but one of the outstanding memories were the staff who could not have been more helpful.

There are many nice hotels where the staff can be a little churlish when you want to eat out, but not so here, so we were able to enjoy the Aurora for dinner in Capri and da Paolina where you eat under the lemon trees.

Get Marcello to take you on a boat trip so you can swim in the grottos, and explore the island with a chauffered car.

Wait until the evening before you go into Capri, because all the day trippers will have gone, and it will be cooler.

All in all we loved the Villa le Scale, the quality of everything from the food, to the service was unsurpassed. We were made to feel like friends and not like paying guests
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by Sheila Gibbs: Sheila Gibbs contributes to http://www.worldwidevacationspots.com and uses it herself to check out unusual holiday destinations

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Amalfi, in the province of Salerno, in Italy, lies surrounded by cliffs and coasts. It is quite close to Naples, and shares with that town some dramatic history, and beautiful scenery. Amalfi is the major town on that part of the coast, called costiera Amalfitana, and as such has become an essential tourist destination (and is justly famous for its Limoncello liqueur).

The Amalfi Coast is very rich in Caves, grottoes, and even a little fjord, created by water erosion, which is a testament to the Amalfi Coast’s maritime history. The area all around Amalfi was once an independent state, and its economy was based upon shipping. Sadly, little of this remains, and only the fantastic Cathedral of Amalfi is testament to the immense importance of what is now only a small coastal community.

Tourists to the area should definitely pay the Cathedral a visit, if only due to the fact that it is made up of two churches, linked by a specially widened nave. During repairs to the church, its Byzantine style front was re-discovered, and it was decided to preserve this instead of the 18th century front that had previously been there (A good choice, the original church front is a truly amazing sight).

If you begin your holiday with Amalfi, then you can walk (or hike, to be truthful) to some of the other very attractive towns along the coast, such as Ravello. This is a very awe-inspiring walk, with an overview of the whole valley. It can be a bit of a walk for some though, and there are shorter paths to neighbouring towns. In the event that you should feel like cheating, there are buses and ferries that will be able to take you to all of the major tourist attractions along the Amalfi Coast.

While Amalfi is an early medieval town, the mountainous town of Ravello is very definitely a Romanesque community. It is seen by some as a ‘garden’ town, luscious and green. Its villas are certainly worth seeing, and the views from the top of the valley are breathtaking.

One of the best towns to visit along the Amalfi Coast is the small town of Atrani. Like many of the towns in the area, Atrani was founded by Roman aristocracy, and still retains some of the appearance of a Roman town. It is a very quiet and untouristy place, possibly because if really only opens up to the beach, and is relatively inaccessible even now. It has a great beach and sea-front, and has begun to open itself up to tourists, via a few bars in the town square, making Atrani a welcoming and cosy little town.

A tourist interested in history may also want to visit the fascinating town of Positano. It is mentioned in ancient Roman documents, but discoveries have been made in the town itself which link it to the Palaeolithic Era, making Positano one of the oldest towns along the Amalfi Coast. It is also one of the most well known to tourists, often coming to visit the medieval church and its collection of religious works from the Renaissance period. Positano boasts one of the best hotels in the Amalfi Coast, although there are a number of others that can also claim to be luxurious and within easy reach of transport.

The hotels in the whole Amalfi Coast area can lay claim to being magnificent and full of Italian tradition, as you would expect from such a quiet and religious province. However, if you are looking for something a bit more economical, there are plenty of Bed-and-Breakfast accommodations, including the ‘Rooms with a View’ B&B in Atrani, which is only a few minutes walk from Amalfi, and boasts (as the name implies) magnificent views of the surrounding hills.

For those who are not interested in even this level of comfort, you can choose to arrange a hostel stay in Agerola. Staying here means that you have a head start on everyone attempting the ‘walk of the Gods’, a hill-top hike that ends in Positano. Agerola also boasts magnificent local produce which is well worth trying. Even in this location, Amalfi and the rest of the Amalfi Coast towns are never more than a short walk away.

As well as walks, sights and hotels, the Amalfi Coast area also boasts some great night-life. The area has just started springing into life as a tourist attraction, so many of the bars and clubs are untried. One thing that has been tried and tested (several times), is the Lo Spuntino Sandwich Bar in the main square of Amalfi. This bar means that you do not have to queue for a table in the middle of summer, and it also serves take-away sandwiches, ideal if you want to begin your walks without waiting for lunch. If you are a vegetarian, and this goes for most of the Mediterranean, don’t expect a wide choice of menu; it doesn’t exist.

Orson Johnson writes for Holiday Velvet, a website providing listings for bed and breakfasts, apartments, hotels and villas in the Amalfi Coast

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And what is ahead of you is the picturesque, winding coastal drive between the sea and the mountain, where so many car advertisements have been shot. You do have the blue sea down below on one side and the climbing lemon tree gardens on the other. And depending when you go to the Amalfi coast and the colour combinations change and from the turquoise blue of the water to the yellow of the lemons to the lush green on the hills. Just like the designs you find on the hand painted ceramics this region is famous for.

Moving in the direction of Amalfi and Positano and you go through Maiori and Minori and where the way gets at the level of the beach, but when it starts climbing up again, do try to find some space to park your car and enjoy the spectacular vista of any of the small rocky bays of the Amalfi coast.

And if you are there during the summer months, you will see hundreds of yachts and big and small darting through the waters near the coasts and sailing under Italian or French or British or American flags. And sometimes you see different flags and such as the one from the St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which I had to check up since I did not know which nation that blue, green and yellow flag belongs to.

Most of the luxurious yachts choose which beautiful sight of the cost to face at night and you can see them parked in front of Amalfi or Positano and in the bays of Capri. And apart from the speed with which these yachts can relocate from one bay to another and choose to stop where the water is the most crystal and there is another advantage they have and to move in the water, since if you are on foot to reach most of the beaches you would have to climb down and then up again and impressive number of stairs, which can be a challenge especially on the way up and after a day in the sun.

Just before you reach Amalfi, you would see on your right another drive starting to climb up the hill with indications that this is the way to follow if you are headed for Ravello, another small tranquil town tugged up in the mountain hills, famous for its ancient villas and breath-taking vistas of the coast.

Following Amalfi and before Paiano at some point on your left you would see the signs for the Emerald Cave. And then you start wondering and because between the beauty of the intense colours, the impressive nature where these towns have found their location and their beautiful names and you feel as if you have found your way into a tale and that being one of the most beautiful ones.

And then you cross through Praiano and you start seeing the bright colours of Positano.

Welcome to the Costiera Amalfitana where you move up and down and you follow the numerous turns of the coastal drive to discover one of the most beautiful places on earth.

The region of Campania in Italy is perhaps most well known for the Costiera Amalfitana [the Amalfi Coast] for its spectacular vistas, for Pompeii and other historical archeological sights, and for the city of Napoli, characterized by it’s cultural contradictions. More frequently than not, tourists flock to the Amalfi Coast for its romantic vistas and hotels and renown winding coastal drive in and around the fog-silhouetted hills and terraced crops of lemon trees. It is not often referred to as a family destination. Ironically, however, this area of Italy is truly one whose success has pivoted upon the strength of the families who live there. The willingness of the locals to share that family spirit is what made our trip there with our two young sons, among the more memorable of any of the Italian trips we have taken.

We traveled to the Amalfi Coast at the very cusp of the off-season, late March, and so missed the spring birth of the many incredible flora and vegetation of the region. But we also by-passed the intense crowds and traffic that bloom along with the flowers beginning right after Easter. This fortuitous timing also coincided with the “settimana santa,” the holy week preceding Easter. We thus experienced the pageantry of “giovedi santo” [Holy Thursday], including “Lavanda dei piedi” ‘[the washing of feet] symbolic of the day and the “Prossessione del SS.Sacramento alla Cappella della reposizione per l’adorazione.” The latter is a stunning and haunting procession intended to remember the betrayal of Christ. On that night, we followed the townspeople as they walked for hours up and over the hills of Ravello behind men dressed in white robes and hoods singing the dissident lamentations that mark the sadness of Christ’s tortuous journey.

We chose, as our base, Ravello, a village in the hills above the Amalfi drive, which we found to be less hurried than the coastal cities of Amalfi and Positano, and one more accessible to other destinations, such as Pompeii and Naples. We arrived at night at about the hour of apperitivo and thus decided to take in the ambiance of the central piazza with the back-drop of Ravello’s church, La Chiesa d’Annunziata. There, beyond the signs warning of “no ball-playing, no bicycling, no roller-blading and no scootering” we sat outside at the local bar and watched our children join ten year-old resident, Enrico and others, playing ball, bicycle-riding, roller-blading and scootering. As the children got to know each other, we began to talk to the owner of the bar, Enrico’s uncle, Luigi Schiavo.

“It’s such a beautiful, tranquil setting,” I said to him as he brought us a glass of pinot grigio, “All the kids seem to get along so well.” “We’re practically all related,” he told me, “See that shop over there? The one that sells ceramics. She’s my cousin. The travel agent around the corner … that’s her husband. Then there’s Vincenzo …”

In the following one-hour period, an explanation of their extended family, as well as another glass of Pinot Grigio, ensued. Mario Capuano, Luigi’s cousin, owns “Wagner Tours.” He specializes in planning weddings on the Amalfi coast, but also organizes just about any other kind of tour you can imagine. “We try to cover every detail,” says Mario. We know the importance of family, and believe me, the first step, is a happy, stress free wedding day …”
Mario’s wife is Paolina Amatruda. She’s the one who owns the ceramics store next to the bar. For 25 years, the store has offered the traditional ceramics of nearby Vietri noted for their refined beauty and quality. “We are always trying to renew ourselves,” Paolina said, “to adapt ourselves, but without losing the traditional quality that has sustained us all these years. Our kids keep us young and our family memories help us to keep true to our traditions”
The family talent doesn’t end with Mario or his wife. Vincenzo Amatruda, Mario’s brother-in-law, teaches cooking classes out of his private home, situated on a cliff top, 350 meters above sea level. After many years as a chef and owner of a restaurant in Ravello, “Vincenzino” [diminutive for "Vincent"] developed a cooking school where he says people can cook and eat “with the heart and not just the mouth.” First, Vincenzino takes his students to some of the little food shops located in the historic alleys of Ravello. Speaking Italian and English, he introduces his students to the shop owners and an explanation of how the locals choose their wine and vegetables follows. Together, they decide the menu, according to the season and tastes of all gathered. Finally, they proceed with the hands-on preparation of the meal, from apperitivo and wine, gracefully past “il primo” course and “il secondo” and finally to dessert and espresso. If the weather cooperates, as it so often does in Ravello, Vincenzino’s students will eat on the terrace so that their culinary experience can be enhanced by the spectacular view of the Mediterranean.

An entire experience as a family can be had by venturing no further than the warmth of the Capuano extended family, but one can hardly come to this region of Italy without taking in the joys of the Amalfi drive. Step one in this process, if you have the nerve and the inclination, [and kids old enough to sit behind you without squirming] is to rent a scooter.

When you rent a scooter in picturesque Positano, are you just renting a scooter? Perhaps. But if you also “fa quattro chiacchiere” [make a little chat] you may also realize that you are renting from Pepe Mandara of Positano Rent a Scooter, [Viale Pasitea 99, tel. 089 812 2077], cousin of Giulio, Anna, Rosa and Rafaelle Mandara who own the Pizzeria across the street, Valle Dei Mulini, [Via Vecchia 5, tel. 089 875 232]. Or perhaps you might meet their other cousins at the Boutique Luisa, next door, including Susanna Mandara, the designer, Luisa and Gaetano Mandara, the owner and Susanna’s mother and father, Giovanna Mandara, Susanna’s sister and the seamstress in charge of the production of Susanna’s designs. “In Positano, it’s very common for the whole family to have a hand in a successful business,” Susanna told me “We do what we can to help each other. My success is their success and in some small way, theirs is my success as well.”

No discussion of family here in Positano would be complete without the notable inclusion of the Sersale family, owners of La Sirenuse [+39 089 875066], the most important hotel in Positano. The Sersale family owned a summer home in Positano, an 18th century palazzo in the center of town, where they often spent summer vacations, but during the Second World War they retreated there full-time to escape the bombing of their native city, Napoli. In 1951, however, the family decided to turn their vacation home into a small elegant hotel. They started with eight rooms and a large terrace overlooking the Islands of the Sirens. Fifty years later the hotel has 62 rooms with all the comforts of a five star luxury hotel. But staying at La Sirenuse still has the feeling of being home.
To this day, the Sersale family owns Le Sirenuse and family members work together to maintain its position as a world-class hotel. Four descendents of the original owner, Antonio Sersale, were responsible for the initial opening of the hotel. For years, the eldest brother, Aldo, managed the hotel with the help of the mayor of Positano, Paolo Sersale, Aldo’s brother. Together these two brothers ran the hotel until Paolo’s death in 1991. Aldo, also ill at that time, stepped down, and their younger brother, Franco, stepped in. Franco began making the improvements today credited with the hotel’s current luxury status. His taste in furnishings, paintings and sculpture have a vehicle for expression as Franco liberally purchases antiques that offset beautifully the architecture of the hotel and bring pleasure to guests. His son, Antonio, now runs the hotel as Franco, at age 77, describes himself as “semi-retired.” “He’s retired, but he’s still our ‘center.’ We know that we can go to him about important decisions regarding the direction we want the hotel to take. We always get the kind of response that allows us to hold fast to our family roots, while at the same time creating a vision for our future that will keep up with the pace of our guests evolving needs and tastes.”
As for our ’semi-tired’ family, I’m back at the bar sipping a glass of Chianti this time and watching the kids play ball behind the “no-ball playing” sign with their new-found friends. We continued our trip with a visit to Amalfi, Capri, Pompeii and Napoli … but that’s a story for another article…

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Denise Hummel is a native of New York, who moved to Italy with her husband and children. She directs a public relations/ communications business focused on sustainable tourism called Imagine Communications.