Read an Excerpt
Tectonic forces lifted limestone rocks to create these spectacular coastlines. The Penisola
Sorrentina extends from Roman spa-town Castellammare di Stabia to the wild headland
of Punta Campanella, whose glittering splinter, the island of Capri, sits nearby. From
Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi, which straddles the gulfs of Naples and Salerno, la Costiera
Amalfitana and the meandering SS163 Amalfi Drive (beloved of coupé-car advertisers
and slow coaches) begins. Soaring cliffs of the Monti Lattari plunge down to an azure
sea studded with hidden coves and grottoes – those natural hideouts of pirates and
canoodling film stars. Rustic traditions and the tastiest produce thrive amid the terraced
olive and citrus groves, campanile-chiming villages and fishing harbours. Pebbly beaches,
dramatic ravines and stunning walks like the Trail of the Gods abound. Touristy Sorrento
has its charms, especially towards Massa Lubrense. Positano defines the pastel-painted
picturesque harbour turned chic resort. Amalfi basks in its glorious maritime past while
lofty Ravello’s Norman-Saracenic gardens and glorious vistas are a breath of ethereal air.
The bedlam of the Second World War may have seized Salerno yet its lungomare and
Moorish cathedral cloisters make it worth the detour. Towards the untamed Cilento Coast,
Graeco-Roman Paestum and its ancient temples emerge like a vision of a lost civilization.
