packing Archives

Pogerola’s Bakery Ovens Have Been Running Since Before the Tourists

Pogerola is what happens when a place decides it does not need to be pretty for anyone. It just is. – emilyinitaly.com The first thing I noticed in Pogerola was the smell. Not the sea — that came later, when the path opened and the whole Amalfi Coast dropped away below. No, the first thing was woodsmoke and baked dough, coming from an alley so narrow my shoulders almost brushed both walls at once. I had come to this tiny hamlet above Amalfi town because I kept hearing that one of the oldest bakeries on the coast was still

Follow the Old Mule Track Down From Agerola to Praiano’s Coast

I was standing in Piazza Paolo Capasso in Bomerano, a small town high above the Amalfi Coast, lacing up my hiking boots. The air smelled of wild herbs and sea salt. Ahead of me, a stone path disappeared into the scrub, and I knew that in about three hours I’d be looking up at this ridge from the waterline in Praiano. That old mule track is the Sentiero degli Dei — the Path of the Gods — and it’s one of the most famous walks in Italy for good reason. The Path of the Gods is one of the

Scala’s Empty Piazza Might Be the Coast’s Most Underrated Sunset

Scala is often called the oldest settlement on the Amalfi Coast, with a history stretching back to the 4th century. Yet on a late September evening, I had its main piazza almost entirely to myself. – travelamalficoast.it I stood in Piazza del Duomo in Scala, watching the sun sink behind the Lattari Mountains, and honestly, I felt a little guilty. Down the hill, Ravello’s Villa Rufolo was packed with people jostling for sunset photos. Here, I had a stone bench, a cold glass of white wine from a nearby bar, and a view that stretched over the Gulf of

Conca dei Marini’s Grotto Feels Bigger Than Capri Once You’re Inside It

I stepped off the small wooden boat and into the cave, and the first thing I noticed was the light. It was coming from below, a deep green glow that turned the water into something almost liquid emerald. I had read about the Emerald Grotto in Conca dei Marini, but nothing prepared me for the scale of the space once you’re inside. It felt bigger than Capri’s Blue Grotto — less cramped, more open, and somehow more intimate. The Emerald Grotto was discovered in 1932 by fisherman Luigi Buonocore, and its emerald glow comes from sunlight entering an underwater

Tramonti’s Vineyards Are Growing the Coast’s Least Talked-About Wine

I stood in a vineyard in Tramonti, high above the Amalfi Coast, staring at a vine trunk nearly a foot thick. The guide told me it was 300 years old. That vine had survived phylloxera, the 19th-century pest that wiped out most of Europe’s vineyards, because the volcanic and sandy soil here kept the root louse at bay. I had never seen anything like it. Some Tintore vines in Tramonti have survived phylloxera for 150–200 years, thanks to volcanic and sandy soil. – amalficoast-travel.com Emily’s Take If you want a wine that tastes like history, not hype, skip the

Cetara’s Fishing Boats Still Come In Right Before Dinner Service

I stood on the pier in Cetara just after 4:30, watching a handful of wooden fishing boats putter back into the tiny harbor. The sun was still high, but the village was already stirring for dinner — tables being set, the smell of garlic drifting from open kitchen doors. The boats were small, maybe 8 meters each, with a lone fisherman at the helm. And they carried the evening’s catch: anchovies, mostly, still glistening. Cetara’s fishing fleet, one of the most active on the Amalfi Coast, delivers its catch directly to the village’s restaurants and markets — often within