AMALFI COAST

Amalfi Coast

Stunning coastlines, historic towns & villages and great times await on the Amalfi Coast. See a amazing side of Italy at this UNESCO World Heritage site.

Best time to visit the Amalfi Coast

• The Best Time to Visit the Amalfi Coast for Good Weather: Late spring and early fall, particularly May and September. During those months, there are no large crowds and temperatures are the moderate, with highs typically in the low to mid-20s. 
• The best time to swim off the coast: From June to October.
• Best Time for Sailing: From May through mid-October when temperatures are warm and storms are unlikely. For a more peaceful, uncrowded atmosphere, sail in May or mid-September through to around mid-October.
• Best Time for Visiting Beaches: Visit when the sea temperatures are warm, from June to around mid-October. To enjoy the beaches without crowds, visit at the beginning or end of this period.
• Best Time to Visit the Gardens: The gardens on the Amalfi Coast are among the most beautiful in the world, sharing their splendor with magnificent coastal views. The best time to visit these is in the spring when flowers burst into bloom, crowds are less prevalent and daytime temperatures are mild.

Ideal travel seasons

• High Season (July & August): Peak season coincides with the summer months - July and August are particularly popular times to visit the Amalfi Coast, as there’s a calendar full of festivals and vibrant nightlife. Of course, it will be crowded at this time, and the temperatures are sizzling, not to mention, transport and hotels are at their most expensive. 
• Shoulder Season (April till June (except Easter) plus September &October): Late spring and early fall are really good times visit the Amalfi Coast. In pring, the crowds haven’t arrived, you can dine outdoors and temperatures are idyllic. In early fall, the weather is still mild and there are few tourists.
• Low Season (November to March): These months fall in winter. On the Amalfi Coast,  storms create dramatic waves that pound the shore and the coastal road is often blocked because of mudslides. Storms aside, it’s a good time to enjoy bargains on airfare and hotel rates. However, many restaurants, cafes and shops have closed for the season.

Amalfi Coast events and festivals

January

• New Year’s Day – January 1 is a national holiday. On the Amalfi Coast, it’s usually very quiet as locals enjoy a relaxing day with family or friends. There is limited or no public transportation and many businesses, restaurants, shops and museums are closed. Some restaurants stay open, though they may have limited hours and serve only lunch and dinner.
• Epiphany/La Befana – January 6 is Italy’s national holiday of the Epiphany, sometimes referred to as La Befana, which marks the 12th day of Christmas. This is Italy’s biggest event and includes exchanging of gifts. La Befana, a witch who flies on her broomstick the night before Epiphany, brings gifts to children in hopes of finding Baby Jesus. Children hang their stockings on the evening of January 5 in anticipation of her visit. Many restaurants, shops and other businesses are closed on January 6.

February

• Festival of San Biagio – February 3: In Southern Italy, St Biagio is honored every year on this day. In towns along the Amalfi Coast, churches hold a special mass and events are held.
• Carnival – While there are few events during the winter on the Amalfi Coast, February brings one of the largest of the year: Carnival, which takes place before Lent, sometimes beginning as early as late January, or as late as March or even early April. Some of the most impressive festivities take place in Maiori whose Great Carnival is held over 10 days, complete with elaborate floats, dancing groups, masks, confetti, music, shows and traditional games.
• Valentine’s Day – February 14 is an important holiday with plenty of pink and red hearts, romantic gifts for loved ones and special candlelit dinners.

March

• Festa della Donna – Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 across Italy to honor women. Restaurants may offer special meals and concerts are often held. This is also a time when Italian males offer their women yellow mimosa flowers.
• Festa di San Giuseppe – Father’s Day is celebrated in Italy on March 19. Many families consume zeppole, similar to doughnuts, as part of the day’s festivities.
• Primavera Sorrentina – Sorrento celebrates the warm months with a number of events such as food and flower fairs plus various musical events from March through to July. 

April

• Ravello Music Festival – Early April to mid-November: This music festival is held in the gardens of Villa Rufolo in Ravello.
• Holy Week and Easter – Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, brings many elaborate processions throughout the Amalfi Coast. Sorrento is particularly well- known for its historic religious processions that include solemn hooded figures walking silently on the streets on the Thursday and Friday before Easter Sunday. This ancient custom dates back to the 14^th century. Processions are also held in Sant’Agnello, Meta, and Piano all linked by the local Circumvesuviana train.
• Liberation Day – April 25 is a national holiday that commemorates the end of Nazi occupation in Italy during World War II and the fall of the Italian Social Republic. Locals honor the fallen who were part of the Italian Resistance. Gatherings take place in towns of all sizes, some with marching bands, some with political rallies and others with concerts. Government services, monuments, banks and some museums, shops and restaurants are closed and public transport is limited.

May

• Labor Day/International Workers’ Day – This national holiday on May 1 is a popular time for political protests and rallies that are organized by various political parties and workers’ unions, especially in major cities. Many businesses are closed and you might see public speeches and marches in piazzas.
• The Sounds of the Gods (I Suoni degli Dei) – Every Wednesday in May: This event features chamber music and folk concerts around Praiano along the area’s scenic ‘Path of the Gods’ hiking trail.
• The Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics – Every 4 years at the end of May: This historic boat race is held between Amalfi, Venice, Pisa and Genoa.

June

• Republic Day –This national holiday is celebrated on June 2, marking the day Italy became a Republic in 1946. There are usually festivals, parades and/or concerts throughout the country.
• Feast of Sant’Andrea – June 27: Amalfi celebrates Sant’Andrea, patron saint and protector of fishermen. 
• Music in the Cloister – From the last part of June: Hosted in Amalfi, this concert series takes place at the town’s cathedral in Chiostro del Paradiso.

July

• Amalfi Music and Arts Festival – Throughout July: A series of musical events in Maiori on the Amalfi Coast offering some of the best international piano, philharmonic and choral talent.
• Festival of Santa Trofimena – July 13: The town of Minori celebrates its patron saint with a very moving procession where Santa Trofimena is carried around the town. Fireworks and concerts are also on the agenda. 
• Festival del Limone – Third weekend in July: The Lemon Fair celebrates lemons throughout the Amalfi Coast. In the town of Massa Lubrense, local dishes are served using lemon.
• Lampare Lights Night – July 21: The tiny village of Cetara celebrates and re-enacts an ancient fishing technique using ‘Lampare’, a type of boat light that beams its rays over the water to attract fish, who are then trapped in nets. After fishing, there’s food and music.
• Feast of Santa Maria Maddalena –July 22: Held in Atrani, it honors Saint Mary Magdalene with a procession and fireworks over the sea.

August

• Days of the Blue Fish – First week of August: In the traditional fishing village of Cetara, the local tuna and anchovies are celebrated with tastings, concerts and boat tours.
• Ferragosto – This national holiday is celebrated on August 15. It not only marks the start of many Italians’ summer vacation, but is also celebrated by the Catholic Church as a religious holiday honoring the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven. On the Amalfi Coast, it includes religious processions with spectacular fireworks over the sea; some of the most impressive celebrations are found in the towns of Maiori and Positano.
• Byzantine New Year’s Day – Last day of August and the first day of September: Commemorates the start of the fiscal new year during the Byzantine era. A highlight is the historical parade that includes more than 90 actors in costume who travel from Atrani to Amalfi.

September

• Santa Maria della Libera – Sunday closest to September 12: Grand processions are held In Capri  to honor Mary of Deliverance, starting from Saint Costanzo in Marina Grande church. Also includes market stalls, music, and fireworks. 
• Torello Festa dell’Incendio – Third Sunday of September: The Torello Fire Fetsival takes place at the foot of Ravello’s mountain. The town’s buildings are illuminated and a magnificent fireworks display re-enacts the Pisani invasion of the town. 
• Festa di San Matteo – September 21: The patron saint and protector of Salerno is celebrated with festivities including an elaborate procession through Salerno that ends at Cathedral of San Matteo. Concerts are held in Piazza Amendola and after dark, fireworks light up the Bay of Salerno.
• Sagra del Pesce – Last Saturday in September: The fish festival takes place on Fornillo Beach, Positano, offering plenty of seafood and live music.

October

• Festa della Castagna – First weekend of October: The village of Scala celebrates the area’s chestnut trees with a chestnut festival. Includes regional specialties made from locally harvested chestnuts, lots of roasted chestnuts and traditional games including a donkey race in the central piazza.
• Halloween – While Halloween isn’t an official holiday in Italy, it’s becoming increasingly popular as a great excuse for adults to party and dress up in costume. This is notable especially in the larger towns, where nightclubs, bars and restaurants host costume parties and other Halloween-related events.

November

• All Saints Day – November 1 is an official Italian holiday honoring all Catholic saints. A holy day for practising Catholics around the world, it’s celebrated by many Italians, including those on the Amalfi Coast, who go to church, enjoy a big family meal and visit graves to remember loved ones who have passed on.
• Luci d’Artista Light Show in Salerno – From the second Friday of the November to mid-January: Stunning themed light displays illuminate Salerno, creating a magical atmosphere.
• Feast of Saint Andrew – 30 November: Patron saint of Amalfi, St Andrew, is celebrated by local fishermen. There’s a procession from the cathedral to the beach, after which men run back to the cathedral, carrying a heavy statue of the saint on their shoulders. Fish offerings are then presented to the saint and the town hosts various folk shows, games and fireworks.

December

• Feast of the Immaculate Conception – Both a national holiday and a holy day of obligation, this feast day celebrates the Virgin Mary every December 8. Schools and public offices are closed, but most restaurants and shops stay open, as this day is generally considered the start of the holiday shopping season. There are processions, live music, feasts,and other festivities in towns throughout the region.
• Sausage and Bonfire Fair – 13 December: Sorrento’s annual celebration of Saint Lucia is essentially a huge barbecue event where tasty sausages are grilled over a huge bonfire and washed down with local wine.
• Divers’ Procession to Grotta dello Smeraldo – 24 December: In Conca dei Marini every Christmas Eve (and again on Epiphany in January), local and guest divers take a scuba pilgrimage from the beach to an underwater manger inside the Grotta dello Smeraldo.
• Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Santo Stefano (Boxing Day) – The Christmas holidays including an elaborate dinner on Christmas Eve before going to Midnight Mass at the local church. On Christmas Day, friends and family enjoy a big feast that often lasts throughout the day and into the next, blending into the national holiday of Santo Stefano. On both 25 and 26 December, most businesses are closed, although some restaurants usually open.
• New Year’s Eve – December 31: In Naples, some of Italy’s largest and best festivities are held, including fireworks shot from Castel dell’Ovo at the strike of midnight. In Positano, locals and visitors ring in the new year with a feast that includes zeppolas (fried sweet pastries) plus lots of music and dancing as well as fireworks on the beach at Marina Grande.