Amalfi Coast and Capri by boat: day trip or week from Sorrento, Salerno or Naples

The Amalfi Coast is at its most beautiful from the water: villages clinging to steep cliffs, lemon terraces, grottoes and, off the tip of the Sorrento peninsula, the island of Capri. In summer the coast road is often jammed – by boat, Positano, Amalfi and Capri are reached quickly. The coast is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it has its peculiarities, which are worth knowing before you book.

The coast is steep and harbours are rare and small. Positano has no real harbour; boats lie at anchor or on buoys. Amalfi has a small harbour, Capri the harbour of Marina Grande. In July and August berths along the whole coast are scarce and expensive. For a week this means: plan nights at anchor in sheltered bays and book harbours early – or take a skipper who handles it.

Around the tip of the Sorrento peninsula, between the Gulf of Naples and the Gulf of Salerno, lies the Punta Campanella marine protected area. It is divided into zones in which navigating, anchoring and swimming are regulated differently; in the most strictly protected zones much is forbidden. The regulation is published by the Italian environment ministry (link under «Sources»). Your provider shows you the zones at check-in; excursion boats from Sorrento pass through every day.

• One day from Sorrento by motorboat: Capri with its grottoes and the Faraglioni, Positano on the way back. Our day-trip idea shows route and times.
• Four days from Salerno: Amalfi, Positano and Capri, with legs that leave time to swim.
• A week from Naples: Procida, Ischia, Capri, Positano, Amalfi and Nerano – the whole gulf in one loop.

In summer a sea breeze from the west to south-west usually blows during the day, strongest in the afternoon. In the morning the sea is often flat – the best time to cross to Capri. The scirocco from the south-east brings waves to the Amalfi Coast; then anchorages on the south side of the peninsula are rough and the north side towards Sorrento is the better choice.

Above a certain engine power or distance from the coast, Italy requires a boat licence; small boats with less powerful engines can often be driven near the coast without one. What applies to your boat is shown on the boat or explained by the provider. For Capri and the Amalfi Coast, with their dense summer traffic, a skipper is often the more relaxed choice.

June and September are ideal: a warm sea, fewer excursion boats, easier to find a spot. In July and August the coast is crowded, prices are at their highest and traffic off Capri is heavy.