Sunday, August 31st, 2025

This morning we were up early to catch our boat tour of the Amalfi Coast with stops at Amalfi and Positano. It was sunny and warm today. The weather was perfect.

As our boat sailed along the coast, we saw so much and when there was something of note they explained it to us and did a 360˚ turn of the boat! It was great!

The Quadrangular tower called the Minerva Tower was first built in 1334 by the Angevins to guard against pirate raids. It was destroyed in 1556 and rebuilt in 1566. It was a historic tower at the tip of the Sorrento Peninsula. It overlooked the island of Capri.

Gallo Lungo was an island off the coast of Italy between Capri and Positano. It once served as a monastery and a prison before it became a private estate. A watchtower was also built during the 13th century. It was used to guard the Amalfi Coast against pirates.

We also saw the Tower of Crapolia located above the Crapolla Cove. It was another watchtower for protection of the Amalfi Coast.

Near here on the Scoglio Isca we saw remains of a Roman villa with a large staircase that was partly carved into the rock.

Our first stop was Amalfi. Due to being Sunday and a gorgeous weather the city and its beach was very crowded. Amalfi was known for its history and culture and the coast was named after this town. It also was a maritime powerhouse and Amalfi was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The Cathedral of Sant’Andrea (St. Andrew’s Cathedral) was located in the Piazzo del Duomo, its main square.

We found a delicious family-run deli that accommodated gluten free diets, Luisa Gastronomia Artigianale. The freshly made sandwiches were amazing. In fact we still talk about how good our sandwiches tasted.

Our second stop was Positano. It was another spectacular setting along the Amalfi Coast.

Like Amalfi, Positano’s beach was packed with people and surrounded by boats! We enjoyed walking up and down and around the town. We stopped at a bar/restaurant to enjoy a glass of wine with a view of the beach and water.

The majolica-tiled dome of the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunto (Church of Santa Maria Assunto) was built in the 10th century. It can only be reached by foot.

On the boat we passed a small coastal village that was once a tiny fishing village, Canca dei Marini. Now it’s one of the exclusive tourist destinations on the Amalfi Coast.

Below was another picture of Canca dei Marini with the 5-star hotel, Borgo Santandrea (the white building in the middle of the photo).

We also saw the cliff-side town of Praiano that sat between Amalfi and Positano. Praiano had about 2000 residents.

It was a fun-filled day along the Amalfi Coast. We were hot and tired when we got back to Sorrento and spent the evening on the rooftop bar of our hotel and made it an early night.