Amalfi

The pretty little town of Amalfi is the gateway to the legendary eponymous coastline; a UNESCO designated cultural landscape that arches its way along the Mediterranean Sea in a mishmash of rugged cliffs that are topped with Italian umbrella pines and charming towns awash with traditional trattorias and ice-cream coloured homes.

Amalfi itself boasts a long history that ranges right back to the sixth century, and while few of its old buildings remain following a devastating earthquake in the 1300s, guests visitors today can still see the 10th century St Andrew’s Cathedral and the magnificent arabesque Cloister of Paradise. There is also the quaint Museo della Carta housing an ancient paper mill, and the town’s Marina Grande which throws up plenty of bistros and endless plates of crispy Romana pizza and Campania seafood.

But despite Amalfi’s own undeniable charm, no visitor here can go without making an excursion to the wealth of wonders that abounds in the nearby territory. These range from the wild and paradisal trails of the Valle delle Ferriere, to the grottos of Capri Island and postcard towns like Ravello or Positano, where, as any Amalfi tour guide will tell you, la dolce vita comes part and parcel.