Amalfi Coast Road

The Amalfi Coast Road (SS163, the Strada Statale Amalfitana) clings to the cliffs of the Sorrento Peninsula between Positano and Vietri sul Mare. Almost every corner opens onto another view of the Tyrrhenian Sea, another lemon terrace, another village of pastel houses stacked down to the water.

It is not a fast road. It is narrow, blind and busy, shared with tour buses, scooters and pedestrians — which is exactly why a motorcycle is the best way to ride it. Where cars queue, a bike slips through and can stop at the tiny pull-outs that cars have to pass by.

Highlights

• Positano seen from the road above town — the classic postcard view
• The fjord and bridge at Furore
• Amalfi town and its cathedral square
• A short climb inland to Ravello for gardens high above the coast
• Vietri sul Mare, famous for its hand-painted ceramics, at the eastern end

Best time to ride

April–June and September–October. July and August bring heavy traffic, full parking and serious heat; ride early in the morning at any time of year.

The road

Paved but very narrow with blind hairpins and stone walls. Buses use the full width in corners and sound their horns before blind bends — hold your line, stay to the right and be ready to stop.

Riding tips

• Start at sunrise: the road is quiet and the light on the cliffs is at its best.
• Parking for motorcycles is far easier than for cars, but town centers can have restricted-traffic zones — follow the signs.
• Combine it with the coast road around the Sorrento Peninsula for a full-day loop.