Instead of Positano: Atrani, the Amalfi Coast's Best-Kept Secret

Atrani: the Amalfi Coast you never expected

Positano is beautiful, no one denies it. But try descending its 1,700 steps on an August day, squeezed between tour groups wielding selfie sticks, to reach a beach where a sunlounger costs 40 euros. Then take a bus (standing, naturally) for just five minutes heading east. Step off at Atrani, the smallest municipality in southern Italy, and discover a different world.

Why Atrani is special

Atrani has something Positano has lost: real life. Here the little square by the sea is the village's living room, where children kick footballs and the elderly commentate the evening passeggiata. The houses are the same, clinging to the mountain with the same white-and-coloured Mediterranean architecture, but they haven't been converted into boutique hotels at 500 euros a night. The restaurants serve the same Campanian cuisine, but at prices that the average Italian can afford. The beach is public, free and enchanting.

What to see

- Piazza Umberto I: the heart of the borgo, directly on the beach. It is one of the most photographed squares on the coast, yet you will always find a free table to sit at and drink a coffee.

- Church of San Salvatore de' Birecto: this is where the doges of the Maritime Republic of Amalfi were crowned. The 11th-century bronze door is a masterpiece.

- Grotta di Masaniello: according to tradition, the Neapolitan revolutionary hid in this cave. Reachable with a short scramble.

- Sentiero dei Limoni: from Atrani you can walk this panoramic trail that connects Maiori through the lemon terraces, with spectacular views of the coast.

- Torre dello Ziro: a short hike leads to this Saracen tower with a 360° view of the coastline that takes your breath away.

The flavours of Atrani

Atrani's cuisine is that of the true coastal tradition. Try the scialatielli ai frutti di mare made with fresh pasta, the pesce all'acqua pazza and the indispensable alici di Cetara that arrive from the neighbouring borgo. For dessert, the sfogliatella di Santa Rosa was born right here on the coast. A full lunch with wine in an Atrani restaurant averages 20–30 euros per person, against the 50–70 of Positano.

Getting there

Atrani is adjacent to Amalfi: on foot you reach it in five minutes through a scenic pedestrian passage along the cliff face. By SITA bus from Salerno or Sorrento, the stop is Amalfi (then on foot). By ferry from Salerno, the port of Amalfi is a stone's throw away. By car, beware: the SS163 in summer is a nightmare. Better to leave the car in Salerno and continue by public transport or ferry.

When to visit

April–May and September–October are the ideal months: mild weather, few tourists, swimmable sea from at least May. June is perfect for those who want to swim without the summer crush. Even winter has its charm: the Christmas lights along the coast are spectacular and temperatures rarely drop below 10 degrees.

True luxury is space

In Positano, luxury is measured in euros. In Atrani, the luxury is having a beach where you can lay out your towel without booking three months ahead, a little square where you can sit without queuing, a borgo where beauty has not been monetised down to the last centimetre. Atrani proves that the best journey is not the most expensive one, but the most authentic. The Amalfi Coast deserves to be lived, not merely glimpsed from the window of a tour bus stuck in traffic.