Our recent Italian adventure was packed full of insane views, great pizza and massive amounts of fun. From Amalfi, to Capri and finishing in Naples, we experienced three completely different places in Italy, so check out where we stayed, where we ate and what we did in each of those places.
Amalfi
A picturesque town on the mountainous Amalfi Coast (believe it or not!?!), famous for it’s fresh lemon groves and rich maritime history.
Where to stay…
Hotel Santa Caterina – this was the most luxurious, Italian chic hotel I’ve ever stayed in…super charming in a perfect location offering idyllic sea views and outstanding service, if you’re looking for Italian luxury then Santa Caterina is for you. Check out my review on Hotel Santa Caterina here.
Where to eat….
We ate at Gran Caffe in Amalfi, I opted for a whopping great pizza which was super cheesy and so tasty, but the best thing about this restaurant is that it’s right on the sea front overlooking the beach and it’s cheaper than restaurants up in the square, presumably as that’s the place to be, but I’d opt for a sea view dinner any day!
What to do…
Grab a lemon ice-cream (you’re in the land of lemons so it’s a given right?) sit on the marina and watch the boats pull in, take a look in the cathedral and get a boat to the gorgeous town of Positano.
Capri
A small island in the Bay of Naples with incredible mountaineous scenery, luxury shops and hotels with a famous and unmissable blue grotto (although due to the weather, we missed it!).
Where to stay…
We stayed at Hotel Carmentica – which is in Anacapri in a great location with mountain views and a short walk from the centre of the town. The staff are all very friendly however it is very basic including the furnishings and breakfast. If you’re after a cheaper, basic option then Hotel Carmencita could be for you.
Where to eat…
We enjoyed a beautiful dinner at Al Capri overlooking the sun setting on the mountains (when the sun was actually out), the price was good even though the view was worth a million dollars. Friendly service and great food – I’d definitely return!
What to do…
Unfortunately, we were super unlucky with the weather whilst in Capri, so other than exploring Capri town (which is beautiful and a luxury shoppers paradise!), we didn’t get to do much however our plan was to boat around Capri for the day and visit the blue grotto (it’s the thing to do in Capri and was recommended to us by so many of our friends). We had our boat tour all booked but it was so stormy that it would have been dangerous for us to go out, it was very disappointing but just gives us another excuse to return to Capri!
Naples
We weren’t planning on staying in Naples, but due to the bad weather in Capri we headed to Naples instead as we figured there’d be more to do in a city on a rainy day than an island…
Where to stay…
Toledo Loft – wow! If ever you visit Naples, I can’t recommend this place more highly, you walk into a very inconspicuous building which looks like offices right in the centre of town but when you find their door to Toledo Loft, the atmosphere completely changes. Our apartment was modern, colourful with really cool but industrial interior design and we had huge windows overlooking the streets of Naples – everything about it was fantastic. The shower was great, there was so much space and it was so comfortable. We honestly loved staying here and would 100% return!
Where to eat…
We did a little research before and found a recommendation popular with locals so headed to La Stanza del Gusto and it didn’t disappoint. The pasta was to die for and even matched my outfit!
AVOID – I don’t like slating businesses on my blog but instead like to keep it just for positive recommendations only, but I couldn’t write a post about Naples and not mention the appalling service that we experienced at Al Barcadero. We’ve never been treated so badly at a restaurant, they were incredibly rude so I highly recommend you avoid eating here and don’t get sucked in with the nice views, (which is what we did).
What to do….
There’s some beautiful buildings to marvel at in Naples including in the Piazza del Plebiscito, there’s great shopping to be done (super cheap shops too!) and fabulous food! Naples is also right next to Mount Vesuvius which is an active volcano that destroyed the town of Pompei – of which you can take a day trip to and see the remanence of the damage. There are plenty of boat trips from Naples, great ice-cream and a buzzing night life.
If you’re planning a trip to any of these destinations, let me know if you visit any of the same places and have fun!
