The Amalfi Coast runs on a season. Choose the right weeks and you get warm sea, open terraces and ferries gliding between the towns. Choose the wrong ones, and the hotel you dreamed about may be closed until spring.
Here is how the year works, month by month, and how to pick the right time for your trip.
When to go: the short answer
For most couples, the best months are May, June and September. The weather is warm, the hotels and restaurants are open, and the crowds are lighter than in high summer. Early October is a lovely second choice if walking and long lunches matter more to you than swimming.
July and August are the hottest, busiest and most expensive months. From November to mid-March, much of the coast closes for winter.
The Amalfi Coast, month by month
April. The season begins. Most of the luxury hotels reopen and the ferries return. Daytime highs are around 18°C (64°F), which is pleasant for walking but too cool for most swimmers. Easter week is busy, with processions in the towns and extra traffic on the coast road.
May. One of the best months of the year. Highs reach about 22°C (72°F). The hillsides are green and wildflowers line the walking paths. The sea is still cool, but the sun is warm on a terrace.
June. Summer arrives. Highs are around 26°C (79°F) and the sea warms to about 22°C (72°F), comfortable for a swim. Crowds build toward the end of the month.
July and August. Peak season. Highs climb past 30°C (86°F). Expect full beaches, busy roads and the highest rates of the year. There are festivals and long evenings, but you will share them with a great many people.
September. A favorite for many couples. The sea is at its warmest after the summer, the heat eases to around 27°C (81°F), and the August crowds thin out.
October. Highs around 22°C (72°F). Sunny, mild days are ideal for hiking and lingering over lunch, and truffles and mushrooms appear on menus. Toward the end of the month, the hotels start to close.
November to mid-March. The coast goes quiet. As Le Sirenuse puts it, "Between November and mid-March, the Amalfi Coast resort goes into hibernation." Most hotels and restaurants close, ferries along the coast stop, and the weather is cooler and wetter. It can be peaceful, but it is not the Amalfi Coast of the postcards.
When the hotels close
This is the detail many travelers miss. Most of the coast's best-known hotels are seasonal. They open around April and close in late October or early November. Exact dates shift each year, so confirm them before you settle on your travel week.
Il San Pietro di Positano, for example, says it is "generally open from April to October." The other grand hotels follow a similar pattern.
If you are planning a late-season trip, such as a mid-October anniversary, check that your hotel is open for every night of your stay. Check your favorite restaurants too. Many close at the same time. Your advisor can confirm dates as soon as each hotel announces them.
Getting around: ferries and the coast road
Ferries are the most pleasant way to travel between Positano, Amalfi and Capri. Regular routes run from the beginning of April through October, and the Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi route usually starts around mid-May. In winter there is no ferry service along the Amalfi Coast itself. At any time of year, boats can be cancelled in rough seas.
The coast road, the SS163, is narrow and winding. In summer it is crowded, and traffic rules limit cars at busy times. For most couples, a private driver is the calmest way to arrive and move between towns.
What about winter?
Some travelers love the coast out of season. Rates drop, the towns feel local again, and lemons and oranges ripen on the terraces. But it is a different trip. In Positano, only a handful of restaurants stay open in mid-January, and the grand hotels use the quiet months for restoration work. Days can be bright, but rain is more likely and you will want layers.
If a winter visit appeals, we usually suggest pairing a few quiet days on the coast with a stay in Naples, Rome or another city that stays lively all year. For a first trip, or a big celebration, we would choose the open season.
Where to stay: eight hotels we love
Each of these hotels is seasonal, open roughly April to late October. Rates vary by date and room type, and your advisor will confirm current rates and availability for you.
- Le Sirenuse, Positano. Its pool terrace is one of the most photographed views on the coast, right in the heart of town.
- Il San Pietro di Positano. Set into the cliff outside town, with an elevator down to a private sea club and the Michelin-starred restaurant Zass.
- Belmond Hotel Caruso, Ravello. An infinity pool that seems to drop straight into the sea, high above the coast.
- Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi. A glass lift runs down through lemon terraces to a private saltwater sea club.
- Palazzo Avino, Ravello. Hilltop elegance in Ravello, paired with a beach club by the sea.
- Borgo Santandrea, Amalfi. One of the coast's rare true private beaches, reached by lift.
- Monastero Santa Rosa, Conca dei Marini. A 17th-century former convent with an infinity pool stepped down the cliff.
- Villa TreVille, Positano. The former home of a film director, with terraced gardens and its own boat dock.
Which time suits your trip?
- A honeymoon with plenty of swimming: June or September.
- An anniversary built around gardens, walks and dinners: May or early October.
- A summer milestone birthday: late June, booked well ahead.
- A longer retirement trip: May or September, with a few nights high in Ravello and a few by the water in Positano or Amalfi.
If your dates are fixed, that is fine too. We will match the hotel, the town and the pace to your week.
Let's plan your Amalfi Coast escape
The right week on the Amalfi Coast makes all the difference. Tell us your dates, your occasion and what matters most to you at luxebeachretreats.com/plan, and we will build a retreat around it. For more ideas, download our complimentary destination guide at luxebeachretreats.com/guides.
Continue exploring