Amalfi Coast Hotels

High cliffs and high society, ancient glories and glorious sunshine, the fabulous Amalfi Coast is the Mediterranean fantasy destination, with fine music and fine wine, food for stomach and soul – and plenty of places to laze in between.

Precipitously perched between cliff and sea, the 30-km corniche road along the Costiera Amalfitana between Positano and Amalfi is a nightmare to drive but paradise to view. Wander the villages and vineyards as they cascade to the crystal Tyrhennian Sea and explore the magical cliff-top gardens of Ravello, hovering high above the corniche. Offshore, spot the Li Galli islets, where the Sirens sang to Odysseus.

Find a small patch of sand or pebbles to spread out your towel at Positano, Atrani, Maiori and Minori, or explore one of the many tiny coves reached only by boat or rickety stairs down the cliffs. Sea and sand are added bonuses, not the main event, on a holiday here. Take a boat into the vividly green Grotto dello Smeraldo, the Amalfi Coast's answer to Capri's Blue Grotto.

Island Capri is a money magnet for the international jet set. Sink into a spa in bubbly Ischia with its geothermal springs. Stroll the designer-clad streets of Chiaia in Naples and for the real high life, hike up the rust-red slopes of Vesuvius to gaze in nervous awe at its smouldering crater.

Uncovered from the ashes, ancient Pompeii and Herculaneum are as vivid as a snapshot in time, their streets populated equally by ghosts and tourists. Admire the still-fresh frescoes at the Villa di Oplontis or the magnificent Archaeological Museum in Naples. Head back to worship Greek gods at Paestum's Doric temples.

From palazzos to fisherman's shacks, seafood appears on every plate, particularly the ubiquitous anchovy-like blue fish. The mozzarella di buffalo is Italy's finest. Campania is the birthplace of pizza and spaghetti, while pasta and beans, eaten in ancient Pompeii, is still on menus today.

Surround yourself with mellow music at classical concerts in Ravello's gardens or Amalfi's cathedral. Drink in the moonlit view at a terraced restaurant before dropping down to the water's edge to dance until dawn or simply enjoy the air in one of Positano's cafés.

Take home the taste of summer from the market – olives, dried mushrooms and sundried tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and ricotta, wine, salami, limoncello and candied lemon peel. Find inlaid marquetry work in Sorrento, costume jewellery made from volcanic rock, bright ceramics and presepi – traditional and kitsch nativity scenes. Think of the planet before indulging in coral or cameos.