Exploring Amalfi with a Local Guide

Magically suspended between the blue sky and even bluer sea, the Amalfi Coast is a vertical landscape, characterized by a labyrinth of steep staircases and colourful homes that connect mountains with sea. Bright yellow dots the hillsides, as lemons grow on every spare foot of land.

This dramatic stretch of coastline has beckoned explorers since Roman times, and today it lured myself (Sara Cooke, Director of Communications at ToursByLocals) and a companion to fly to Naples. It’s a bit tricky getting from Naples to the coast by public transit. It involves a combination of multiple buses, or train, ferry then bus. Fortunately, we have several dozen amazing local guides at our fingertips, who make the trip from the airport to our hotel not only relaxing and simple, but incredibly fun.

Carmine picked us up at the arrivals area, and his Mercedes E-Class sedan was waiting curbside outside the airport. It was raining – not the ideal introduction to the coast – for which he was most apologetic. Here’s the thing about having a local guide though: they know how to make the best out of every weather situation, even a destination like Amalfi, whose fame lies in its shades of sun-kissed turquoise and azure.

Carmine drove us past Vesuvius, and the Bay of Naples, then instead of following the time-worn (and frequently traffic-clogged) Amalfi Coast road, he snuck up a winding sideroad that took us up, up, up across bridges and under towering cliffs, high above the stormy sea and the villages below. He pulled over beside a patio and stairs overlooking the coast, telling us he had a surprise. While it’s great to have a customized itinerary, even better is when a guide pulls something unexpected out of his hat.

We followed Carmine down the stairs and discovered the most incredible, hidden restaurant nestled below, with picture windows that seemed to bring the magical landscape inside. The setting was spectacular, but more interesting was the concept: a farm to table experience, made entirely with ingredients grown within a (literal) stone’s throw of the kitchen. The restaurant sat on one of several small terraces that grew lemons, tomatoes, beans, grapes, chickens, pigs, a dairy cow, rabbits and every Italian herb imaginable. The meals served here are made with loving care by “Mama” – as Carmine introduced her – who works with produce picked fresh each day, accompanied by mozzarella cheese, limoncello and wine all produced by the restaurant. Were it not for Carmine, we would have eaten in a busy town square, elbow to elbow with dozens of other tourists, rather than in this incredibly special spot.

After the meal, another treat – we got to go behind the scenes to see the kitchen where “Mama” works, then walk through the cellars where prosciutto is cured, and through the compact farm terraces, where the fresh produce that made up our multi-course lunch meal grows.

Carmine explains in his profile that: "It is my goal for my guest to experience Italy, not just see it." We certainly did this, feeling like special guests to this beautiful place, and not just tourists following the masses.

Thank you to Carmine for making the best out of a rainy day – what along the Amalfi Coast is maybe best described as making limoncella out of lemons.