Where to stay on the Amalfi Coast: our favourite villas right now

From the cliffs of Positano to the quiet gardens of Ravello, where to base yourself on Italy's most coveted coast.

The Amalfi Coast packs an extraordinary amount of beauty into a short, vertiginous stretch of road — which is exactly why where you stay matters so much. Positano is the postcard: dramatic, social, and busy in August. Ravello, higher and quieter, trades the beach for gardens and calm. Praiano, in between, is our quiet tip for villas with the Positano view minus the crowds.

Whichever you choose, two things separate a good Amalfi villa from a great one: a terrace that genuinely faces the sea, and staff who can get you a boat. Verticality is the local hazard — ask how many steps stand between the front door and the car, and whether transfers are included.

Our current favourite is Villa Aurelia above Positano, but the coast rewards booking early; the best houses are gone a year out for peak summer weeks.