LIEUX à DECOUVRIR

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Se penchant sur la Mer Méditerranée, la Côte Amalfitaine s’étend dans le Golfe de Salerne avec ses lieux les plus connus  : Positano, Ravello et, bien sûr, Amalfi.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    La route découle tortueuse, comme un balcon suspendu entre la mer bleu cobalt et les pentes des monts Lattari, dans un enchaînement de vallées et promontoires, entre calanques, plages et terrasses cultivées d’agrumes, vignobles et oliveraies.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Un lieu unique, inscrit au Patrimoine Mondial de l’Humanité UNESCO. Notre voyage commence à Salerno, splendide petite ville qui surgit dans le golfe de la mer Tyrrhénienne, entre la Côte amalfitaine et la plaine du Sele et le Cilento (au sud) dans le point où la vallée de l’Irno s’ouvre vers la mer...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         On peut en avoir un aperçu en faisant une promenade sur le lungomare Trieste (promenade au bord de la mer) et une visite au château médiéval d’Arechi, dominant Salerno.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         A trois kilomètres à l’ouest, la côte abrite le village de Vietri sul Mare et son centre habité, tandis que sa zone maritime affleure au fil de l’eau. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Ce splendide village est la "capitale" de la faïence. Ce n’est pas un hasard si la coupole de l’église de Saint Jean-Baptiste et la façade de l’Archiconfrérie de l’Annunziata et du Rosario sont recouvertes de ces magnifiques céramiques multicolores.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Les petits bourgs de pêcheurs de Cetara et Maiori, deux centres balnéaires parrmi les plus fréquentés pour leurs plages de sable fin, possèdent aussi leurs églises  - respectivement celle de San Pietro et celle de Santa Maria a Mare  - et leurs coupoles revêtues de carreaux céramiques en faïence. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Mais avant d’arriver à Maiori, Capo d’Orso est certainement un lieu extraordinaire du point de vue panoramique. L'abbaye Santa Maria d' Olearia, creusée dans la roche est absolument à visiter.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     De Maiori il est possible d’entamer un chemin traversant la partie intérieur des terres pour atteindre Tramonti, la terre des maîtres pizzaïolos.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Si au contraire on décide de poursuivre le long de la côte, on arrive à Minori, la petite commune considérée comme l’Eden de la Côte pour son climat tempéré et ventilé.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           La commune d’Atrani, loin du tourisme de masse, conserve toute son authenticité maritime.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           On poursuit vers Ravello, hissé à 350 mètres d’altitude, l'un des petits bijoux de la Côte pour l’élégance de ses villas  ...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Les jardins et les belvédères de Villa Rufolo et de Villa Cimbrone, s’ouvrent sur des panoramas époustouflants.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  En descendant on tombe sur Amalfi, ancienne République Maritime qui donne le nom à la Côte (amalfitaine).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     C'est aussi l'occasion de visiter le dôme de Saint André Apôtre, en style arabo-sicilien, reconstruit avec des allures baroques pendant le XVIIIème siècle, avec son beau perron et son merveilleux cloître.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Après avoir traversé la charmante commune de Praiano, on arrive à Positano, lieu de vacances déjà à l’époque romaine, avec ses maisons blanches qui donnent sur la mer, regroupées autour de l’église de Santa Maria Assunta, surmontée d’une coupole en faïences.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Les ruelles typiques sont remplies de petites boutiques où il est possible d’acheter les produits de l’artisanat local. En descendant les nombreux petits escaliers,  vous pourrez atteindre les plages. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Parmi les plages  :

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          La Spiaggia Grande (Grande Plage) et celle de Fornillo accessibles à pied, ou encore La Porta, l’Arienzo et San Pietro Laurito accessibles par la mer.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        La route pour Sorrente s’engage dans les terres jusqu’à Sainte Agathe sur les Deux Golfes (celui de Naples et celui de Salerne). 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Enfin Sorrente, la ville des jardins d’agrumes embrasse le golfe de Naples, point de départ idéal pour une excursion à Capri, Ischia, Naples, Herculanum et Pompéi. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Son centre s’étend harmonieusement au dessus d’une terrasse de tuf en surplomb de 50 mètres de la mer, au milieu d’une végétation luxuriante.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Dans le centre historique entouré d’enceintes du XVIème siècle, on peut encore remarquer d’anciennes traces d’origine romaine.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Le dôme a été réédifié au cours du XVème siècle, avec une façade néogothique et l’église de Saint-François d’Assise inclut un remarquable petit cloître du XIV siècle avec une arcade en style arabique.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Ne manquez surtout pas une visite au musée Correale, une promenade au parc qui offre une magnifique vue sur le golfe et une excursion à la Punta del Capo, où se trouvent les vestiges romaines de la villa de Pollio Felice (Ier siècle ap. J.-C.).

                                                                                                                                                                                 Les hameaux de Nerano, Marina del Cantone et la fameuse aire naturelle Baia di Ieranto qui, tout en faisant partie de la commune de Massa Lubrense sur la côte de Sorrente  ...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Elles donnent sur le Golfe de Salerne et sont considérés comme certaines des localité balnéaires les plus renommées de la Côte amalfitaine. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         En particulier, la Baia di Ieranto est un vrai paradis naturel où l’accès est interdit à toutes les embarcations à moteur. La Baie est joignable à travers un petit chemin qui part de Nerano.