Hotel Miramalfi

Amalfi clings to the coast at the mouth of a ravine, its white buildings stacked against cliffs that plunge into the Tyrrhenian Sea. This was once the capital of a maritime republic that rivalled Venice and Genoa, its merchant fleets crossing the Mediterranean from the ninth century until Pisa sacked it in 1137. The town's medieval prosperity left behind the UNESCO-listed Duomo di Sant'Andrea, its Arab-Norman facade climbing a steep flight of steps above the Piazza del Duomo, and a tangle of stone stairways that wind between lemon groves and centuries-old houses.

The British upper classes arrived in the Edwardian era, and Amalfi has been a resort town ever since. The harbour fills with fishing boats and yachts, their sails bright against the dark water. In the lanes behind the waterfront, paper-makers still practise techniques introduced by Arab traders a millennium ago. The air smells of salt, citrus, and sun-warmed stone.

Salerno Costa d'Amalfi Airport lies 27 kilometres to the east; Naples International Airport is 38 kilometres northwest. The coastal road curves above the sea in hairpin turns, each bend revealing another sheer drop or another village clinging to the rocks.

Three Michelin-starred restaurants lie within an evening's drive along the coast. Quattro Passi in Nerano, 21 kilometres west, holds three stars for Antonio Mellino's Mediterranean cooking, its name recalling the family's humble start selling eggs four steps from the sea. Piazzetta Milù, 12 kilometres away, earns two stars for the Izzo family's creative work and exceptional hospitality. Torre del Saracino in Marina di Equa, 15 kilometres distant, occupies a fortified tower metres from the water and holds two stars for its inventive cuisine. Book weeks ahead for any of these.

Amalfi Harbour sits 400 metres from the property, its stone quays lined with boats and nets. The Cascata della Marmorata tumbles down the cliffs 2.7 kilometres inland, best reached on foot through chestnut woods. The ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum lie 16 kilometres north, their frescoed villas preserved in volcanic ash since AD 79. Start with Pompeii's Forum and work your way through the House of the Faun before the midday crowds arrive. Lemon groves terrace the slopes above town; sfusato amalfitano lemons, long and fragrant, are pressed into limoncello in every family kitchen.

July and August bring temperatures near 28°C and bone-dry air, the coast alive with holidaymakers and the scent of jasmine thickening in the heat. The sea is warmest then, a deep turquoise that shifts lighter over sand. September cools to 25°C, the crowds thinning as the light turns golden and softer across the cliffs.

October through February sees frequent rain, the skies grey and the waves rough against the harbour walls. Temperatures drop to 11°C in winter, the mountains disappearing into mist. This is the low season, when the town belongs to locals and the lemon groves drip with rain.

Spring arrives in April, when wildflowers cover the hillsides and temperatures climb to 16°C. May is the ideal month: warm but not oppressive, the water clear, the restaurants unhurried, and the coastal path shaded by wisteria in full bloom.