Sorrento to Amalfi

May 14, 2023

Where do I begin describing this momentous, albeit short ride which, until breakfast this morning, was in limbo of even happening? You see, the Amalfi coast is known for two things, its beauty and its traffic nightmares.

I have never given so much thought to a one-day ride in all my years of riding. Almost all of that mental musing revolved around the risks of this particular stretch of road and the niggling question lingered. Should I or shouldn’t I cycle from Sorrento to Amalfi? We did have a backup plan in case it was a no-go (take the ferry), but we both would have been sad to take that option.

As for the risks, we have heard and read the nightmarish stories about what a frightful trip it can be. Certainly, tourists are discouraged from driving it and bus passengers frequently get motion sick from the journey. It is well-known for heavy traffic, bad drivers and buses that can’t navigate the corners which then forces traffic to back up so they can inch past. And of course it’s famous for its sheer drop offs and steep cliffs. It is also hilly and has more twists and curves than you can shake a stick at. Sadly, a bus did go over a cliff two days ago near Amalfi and the driver lost his life. Only time will tell the cause of this tragedy.

And then there is the weather. Rain and wind can make it much more dangerous for everyone. There’s nothing else to say about that.

As life-long cyclists, we know about the risks of the sport and we are familiar with riding in tough conditions. It’s part of cycle touring. Truth be told, it’s not always fun. Sometimes it is scary or difficult and you just have hang on, git-er-done and cry later. And that takes patience, skill and experience.

The risks for this ride boiled down to two things: heavy traffic and bad weather. We have been watching the weather forecast closely of late (like, every couple of hours) and today was looking to be a good day. As for traffic, we calculated that we could beat it if we started cycling by 7:30am. And with that, we were off on and riding along the planned route by 7:30am.

The long driveway slices through an old lemon orchard.

Steve, the cat came to ask us to stay a little longer.

The traffic out of Sorrento was already heavy at 7:30am but more concerning was the grade. It was steep! We stopped twice to let our tickers calm down. This little fruitta è verdura stand was just so colorful, we had to take a break and get a photo.

The road was in terrible condition and carried on in the 9-11% range for a long while before we hit the state highway.

Soon thereafter we turned the corner and were dropping down onto the coast.

After a long steep climb, we reached the state highway.

The mist was present all day. Fortunately, it was not damp and the temps hovered in the low 20’s.

The views of the coast were stunning after we summitted the big hill out of Sorrento.

We had the road to ourselves and it was peaceful. The birds were singing and serenading us and I kept wondering when or if the road would turn ugly. Maybe it would take a turn for the worse?

I am happy to report that it just kept on being glorious the whole way. Even better was the fact that they had re-paved the road surface because this was part of the route for the Giro d’Italia. We glided through Positano, much to our surprise and glee.

We had our flashing lights on for tunnels like this.

We finally stopped pinching ourselves at what we had done and where we were and sat down for some people watching in the main piazza facing the Cathedral.

Potable water in the Amalfi piazza fountain.

Just an interesting building en route to our B&B.

Water gushes down into the drains from the valley behind Amalfi.

Eventually, we made our way to the B&B. Like many hotels and homes here, the main entrance of our B&B is not street-side but rather up a long set of steps. One hundred steps, to be exact. We both channelled our inner Hercules and humped our bikes and panniers up the steps, passing other walkers who were huffing and puffing to get to the top where it levelled off.

Our B&B is accessed up a staircase of 100 steps.

This B&B is just four years old and it took our breath away when we were shown around. The fixtures and finishing are simply gorgeous and modern in every way. Michaela gave us a welcome drink which we drank while relaxing in the patio and taking in the view.

We had been considering taking a bus to see Ravelło, which is situated high above Amalfi, but since it was shrouded in cloud today we decided to take a miss. We were happy to stroll the town and scope out some places for dinner.

For dinner, we are at a single star Michelin restaurant at the beach. Sorry to disappoint you, but there are no food photos tonight.

Heart

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Barbara Harrison1100m up and 1100 m down. 32K. That's quite a ride!
Beautiful photos !
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1 year ago

Today's ride: 32 km (20 miles)
Total: 39 km (24 miles)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	11
Comment on this entry	Comment	9

Keith ClassenWhat a great day for the memory bank. Congratulations and so glad it all worked out.
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1 year ago

Anne AnastasiouSo glad it was a successful day and that you stayed safe. xx
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1 year ago

David MathersTo Keith ClassenThanks, it exceeded all expectations. I don’t usually get fussed about the route but this one was different.
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1 year ago

David MathersTo Anne AnastasiouWe were over the moon through the whole coastal ride. What a treat it was to have the place to ourselves.
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1 year ago

Scott AndersonI’m glad you got the weather for it and didn’t talk yourselves out of it. Such an amazing ride! Like you, we didn’t find it nearly as nerve-wracking as we’d imagined. I’d much rather be on this road than driving a car or bus.
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1 year ago

Patrick O'HaraOne day. Dare to dream.
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1 year ago

Linda SaundersWow! I can’t believe how well it turned out for you! We took a bus from Sorrento to Praiano and it was hairy!
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1 year ago

Anne MathersTo Linda SaundersIt is much better on a bike or a moto. Especially if you time it well. We didn’I'm even see a bus and there were so few cars. We saw professional drivers parked along the way, just waiting for calls to pick up customers.
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1 year ago