Exploring the Amalfi Coast by Private Boat

Why a Boat?

We'd done the Amalfi Coast by car the year before. It was beautiful, miserable, and entirely dominated by the logistics of parking, coach dodging, and arguing about which hairpin bend was the one from that film. This time, we hired a private boat for the day from Positano. It cost us €350 between four people, and it was the best €87.50 we've ever spent.

The Morning Run

We left Positano harbour at 9am, before the day-tripper boats arrived. Our skipper — a third-generation fisherman named Aldo who spoke approximately 40 words of English but communicated volumes through hand gestures — headed immediately for the sea caves beneath the Fiordo di Furore.

The fiordo is a narrow gorge where a small river meets the sea. In summer it hosts a high-diving competition. In May, on a Tuesday morning, we had it entirely to ourselves. The water inside the cave is a colour that doesn't really exist in Britain — somewhere between turquoise and emerald, lit from below.

Positano from the Water

Nothing prepares you for the view of Positano from the sea. The town stacks up the cliffside in terracotta and pink and white, the church dome catching the morning light. Every photograph you've ever seen of it is accurate and simultaneously inadequate.

Aldo dropped anchor in a small cove beneath the town and we swam for an hour. The water in May is cold enough to feel clean and warm enough to stay in. He produced a cool box containing local white wine, bread, and cheese at 11am without being asked. This is simply what happens.

Ravello for Lunch

We docked briefly at Amalfi town (crowded, skip it) then continued to Ravello — technically inland, reached by a short taxi from the port. Villa Cimbrone's garden terrace has what Gore Vidal called "the most beautiful view in the world." He lived here for decades, so he had time to check.

Lunch at Cumpa' Cosimo — a family restaurant that's been in the same family since 1929. Order the mixed pasta tasting plate. Order the local white. Don't argue with the menu.

The Afternoon

Back on the water, Aldo took us to a series of smaller coves accessible only by sea. We found one, completely empty, with a flat rock the size of a tennis court at water level. We stayed for two hours. Nobody else came.

What It Cost and How to Book

We booked through a small operator in Positano directly rather than a booking platform — this cut out the commission and meant we could negotiate the itinerary. Expect to pay €280–450 for a full-day private hire depending on the season and boat size. Four to six people is the sweet spot for cost-sharing without losing the private feel.

Book at least two weeks ahead in July and August. In May and September, you can often arrange something the day before.