Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day(2008)
From 101lifeStyle.com

Valentine's Day Romantic Destinations:

Valentine's Day Romantic Beach Escapes:

4.Amalfi Coast - Italy:

The Amalfi Coast lays in the south western region of Campania, Italy. The Amalfi Coast is a stunning beauty with its steep sloped lemon tree gardens and coloured terrace houses and stunning views and azure sea. It is south east of Naples starting from Positano stretching almost to Salerno. Along the coast line you will find places like Amalfi, Ravello etc., each of them stunning beauties with their own flair. The Amalfi Coast is a well known secret to German and American tourists and prices are high compared to nearby Naples. The southern end of the Bay of Naples stretches out in a steep and rocky peninsula that reaches towards the Isle of Capri. Sorrento, another major tourist destination, looks back towards Naples from the north coast of the peninsula. The southern side of the peninsula is dotted with picturesque villages and towns clinging giddily to cliffs; this is what is known as the Amalfi Coast which is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The main town of the coast is, of course, Amalfi, and this makes a good base for exploring the area.

Things To Do / See:

A.Boat Tours From The Amalfi Coast:
The Amalfi's coast il rich of Caves, built through the water erosion on the calcareous rocks. Between these caves, there is one, called "Grotta dello Smeraldo", that has typical karst and marine caves element. The "grotta dello Smeraldo" is five Km far from Amalfi, following the "Strada Statale 163" to Positano. You can reach to the "Grotta dello Smeraldo" also by boat; infact from the Amalfi's harbour many boats go to and for the cave, each hour.
Isle Of Capri Tour: If you are interested in private day Boat tours, there are many options both on and off the Isle Of Capri. You can begin the day with a fabulous boat tour along the Amalfi Coast and around the Li Galli Islands, located in the Bay of Positano. You can either stop in the cozy village of Nerano where you can feast on fresh local seafood or continue on to the glorious island of Capri, where you have time to enjoy an independent or guided island walking tour. passing through the Famous Faraglioni rock formations, visiting many characteristic grottoes of the island, such as the Green, White, and Blue* grottoes, to name a few. Naturally there is time to enjoy a dip in the crystal waters of the hidden coves before returning to the Amalfi Coast.
Boat Tour Along The Secret Coast: We depart from Amalfi and head east to the magnificent town of Atrani, which is characterized by beautiful homes clutching the rugged hillsides - until we view the sweet waters of the Mormorata Cascade - where one is compellede to take a swim. The Secret Coast, less famous, but certainly no less beautiful and evocative, is a coast of ravines, secret beaches, and grottoes. We will follow the coastal beauty passing in front of "laughing Minori" and "majestic Maiori" and Norman watch towers all the while visiting the lesser known inlets of the coast, the Norman Coast, with its secret coves and gorges. Enjoy a dip in the Bellvaia Grotto known for its sulfurous waters.
Amalfi Boat Tours "Sunset Cruises" & "Star Gazers Delight": Slipping quietly over the blue sea with billions of stars above you, discover the Amalfi Coast and Capri as only few can… the secrets it keeps, the loves it has known, the dreams that have been dreamt… or create your own as the sunsets on the horizon and under the twinkling light of the stars and the evocative Capri Moon… .

B.Explore The Historical Town Of Amalfi:
Amalfi is full of steps and to arrive to the Cattedrale di S.Andrea there is a long way with 57 steps. On the right side of the Cathedral, there is the church tower(XII century) while above is the chiostro del Paradiso and the chiesa del Crocifisso. Here the visitor can discover the historical religious past of the Amalfi Church. From the Atrium of the Cathedral, which hoverhangs the square, discover little streets that go to discover new places of Amalfi. Through one of these streets is the Piazza dei Dogi, still called Piazza dei Ferrari. The Piazza dei Dogi leads to Piazza dello Spirito Santo. It was the last square inside the wall of Amalfi, but the city isn't just here. Through the northern gate go in the Valle dei Mulini. Here, is the Museo della Carta, with its old machines, called “ingegni”, to produce paper.
Another place where you can discover the wonder past of the Republic is the old arsenal (Antichi Arsenali); it is on the left side of the “Porta della Marina”, one of the oldest door that ventured to the sea. Another street takes you to the Vagliendola quarter, with its tower houses. This street gets to the Hotel dei Cappuccini. It was a monastry called San Pietro della Canonica and founded in the XIII century. Coming back to the seaside, you can discover many old buildings. There is the monastry of "S.Benedetto", today place of the Amalfi’s Municipality and the place of the Museo Civico. In this museum, there are the “Tabula de Amalpha” and the Foscariniano Code and some nautical instruments.

C.Thirteen Towns along Amalfi Coast:
Amalfi Coast in Italy is made of thirteen wonderful towns. If you have a lot of time at hand you can explore these spectacular and informative towns via boat ride tours. Vietri sul Mare, with its famous ceramics, Cetara, a small town of fishermen with its antique charming atmosphere; Maiori with its wide beach; Minori, the ancient summer residence of Romans; Ravello, the town of music and of wonderful panoramas; Scala, the most ancient town of Amalfi Coast; Atrani, the smallest European municipality; Amalfi, a great town with a very rich culture that gives the name to the coast (this coast is called Amalfi Coast); Conca dei Marini, with a wonderful cave, Grotta dello Smeraldo; Furore with its picturesque fiord; Praiano, where the Doges of Amalfi spent summers, Positano, the pearl of Amalfi Coast and Tramonti with its woods. Amalfi Coast is chosen by tourists from all over the world. Amalfi Coast is a very good choice thanks to its facilities: hotels, residences, B&B, villas. Managers and owners of all these facilities are very friendly and the and the tourist feels at ease, at home. There are many trips to choose: the beautiful path called sentiero degli Dei, the fiord of Furore and the natural reserve of Valle delle Ferriere. While staying on Amalfi coast, tourists can also go to Capri, Sorrento, Pompei with its excavations, the ancient Paestum and Velia, Palinuro and Sapri.

D.Amalfi Coast Monuments/ Art/ Nature:
Furore Fiord;
Santa Trofimena Cathedral with a marble pulpit of 1616. It has a nave and two aisles divided by pillars. The most original part is the crypt attainable through two staircases beginning from the balustrade of presbytery, Minori;
San Pietro Church, Romanic style, with a glazed dome, the bell tower is of XIII century and the bell cell has an octagonal shape, Cetara;
Museum of ceramics, in the tower of Guariglia House: there are documents about the production of ceramics since XVII century and of the German – Dutch period (1930s), Vietri sul Mare;
NormanTower of 1653, Maiori;
San Luca Evangelista Church, built in 1588 with a three-floor bell tower. The church is made of a nave and two aisles, the floor is glazed. There is a charming painting portraying Saint Luke while painting and a silver bust of the Saint, Praiano;
Natural reserve “Valle delle Ferriere”, an example of exceptional beauty with an uncontaminated nature and very rare plants, such as Woodwardia radicans, Scala;
Villa Rufolo and Cimbrone, Ravello;
Sant’Andrea Cathedral with a long staircase made of 57 steps and a polychrome façade. The bronze portal was made in Constantinople in XI century. Near the Cathedral there the CrocifissoChurch with its Romanic bell tower, built in XII century, Amalfi;
San Pietro Apostolo Church, Tramonti, with wonderful Baroque decorations;
Santa Maria Assunta Church with a big mosaic glazed dome and the Byzantine picture portraying the Black Madonna with the Child (according to the legend it arrived by sea) of XII century, Positano ;
Grotta dello Smeraldo, Conca dei Marini with the submerged crib made of Vietri ceramics;
San Salvatore de Birecto Church, Atrani, where doges were crowned with the birecto.

E.Romantic Positano / Ravello / Sorrento:
If you are short on time Positano, Ravello and Sorrento are a must visit for couples on a romantic holiday.
According to legend, Positano was founded by the God Neptune when he fell in love with the nymph Pasitea. It is one of the most well-known holiday places in the world. The town is built in a charming fashion on terraces on the steep rocks of the Monte Comune, and around a small, well-protected bay. The church of Santa Maria Assunta features a dome made of majolica tiles as well as a 13th Byzantine century icon of a black Madonna.
The isles "li Galli": These little isles, near Positano, called "Gallo Lungo", "La Rotonda" and "La Castelluccia", were described to Omero, in the Odyssey Poem, when Ulysse met the Syrens. Positano is synonymous of summer fashion. Its boutiques made every summer, thousands of dresses in cotton, silk, linen.
Ravello: 350m above sea level, Ravello is one of the most fascinating places along the Amalfi Coast with a rich history. Do not miss the magnificent Villa Rufolo, whose gardens host the Wagnerian concerts every summer, Villa Cimbrone, with its wonderful view overlooking the whole of the coastline, and the Saint Panthaleon Cathedral, with its 13th century bell tower.
In Sorrento an aperitif in Piazza Tasso in the heart of the town is a must, followed by a romantic dinner of one of the local specialties in one of the many Sorrento restaurants, to the soothing tones of live traditional music. After dinner and a glass of limoncello, take a walk around the stores in Via San Cesareo, which are open late. After that, there are numerous possibilities to continue the evening, from elegant wine bars with lounge music, glamorous nightspots popular with celebrities, and classical music concerts in the charming Cloisters of Saint Francis.

F.Amalfi Coast Walking Tour:
Mule paths and footpaths were the only way via land to get around the Amalfi Coast before the car, therefore there are several small paths and stairways connecting the coastal towns with mountainside villages. The wealth of nature trails criss-crossing the entire area, allowing you to enjoy views that cannot even be imagined by tourists on wheels. Most of the trails are quite well marked, free walkers maps are available in Tourist offices. The famous walking path is in Valle delle Ferriere ( Amalfi’s Village) , the park takes its name ( ferro means iron in Italian ) from the ships that used to be built here.Other is God’s path ( sentiero degli Dei ) starting from Agerola to Positano, where a long the way you can see both the Bay of Naples and Salerno Gulf as well as the sinuous shape of the Sorrentine peninsula with Capri in the background. Far below, the cars on the Amalfi Coastal road look like little toys.

G.Amalfi Coast Beaches:
The Amalfi Coast Beaches in this area are small patches of coarse gray sand, or just few rocks below the precipices, most of them reachble only foothpath, stairs or by boat. As well as taking in the local sights, some of you will want to return home with a lovely Mediterranean suntan; it is important therefore, that especially on the first week of your holiday you be careful and avoid sunburn. Many beaches near the villages on the Amalfi Coast have private seaside resort with restaurant or snack-bar, where it is easy to hire umbrellas and sunbeds. There are also public beaches, which are free of charge. Some beaches have sport facilities like water ski-ing, diving.

H.Romantic Dinner:
One of the pleasure of an italian holiday is trying the local cuisine. Some local restaurants do not have a printed menu and simply tell you what is available. Among the many excellent "primi piatti" or first courses are: Cannelloni, Spaghetti al Pomodoro with fresh tomato sauce or Spaghetti alle Vongole with clams, Gnocchi, small potato dumplings in a tasty tomato sauce. Fish is a speciality of the area. Try Alici, fresh anchovies marinated in wine vinegar as an antipasto (hors d'oeuvres) or mixed Frutti di Mare, shell fish including Cozze (mussels), Vongole (clams), Cannolicchi (razor shells). Main dishes include Gamberoni (giant prawns/crayfish), Aragoste (large crayfish/lobster), Sarago, Mormora, Orata and Dentice (different kinds of bream and bass), Cernia (grouper) and Pesce Spada (sword fish). Seppie, Seppioline and Calamari (cuttlefish and squid) may be fried, grilled stuffed or cooked in sauce. For a light snack try Insalata Caprese - fresh, white, very mild Mozzarella Chease with sliced tomato, sprinkled with fresh basil or oregan and oil or Parmigiana di Melanzane, layers of aubergine, tomato sauce and mozzarella, and of course, Pizzas, served with a wide variety of toppings (usually only available in the evenings). Salame Napoletano : Usually quite tough, hard and spicy, highly seasoned with salt, pepper and sometimes chillies.

I.Get A Lavish Spa Treatment:
Amalfi Coast is famous for its spa resorts. Francischiello Spa Bellavista Hotel Sorrento, Punta Campanella Resort & Spa Hotel Massa Lubrense, Gold Spa Hotel Marcianise, Terme Manzi Hotel And Spa Ischia, Punta Molino Resort And Spa Hotel Ischia, Mezzatorre Resort And Spa Hotel Ischia, Terme Manzi Spa & Hotel Casamicciola Terme, Palace Spa and Hotel Capri are some of thevery famous spas in this area.

How To Get To Amalfi Coast:

By Air:
The nearest International Airport is that one of Naples Capodichino. In order to arrive to Amalfi Coast get to Naples (Piazza Garibaldi) by bus. Then you can reach Salerno or Sorrento by SITA buses, or by train or by ferries (departing from Beverello harbour). For further information: www.gesac.it

By Train:
There are not train stops on the Amalfi Coast; the nearest railways stations are Sorrento to the West and Salerno to the East. From Sorrento or Salerno you can continue by taxi, by buses or by ferries departing from the port of Sorrento or from Salerno/Piazza della Concordia. For further information:www.trenitalia.it

By Car:
From the North: at Caserta Sud get into motorway A30 towards Salerno-Reggio Calabria, exit Salerno, then the S.S. 163 "Amalfitana". It could be an alternative way, if you have to reach Ravello, Scala or Tramonti, exit "Pagani-Nocera", following the signs "Costiera Amalfitana", then "Valico di Chiunzi". From the South: take the motorway A3 to Naples, follow the road markings to Salerno, then the S.S. 163 "Amalfitana".

By Ferry:
For all the information about the departures: By Bus:
For all the information about the departures: www.amalficoast.com/primopiano/resort/public-transports/amalfi-coast.aspx
The ticket: UNICOCAMPANIA is the new ticket for tourists that allows to travel all around the Amalfi and Sorrento Coasts. A single ticket valid for 24H for unlimited number of trips on:
SITA BUSES in the following municipalities: Agerola, Amalfi, Atrani, Cetara, Conca dei Marini, Furore, Maiori, Massa Lubrense, Meta di Sorrento, Minori, Positano, Piano di Sorrento, Praiano, Ravello, Sant'Agnello, Salerno, Scala, Sorrento, Vietri sul Mare;
CIRCUMVESUVIANA MEANS OF TRANSPORT in the following municipalities: Meta di Sorrento, Piano di Sorrento, Sant'Agnello e Sorrento.
UNICOCOSTIERA ticket costs 5 euros and can be bought at the Unicocampania sales points, at SITA and Circumvesuviana ticket offices.