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Route · 14 days · round-tripYacht charter route · Amalfi

Salerno via Acciaroli & Agropoli.

Two weeks from Salerno: the Amalfi Coast, Naples and Ischia's thermal baths, then the wild Cilento caves at Palinuro before looping home to Salerno.

The route

Day-by-day route

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Cetara
Day 1

Salerno → Cetara

A short first hop out of Salerno to Cetara, the anchovy village where tuna boats still work the coast at dawn.

Distance

4 NM

Sailing

~0.8h at 5 kn

At a glance

Route at a glance

Best season

May – mid-October (peak Jun – Sep)

Duration

14 days

Departure

Salerno

Sailing area

Amalfi

Route summary

Click any day to jump back to the map and see its photos, narrative and mooring tip.

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The full story

Day-by-day journey

Named anchorages, mooring notes and things to do for every leg of the week — the map follows along as you scroll.

Day 1 / 14
Cetara
1
Day 1

Salerno → Cetara

Most crews use this first leg to shake down the boat rather than cover ground. It is barely seven miles from Salerno, so there's no rush to leave, and provisioning in the city first makes sense. Cetara sits in a cleft below the coast road, still a genuine fishing port rather than a resort. Its boats land tuna and anchovies, and the village turns the latter into colatura di alici, an amber sauce descended from Roman garum. Order spaghetti dressed with it at one of the harbour trattorias and you'll understand the fuss. The port is small and shallow, built for local craft, so plan your night early. Walk up to the Torre Vicereale before dinner while the light drops. We usually keep the afternoon loose and let people find their sea legs.

Things to do

Taste spaghetti alla colatura at a harbour trattoria

Climb to the Torre Vicereale watchtower

Buy PDO colatura di alici to take home

Swim off the Marina di Cetara beach

Mooring tip

Cetara's harbour is small and built for local fishing boats up to about 13 metres, with shallow water inside. Call ahead or arrive by early afternoon; larger yachts usually anchor off the beach in settled weather and tender in.

Amalfi
2
Day 2

Cetara → Amalfi

Amalfi is close enough that you could leave after a long breakfast, though the anchorages fill by mid-afternoon in July. The town was a maritime republic a thousand years ago and it still trades on the sea. Marina Coppola takes yachts up to around thirty-five metres in eight to eleven metres of water, and there are moorings off the front, but southerly swell rolls straight in, so watch the forecast. Ashore, the Duomo di Sant'Andrea and its long staircase dominate the piazza. Duck into the Museo della Carta to see the water-driven paper presses that made the town rich. Buy lemons the size of fists and a bottle of limoncello. Evenings get busy, then day-trippers vanish by eight; that's the hour to eat.

Things to do

Climb the steps to Duomo di Sant'Andrea

Tour the water-powered Museo della Carta

Sample sfusato lemons and local limoncello

Walk the Valle delle Ferriere path inland

Mooring tip

Marina Coppola handles yachts to about 35 metres in 8-11 metres, and there are town moorings off the seafront too. Southerlies send swell into the roadstead, so book a berth ahead in season and keep an eye on the wind backing south.

Positano
3
Day 3

Amalfi → Positano

The stretch from Amalfi curls past Conca dei Marini and Praiano, worth a swim stop at the Grotta dello Smeraldo if the sea is flat. Positano itself has no harbour, only a jetty for landing. There are seasonal buoy fields off Spiaggia Grande and the quieter Fornillo beach, with a tender service running ashore. Depths drop away fast, and crews often struggle to anchor in under twenty metres while keeping clear of the swimming lines. Take a buoy if one's free and settle in. The town climbs the cliff in tiers of pink and ochre, and the walk up to Santa Maria Assunta with its majolica dome is short but steep. Eat at Fornillo for less noise. We generally aim to be moored by two.

Things to do

Snorkel the Grotta dello Smeraldo near Conca dei Marini

See the majolica dome of Santa Maria Assunta

Escape the crowds on Fornillo beach

Aperitivo above Spiaggia Grande at sunset

Mooring tip

Positano has no marina, only buoy fields off Spiaggia Grande and Fornillo with a tender shuttle. Buoys are limited and the seabed shelves steeply, making anchoring awkward under 20 metres. Grab a mooring early or plan to move on if none are free.

Sorrento
4
Day 4

Positano → Sorrento

This leg takes you around Punta Campanella, the tip of the peninsula, where the current can run and the wind funnels; time it for the morning calm. Off the point lie the Li Galli islets, said to be Homer's Sirens, good for a mid-passage swim. Sorrento sits on a tufa shelf above two marinas. Marina Piccola is the working port, sharing water with the Capri and Naples ferries, so expect wash and a busy quay. Marina Grande, further west, keeps its fishing-village feel and better restaurants. Up top, Piazza Tasso and the old lanes are made for an evening stroll. Order gnocchi alla sorrentina and a glass of the local limoncello. A lift or the zigzag ramp connects the harbour to the town.

Things to do

Swim off the Li Galli islets rounding the point

Wander Piazza Tasso and the old-town lanes

Dine on gnocchi alla sorrentina at Marina Grande

Ride the lift up from Marina Piccola

Mooring tip

Marina Piccola is a functioning ferry port, so berths get wash and the quay is busy; book ahead in summer. For a calmer night with better tavernas, try Marina Grande to the west, though space there is tighter.

Naples
5
Day 5

Sorrento → Naples

A proper crossing today, roughly eighteen miles of open gulf with Vesuvius growing off the bow. The sea breeze tends to build from late morning, so an early start earns you a flatter passage. Naples more than makes up for the early alarm. Tie up in the Borgo Marinari, the little harbour tucked against Castel dell'Ovo on the islet of Megaride, where fishermen and yachts to about twenty-four metres share the quay under the fortress walls. Step ashore and you're minutes from Santa Lucia and the seafront. This is the city for pizza in its birthplace, with the historic centre, Spaccanapoli, and the archaeological museum a taxi ride away. It's a loud, unvarnished place after the polished coast, and better for it. Lock the boat and go explore on foot.

Things to do

Eat a Margherita in its Naples birthplace

Tour Castel dell'Ovo above the harbour

Walk Spaccanapoli through the historic centre

See the bronzes at the Archaeological Museum

Mooring tip

Borgo Marinari at Castel dell'Ovo berths yachts from about 10 to 24 metres with power and water on the quay. It sits in the middle of a working city, so confirm a berth in advance and leave nothing on deck when you head ashore.

Naples
6
Day 6

Naples → Ischia

Ischia lies across the gulf from Naples, larger and greener than Capri and far less frantic. The passage is open water, so watch the afternoon breeze. Most crews make first for the Aragonese Castle, the fortress on its own islet linked to Ischia Ponte by a stone causeway; you can anchor off and dinghy in for a look. The island is volcanic through and through, which means thermal water everywhere and vineyards climbing the slopes for the local Biancolella white. Sant'Angelo, on the south side, is a car-free hamlet worth the detour if the weather allows a stop. Provisioning is easy in Ischia Porto. Ease off tonight before the north coast tomorrow. Swim, eat well, turn in early.

Things to do

Anchor off the Aragonese Castle at Ischia Ponte

Taste Biancolella white from the island's vineyards

Detour to car-free Sant'Angelo on the south coast

Soak in a natural thermal spring

Mooring tip

Ischia Porto is a former volcanic crater with good shelter and full services, though it fills in high season. You can anchor off Ischia Ponte near the castle in settled weather, but it's exposed to any northerly, so keep the forecast close.

Casamicciola Terme
7
Day 7

Ischia → Casamicciola Terme

Barely an hour's sail moves you around to Casamicciola Terme, so treat today as a lazy one. Ischia's oldest spa resort has drawn people to its hot springs since the nineteenth century, and the marina here is modern and well run, taking yachts to around thirty-five metres inside the mole over a sandy bottom. The reason to come is the thermal parks. Parco Termale Castiglione stacks nine pools up the hillside at temperatures from thirty-two to forty degrees, with sea access below; it makes an easy afternoon. If you'd rather stay low-key, O'Vagnitiello is a smaller bathing park cut into the rock. Ashore, the rebuilt town is quieter than Ischia Porto. Book a spa slot, wander the front, and let the day drift. Tomorrow is a long one back across the gulf.

Things to do

Soak the day at Parco Termale Castiglione

Bathe in the rock pools of O'Vagnitiello

Ride up toward Monte Epomeo for the view

Stroll Casamicciola's rebuilt seafront promenade

Mooring tip

Marina di Casamicciola is a sheltered, well-serviced port taking yachts to about 35 metres inside and larger craft alongside the outer quay, over sand in up to five metres. It's a comfortable, secure night, but reserve in July and August.

Sorrento
8
Day 8

Casamicciola Terme → Sorrento

This is the biggest single crossing of the trip so far, better started early while the gulf is still glassy. The rhumb line takes you south of Procida and across open water with Capri filling the view to starboard, tempting a detour if time and wind allow; the Faraglioni stacks alone are worth the diversion. Otherwise, hold for Sorrento and its shelf-top position above the sea. Coming back to Marina Piccola means a known quay and an easy walk into Piazza Tasso for a last coastal dinner. If you fancy a swim en route, the water off Punta Campanella is clear and deep. Fuel and provision here, because the run down to the Cilento starts tomorrow and the southern ports are smaller. Aim to be tied up before the afternoon breeze fills in.

Things to do

Detour to Capri's Faraglioni sea stacks

Swim in clear water off Punta Campanella

Provision and refuel at Marina Piccola

Last coastal dinner around Piazza Tasso

Mooring tip

You already know Marina Piccola from earlier, so berthing is straightforward, but it stays a busy ferry port. Book ahead and, if you want quiet on this second visit, ask about Marina Grande instead.

Amalfi
9
Day 9

Sorrento → Amalfi

Retracing the peninsula, you round Punta Campanella again and drop back onto the Amalfi Coast, this time from the west. It's a scenic fifteen miles or so past Positano, and there's no shame in a second swim below its cliffs if a buoy is going spare. Amalfi is the target for tonight, partly because it's a fine base and partly to reposition for the long jump to the Cilento tomorrow. Arriving mid-morning gives you the pick of the moorings before the tour boats swarm in. With the town already familiar, use the afternoon differently. Hike part of the Valle delle Ferriere up the gorge behind the town, past old ironworks and ferns, or take the bus up to Ravello for the gardens and the view from Villa Rufolo. Reprovision for the passage south.

Things to do

Hike the Valle delle Ferriere gorge above town

Bus up to Ravello's Villa Rufolo gardens

Second swim below the Positano cliffs

Reprovision for the Cilento crossing

Mooring tip

Same story as your first Amalfi night: Marina Coppola berths and seafront moorings, both exposed to southerly swell. Get in before the day-boats to claim a spot, and reprovision now, because the Cilento ports south of here are smaller and quieter.

Agropoli
10
Day 10

Amalfi → Agropoli

Today the coast opens out and the crowds thin. It's a solid thirty-mile reach across the Gulf of Salerno to Agropoli, the northern gateway to the Cilento, so leave early and settle into the passage. The tourist port has floating pontoons and decent shelter, tucked in below the old town and its Aragonese castle, and it holds well against the sirocco. Agropoli feels like the real south after the polished Amalfi towns, a working place with a good fish market and honest trattorias. The main draw is inland. Paestum, half an hour away, keeps three Doric temples that have stood in the plain since the Greeks built them 2,500 years ago, among the best preserved anywhere. Arrange a taxi or hire bikes. Back aboard, the pace of the trip has clearly changed.

Things to do

Visit the Doric temples at Paestum

Climb to Agropoli's Aragonese castle and old town

Buy the day's catch at the fish market

Try mozzarella di bufala from the Sele plain

Mooring tip

Agropoli's tourist port has floating pontoons and holds up well against the sirocco, unlike the exposed Amalfi roadsteads. It's calmer and cheaper here; a call ahead in peak weeks secures a finger berth, but pressure is lighter than up north.

Acciaroli
11
Day 11

Agropoli → Acciaroli

A shorter, easier day rounds Punta Licosa, a wooded headland with a protected marine area and an islet off its tip, clear water over rock and posidonia that begs for an anchor-and-swim stop at midday. Acciaroli sits a little further south, a small fishing harbour with a genuine village behind it. Hemingway is rumoured to have passed through and drawn on the place for The Old Man and the Sea; true or not, it has the right weathered feel. The port takes yachts comfortably and stays relaxed. This is Cilento longevity country, where an unusual number of people live past a hundred, credited to the seafood, greens, and rosemary-heavy cooking. Eat simply and well by the water. There's little to do beyond swim, walk the mole, and watch the boats. That's the point.

Things to do

Anchor and swim off Punta Licosa's marine reserve

Walk Acciaroli's harbour mole at dusk

Eat fresh seafood in the old village

Look for the Hemingway plaque by the port

Mooring tip

Acciaroli's marina is small but welcoming and takes yachts without much fuss; it's a popular Cilento stop, so it can fill in August. The anchorage off Punta Licosa to the north is lovely by day but open, so use it for lunch, not overnight.

Palinuro
12
Day 12

Acciaroli → Palinuro

The coast turns dramatic today. Cape Palinuro juts out in a mass of cliffs and grottoes, more than thirty of them bored into the rock. The star is the Grotta Azzurra, where light through an underwater channel turns the water an electric blue; a local gozzo boat runs visits and you'll want to book, since only authorised craft may enter. Anchor for a swim in the Cala del Buondormire, the 'good sleep' bay under the headland, and look up at the Arco Naturale, a stone arch spanning the water. The little marina at Palinuro sits east of the cape and gets busy, so raft up early. Ashore it's a summer resort, cheerful and unpretentious. This is the turning point of the loop; from here the compass swings back north toward Salerno.

Things to do

Book a gozzo into the Grotta Azzurra

Anchor and swim in Cala del Buondormire

See the Arco Naturale stone arch

Explore the caves below Cape Palinuro

Mooring tip

Palinuro's marina lies just east of the cape and is small and popular, so arrive early and expect to raft up in season. The Buondormire anchorage under the headland is fine for a daytime stop but too exposed to leave the boat overnight.

Agropoli
13
Day 13

Palinuro → Agropoli

A long one back up the Cilento, so top up fuel and water before you slip. The return north often gives a better sailing angle than the run down, with the prevailing breeze on the beam once it fills; use the early hours for miles and let the afternoon wind do the work. There's no rule saying you must push straight through. If the day's kind, break the passage at Marina di Camerota or drop the hook again off Punta Licosa for a last Cilento swim before the water gets busier further north. Agropoli makes a sensible night stop, a known, sheltered port within a day's reach of Salerno. Back in the tourist harbour, you'll notice how much quieter this end of the trip has been. A final fish dinner ashore feels earned.

Things to do

Break the passage at Marina di Camerota

Last Cilento swim off Punta Licosa

Refuel and reprovision at Agropoli's port

Final fish supper in the old town

Mooring tip

You know Agropoli's tourist port from the way down, so berthing is easy and it stays well sheltered from the sirocco. Reserve if you're arriving late off a long leg, and fuel up here for the final run to Salerno.

Salerno
14
Day 14

Agropoli → Salerno

The last leg closes the loop across the Gulf of Salerno, roughly thirty miles with the Amalfi wall growing ahead. Most charters want the boat back by a set time, so plan the morning around fuel state, the wind, and any final swim rather than sightseeing. If you're early, there's a decent last anchorage off the mouth of the Sele or a lunch stop before the city. Salerno itself is easy to overlook, with a long seafront promenade, a Norman-era cathedral holding the relics of Saint Matthew, and a lived-in old town for a farewell meal. The marina here is large and easy to enter, well sheltered behind its moles. Leave time to clean up, settle the fuel, and hand back with the tanks as the base wants them. Two weeks and a full circle done.

Things to do

Visit Salerno's cathedral and Saint Matthew's crypt

Stroll the Lungomare Trieste seafront promenade

Wander the medieval old town for a last meal

Settle fuel and hand back at the marina

Mooring tip

Salerno's marina complex is large, easy to approach, and well protected behind its breakwaters, so the final berthing is undemanding. Confirm your check-out slot and fuel-dock timing with the base ahead, as morning queues build in summer.

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