3 Best Towns on the Amalfi Coast for Families
- Darcy Melton
- Jul 15
- 9 min read
The best places to visit on the Amalfi Coast in Italy when traveling as a family
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Along the Amalfi coast are magical towns that spill from the mountains into the sea. In other words, they are steep. The cobblestone streets may not be stroller-friendly and the intense incline may not be very accessible for those with mobility concerns, but that doesn't mean a family vacation to the Amalfi Coast is out of reach! These ancient fishing villages turned tourist hot spots aren't always kid-friendly in the traditional sense, but are sure to make memories for your little ones. Whether you have kiddos in-tow or are traveling with the grandparents, here are our top picks for visiting the Amalfi Coast with a family.
In this article I won't go into the minutia of getting to each of these towns, but don't worry, we've got you covered! To understand how to get to any towns, check out Nathaniel's articles on getting to the Amalfi Coast from Salerno and Rome.
Maiori
Reachable by:
SitaSud bus, ferry, car, and by foot from Minori
Maiori is my top pick for where to stay on the Amalfi Coast when traveling with a family. Maiori is the largest town on the Amalfi Coast and this means, mixed with its relatively flat topography, that there are lots of shops and restaurants to chose from. Maiori is situated almost in the center of the towns which dot the Amalfi Coast, yet it is very different from many of its neighbors. First, unlike many of the towns on this coastline, much of this city is relatively flat which makes it easy to navigate. Second, compared to nearby the Amalfi coast towns, Maiori has a distinctly different architecture. While it has been inhabited since before Etruscan and Roman times, it tends to have a very "Florida in the 90s" aesthetic.
Another thing that sets it apart is that it has the largest continuous stretch of beach on the Amalfi Coast. Not only does Maiori have a the longest stretch of beach, it's also one of the few sandy beaches on this coastline. So if building sandcastles is on the to-do list, this is the beach for you. There is a free beach as well as several lidi (plural of lido) which are beach bars/restaurants where you can rent lounge chairs and umbrellas. Some lidi (all across Italy, not just Maiori) also offer showers and water-toy rentals, like paddle boards and floats.
Sandwiched between the beach and the main street which passes through town is a large piazza; imagine a boardwalk, but stone-paved. This is a lovely place to walk in the evenings after a gelato! There's also a playground, which feels essential for traveling with little ones.
If you're looking for an activity to get out on the water—especially with older kids—you can take a kayaking and snorkeling tour of the Amalfi Coast. There are a number of companies that offer tours, depending on the length or destination you're interested in. One of the tours with the best reviews is Amalfi Outdoor Experience* which is a 3.5 hour tour departing from Maiori, traveling up to Capo di Conca, and ending at Sant’Andrea Sea Cave. Though we highly recommend bringing sunscreen and hats for this one!
Minori
Reachable by:
SitaSud bus, ferry, car, and by foot from Maiori
Minori is the sister city of Maiori. If you're looking for a town similar to Maiori, but with a little more classic Amalfi Coast charm, look no further than Minori. It's certainly smaller then Maiori and not as flat, but it has tons of charm. Each town on the Amalfi Coast is a reachable day trip from one another, but Minori and Maiori are next-door neighbors, just a 5-minute drive or a 20-minute walk. Usually, we would not recommend that you walk between towns with kids. This is because walking is only possible along the highway that connects each town and there are no sidewalks. However, between Minori and Maiori, there is an upper scenic hiking trail, known as the Path of the Lemons. This path winds through lemon groves and passes through the the tiny town of Torre. Although there are about 400 steps involved, it is possible to walk with kids.
If you enjoy pastries and you're visiting Minori, it is a must to visit Pasticceria Sal de Riso. In 1978, pastry chef Carmine Marzuillo created the Delizia al Limone at Sal de Riso and it has become an Amalfi Coast classic. The Delizia al Limone is a pastry which is essentially two layers of fluffy sponge cake with a layer of lemon custard in the middle all covered with a thin and almost mousse-like layer of lemon custard. It's delicious!
Pro tip: When booking your stay on certain you sites you can filter by whether a property is family-friendly. On Booking.com* you can sort by "Top picks for families" (found above the list of hotels) or filter by "Family-friendly properties (in the sidebar). In the sidebar you can also filter by "property accessibility" and "room accessibility" for necessities like roll-in showers.
Vietri sul Mare
Reachable by:
Vietri sul Mare is one of my favorite towns on the Amalfi Coast and I'm certainly not the only one who thinks this way; it's popular among Italian and international tourists alike. I will caveat this suggestion by saying that this town is not flat, so it may be more difficult for people with lower mobility to get around.
Vietri sul Mare is renowned for its ceramics. The town is full of ceramics shops and streets adorned with colorful mosaics. The ceramics shops are a mix of small, local artisan and local Solimene ceramic factory-made goods. It's a great place to buy a memento of your trip, but be careful if you're traveling with little kids, the shops are small and tightly packed, so its an easy place for tiny hands to break pottery. Want to make pottery for yourself? There are several local workshops that last 1-3 hours with teachers who speak English. Here are some quick links:
Ceramics class* for kids and the whole family | 1 hr
Ceramics class* for adults throwing on the wheel | 1 hr
Ceramics class* for adults using many techniques | 3 hrs
Each of these classes is listed below. They are all located in Vietri sul Mare in the province of Salerno.
If you visit Vietri sul Mare, I highly recommend that you visit the Villa Comunale di Vietri, it's a public space with walls covered in mosaics. Inside of this paved public park is an amphitheater with an incredible view of the Gulf of Salerno. If you're looking to go swimming, there is a spiaggia libera, a public beach (free of charge), as well as several Lidi. Near the beach you will find the ferry terminal where you can catch a ferry that connects you to Cetara, Maori, Minori, Amalfi, and Salerno.
Bonus: Positano with kids
Reachable by:
SitaSud bus, ferry, and car
While Positano would not be my first choice for an Amalfi Coast vacation with kids, it is absolutely possible. When we visited Positano in July of 2025, I was surprised by how many families we saw—tons! Some of the pitfalls are that it is possibly the most expensive town to stay and eat in, there are limited grocery stores, and it's not flat so there's a lot of uphill walking. Some positives are that there is a small free beach and several lidi along the main beach which is near various restaurants, gelato shops, and bathrooms (one lido even has a tiny playground). There is also a free beach and several larger lidi with restaurants on Positano's other beach called Fornillo Spiaggia. This beach is a walk away from town, but reachable by a scenic paved foot path. An alternative to staying in Positano is to stay in one of the towns mentioned above and take the ferry to Positano for a day trip.
What to do with kids on the Amalfi Coast
Take day trips to other towns by ferry
One of the best ways to see and visit the Amalfi Coast is by ferry. From Maiori, Amalfi, and Positano, you can even take a ferry to Capri or Sorrento for the day! There are several ferry companies, but our favorite is Travelmar. Be aware that this is not a hop-on-hop-off anywhere tour, when you purchase your ticket you will choose departure and arrival destinations and times. It's a good idea to book ahead of time online in case the ferry for your desired time is full, but there are in-person ticket booths at each town's marina. Not every Travelmar ferry has the same design, but most should indoor and outdoor seating. Arrive early if you want to get a seat on-top or outside. If you're traveling from east to west (from Maiori to Amalfi for instance) sit on the right side for views of the coastline, likewise if you're traveling from west to east (from Amalfi to Maiori) sit on the left side.
Take a boat tour
Several companies offer private and small group boat excursions along the Amalfi Coast. Travel the coast in style with your family by renting a private boat for the day with Divine Amalfi Coast* from Maiori. More tours are offered out of Amalfi and Positano, but they tend to be geared toward adults.
Take a kayak and snorkeling tour
If you and your kids are up for a bit of exercise, try out a group kayak and snorkeling tour from Maiori along the Amalfi Coast to the Capo di Conca and back toward the Sant’Andrea Sea Cave with Amalfi Outdoor Experience*.
Walk the Path of the Lemons
The Path of the Lemons is a public hiking path between Minori and Maiori (and vice versa), but you can also take a private tour to visit a lemon grove along the path. Several locals and families have opened up their lemon groves along this path for tours and tastings. This may go without saying but "Limoncello" is an alcoholic beverage which is a staple along the Amalfi Coast and often a part of the experience while touring these lemon groves. However, tastings often include lemonade, lemon marmalade, or lemon cake as well. It's a good idea to ask what's included before booking. I have listed several options below that are based in Maiori and Minori. These include:
When researching and booking tours along the Amalfi Coast for yourself, be sure to check where the tour is based. Sometimes searching "Amalfi Coast" or even "Maiori" will give you recommendations for Sorrento for example, which is of course, not the same place.
Take a pottery class
Vietri sul Mare is famous for its handmade and hand-painted ceramics which makes it the perfect place to create pottery for yourself and bring home an extra special souvenir! Pulcinella Sciòroom hosts several different ceramics classes in English. They include
a ceramics class for kids and the whole family*, throwing on the wheel for adults*, and a ceramics class for adults using many different techniques*.
Have a gelato or sorbetto
Any gelato is a fun gelato when you're on vacation, but keep you eye out for "gelato artigianale" or artisanal gelato which should mean that the gelato is made in-house. We're all about finding the best gelato! For more tips you can check out Nathaniel's article called How To Find The Best Gelato In Italy. If you take a day trip or stay in Amalfi or Positano, you can eat lemon sorbetto or sorbet right out of a lemon! As a heads up, you're paying for the novelty. Lemon sorbet served in a lemon is typically at least €10 and the serving is about equal to a "piccolo" or small size, or even smaller. Piccolo, the regular small size, is typically 2 scoops/2 flavors. A "bimbo" or baby size is typically 1 scoop/1 flavor.
Have a Delizia al Limone
This classic Amalfi Coast pastry can be found now be found in pastry shops across the Amalfi Coast, but the original is from Sal de Riso in Minori. There are so many incredible pastries to try on the Amalfi Coast, but this is one of my favorites.
Go to the beach
The obvious and number one activity when visiting any coast is going to the beach. In Italy there are two main ways of having a beach day. You can bring your own chairs, towels, umbrellas, etc. to the free beach. Or you can rent a spot at a lido. Lidi, as I briefly explained above, are pop-up shacks or permanent buildings along the beach where you can rent beach chairs and umbrellas with access to bathrooms. These vary a bit, in addition to being either a pop-up or permanent building, they can have a bar (cafe) or a full restaurant, plus some offer floats, paddle-boards, and other water toys for rent. You will pay a set price for a chair+umbrella (these may vary in price by proximity to the sea, sometimes the first row is more expensive), bathroom access is typically included, but showers or changing rooms may cost extra. Drinks, food, and water toy rental is an additional cost.
I hope this article has helped you to understand a bit about the Amalfi Coast and what towns may be best to visit during your family's vacation. Above all I hope that you enjoy your trip and make happy memories!
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