Amalfi Coast | Amalfi

As we continued our tour along the Amalfi Coast, we discovered that main town on the coast (known as the pearl of the coast) is also simply named Amalfi! Home to the 11th century Cathedral of Saint Andrew (hello amazing striped stonework!!) with amazing frescos, mosaics and golden ceilings, the city carries more than it's weight when it comes to showcasing Medieval era architecture.

We took a boat ride one morning to get from where we were staying in Maiori to Amalfi-- with the sun warm on our faces, we witnessed spectacular views of the coast from the water and learned about many of the structures built into the cliffs. Then we spent the day touring St Andrew's, winding through the the narrow streets and alleys and taking in the hustle and bustle of the city's tourist season. Amalfi, much like most of the other coastal towns, is only "open" April to October each year, with the exception of Christmas and New Years, and tourism is the main economy.

We rounded out our day in Amalfi with a tour of a lemon farm followed by a delicious lunch overlooking their terraced groves of trees. Amalfi lemons, known as Sfumato Amalfitano, have a rich history rooted in the Amalfi Coast's unique climate and the ingenuity of its people. Introduced by the Arabs, these lemons were cultivated and refined through crossbreeding with local citrus, eventually becoming a prized crop and a symbol of the region. The growing process is so unique and so organic that people will often eat the entire lemon, rind and all. And when not eaten, the rind is used for limoncello, pasta sauces, compound butters and oils, essential oils and much more.