Sailing the Amalfi Coast and Capri: a 7-day itinerary
The Amalfi Coast is short, steep and spectacular: cliff villages like Amalfi and Positano, the Li Galli islets, the Punta Campanella marine reserve and Capri sit within about 25 nautical miles of each other. A week from Salerno means short daily legs, lunch stops on buoys or at anchor, and nights in small harbours where a booked berth is worth more than wind. Expect heavy ferry and tour-boat traffic in summer and strict zones around the reserve.
Where to charter a yacht for the Amalfi Coast?
The natural base for this loop is Salerno. Alternatives on the Sorrento side are Castellammare di Stabia and Sorrento; all bases are listed on the Amalfi Coast page. Charter weeks usually run Saturday to Saturday. To sail bareboat you need a licence the charter company accepts (see boat licence in Italy and the ICC); otherwise hire a skipper or book a crewed yacht.
A 7-day sailing itinerary from Salerno
Distances are approximate chart estimates. Plan every leg with up-to-date charts and a pilot book, and book summer berths in advance.
Day 1: Salerno – Cetara – Amalfi (approx. 10 nm)
Leave Marina d'Arechi, Salerno's large modern marina with round-the-clock mooring assistance. Coast west past Vietri sul Mare and the fishing village of Cetara, then along the cliffs to Amalfi. Amalfi's small harbour has a limited stretch of quay set aside for pleasure craft, with 2–5.5 m depth, so reserve before you arrive. Tip: Marina d'Arechi has its own fuel berth, so leave with full tanks; the harbours further west are small and busy.
Day 2: Amalfi – Positano – Li Galli – Capri (approx. 19 nm)
The postcard leg. Sail west under Praiano to Positano and admire the stacked houses from outside the bathing zone (see the rules below). Continue to the Li Galli islets. They lie in a zone B of the Punta Campanella marine reserve: anchoring is prohibited and you must not cross the zone under engine, so enjoy them from outside the marker buoys. Then cross to Capri and round the south-east corner past the Faraglioni stacks to Marina Grande. Tip: Capri's tourist port asks transit boats to call on VHF channel 71 (or by phone) at least 30 minutes before arrival and wait off the entrance until they are cleared in.
Day 3: Around Capri (approx. 9 nm)
Spend the day circling the island from Marina Grande: the Faraglioni, Marina Piccola on the south side, the west-coast lighthouse at Punta Carena and the Blue Grotto on the north-west. From 1 June to 30 September two yellow buoys mark the Blue Grotto area: between Punta dell'Arcera and Punta Sbruffo you must pass outside the line of buoys (staying more than 300 m off the coast), and you may not anchor or stop within 100 m of them. Visitors go into the cave in the local rowing boats. Return to Marina Grande for the night; the funicular takes about four minutes up to the Piazzetta. Tip: keep a sharp lookout for swimmers, kayaks and small rental boats close under the cliffs.
Day 4: Capri – Sorrento (approx. 8 nm)
A short hop across the Bocca Piccola strait to Sorrento. On the way you pass the Vervece rock off Marina della Lobra. It is a zone A of the reserve, ringed by four large yellow buoys: no entry, not even to swim, so keep outside the buoys. Overnight at Marina Piccola in Sorrento, where a consortium of local operators runs transit berths on a floating pontoon a few steps from Piazza Tasso. Tip: this is the busiest crossing of the week, so avoid the hours when the ferries run most often.
Day 5: Sorrento – Punta Campanella – Nerano – Amalfi (approx. 20 nm)
Round Punta Campanella, the tip of the peninsula, and enter the Gulf of Salerno. Stay well out from the Baia di Ieranto, where motor entry and anchoring are banned to protect the seagrass. Stop for lunch and a swim at the reserve's Le Mortelle buoy field in the bay of Marina del Cantone (Nerano): 35 eco-moorings in an area where you could not otherwise stop. The field opens for the summer season (usually from June). You cannot book it; you pay an hourly or daily fee by boat length through the Blue Discovery app. In the afternoon, head back east, keeping outside the Li Galli zone, past Positano to Amalfi for the night. Tip: the Blue Discovery app also shows the reserve's zone boundaries on your phone, which helps where the marker buoys are missing.
Day 6: Amalfi – Maiori – Cetara (approx. 6 nm)
A lazy day along the eastern half of the coast. At Maiori the pilot book warns of silting there, with only 1–2.5 m at the transit quay and the end of the inner mole closed, so check your draught before you go in. Cetara, a working fishing harbour with 2.5–6 m depth, makes a good lunch stop. Its berths are regulated by the Salerno harbour office, so ask ahead if you want to stay. Tip: if there is no berth, carry on to Salerno the same evening.
Day 7: Cetara – Salerno (approx. 4 nm)
A short final leg back to Marina d'Arechi to refuel and return the yacht, usually on Friday afternoon or evening.
| Leg | Distance | Overnight | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salerno – Amalfi | approx. 10 nm | Amalfi harbour | Cetara, the Amalfi cathedral |
| Amalfi – Capri | approx. 19 nm | Capri, Marina Grande | Positano, Li Galli, Faraglioni |
| Around Capri | approx. 9 nm | Capri, Marina Grande | Blue Grotto, Punta Carena |
| Capri – Sorrento | approx. 8 nm | Sorrento, Marina Piccola | Vervece rock, Sorrento old town |
| Sorrento – Amalfi | approx. 20 nm | Amalfi harbour | Punta Campanella, Nerano buoys |
| Amalfi – Cetara | approx. 6 nm | Cetara (ask ahead) or Salerno | Maiori beach, Cetara fishing harbour |
| Cetara – Salerno | approx. 4 nm | Marina d'Arechi | Return to base |
Rules and safety on the Amalfi Coast
Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area. The Area Marina Protetta di Punta Campanella covers the tip of the Sorrento peninsula and part of the Amalfi side, and is managed by six municipalities including Sorrento, Massa Lubrense and Positano. It has three zones:
- Zone A (Vervece rock and Vetara islet): no access, navigation or anchoring for any boat without authorisation. Pass outside the yellow buoys.
- Zone B (for example Li Galli, the Crapolla fjord and the Baia di Ieranto): no crossing under engine and no anchoring. Sailing is allowed, and mooring only on the reserve's own buoy fields. The Crapolla fjord is closed with a buoy barrier; a small buoy field between Isca and Crapolla can be used instead.
- Zone C: motor boats at max 5 knots within 300 m of the coast and max 10 knots beyond. Anchoring is allowed only between 08:00 and 20:00, at least 100 m from beaches and 50 m from cliffs, and never on Posidonia seagrass or coralligenous beds. In practice, you cannot spend the night at anchor inside the reserve.
A fee applies for the buoy fields; check the park's site and the Blue Discovery app. Checks at sea and fines are common.
Bathing zones on the Amalfi Coast. The Guardia Costiera in Salerno sets the rules from Positano eastwards in its bathing-safety ordinance. During the bathing season (at least from the third Saturday of May to the third Sunday of September), waters up to 200 m from beaches and low rocks and up to 100 m from high cliffs are reserved for swimmers. You may not sail, motor, anchor or stop there, except in the marked access lanes at dead slow speed to reach a pier or mooring. Capri and the Sorrento side have their own ordinances from their local coast guard offices; check them on arrival.
Capri. The Blue Grotto rules come from the Italian Navy's pilot book updates, which also mark a small no-go area on Capri because of rockfall. In Marina Grande the speed limit is 2 knots and ferries have priority.
Traffic. Ferries, hydrofoils and tour boats criss-cross the area, and the reserve reports huge numbers of boats in summer. Keep a proper lookout and give ferries room at harbour entrances.
Licence and emergencies. As explained in boat licence in Italy, without a licence you may only drive boats with engines up to 30 kW (40.8 hp) within 6 nm of the coast; beyond that, or with a bigger engine, you need a licence. Charter yachts are normally skippered by someone holding a licence the company accepts, or you hire a skipper. The coast guard emergency number is 1530, or call on VHF channel 16. For weather, use the official forecasts of the Aeronautica Militare.
Best time to sail the Amalfi Coast
The charter season runs roughly from May to October. June and September are the sweet spots: the reserve's buoy fields are open and the harbours are less crowded than in high summer. July and August bring the most boats, the fullest harbours and the busiest ferry schedules, so book berths in Amalfi, Capri and Sorrento well ahead. The Blue Grotto buoy rules apply from 1 June to 30 September.
FAQ
Can I anchor overnight off Positano or in Nerano?
Inside the Punta Campanella reserve, anchoring is allowed only from 08:00 to 20:00 in zone C, and not at all in zones A and B, so plan harbour nights. This itinerary uses Amalfi, Capri and Sorrento, where you can book a berth; ask your charter company about moorings off Positano.
Can I take my yacht into the Blue Grotto?
No. Visitors enter the cave crouched in the small rowing boats of the local boatmen and follow their instructions. From June to September you must stay outside the buoy line in front of the grotto and may not stop within 100 m of the buoys.
Do I need to book berths in advance?
In summer, yes. Amalfi, Capri and Sorrento have limited space for visiting yachts; Capri also asks you to call on VHF 71 before arriving.
Is the Amalfi Coast suitable for a first sailing holiday in Italy?
The legs are short, but traffic, reserve zones and crowded harbours make it demanding. If in doubt, hire a skipper.
For Procida and Ischia across the bay, read our guide to the Bay of Naples by boat; further north are the Pontine Islands. Before you go, check what to bring on a yacht charter. Charter yachts from Salerno, Castellammare di Stabia and Sorrento can be booked on Ship O'Hoi, bareboat or with a skipper.
