What to see in Amalfi in one day

Amalfi, just like all the other small towns on the Amalfi Coast, is perfect for a 1-day trip.

Here is a tour that suits tourists who don’t have much time, like cruise passengers or people who love day trips, but don’t want to miss a thing in the former Maritime Republic.

Here we go: What to see in Amalfi in one day!

What to see in Amalfi in one day?

The first thing you will notice as you reach Amalfi is the Duomo (Cathedral) dedicated to Amalfi’s patron, Sant’Andrea, and the Fontana di Sant’Andrea (Sant’Andrea Fountain) in the piazza facing the Duomo, that dispenses drinking water, a godsend during hot summer days!

Next to the Duomo di Amalfi complex, there is the small and evocative Chiostro del Paradiso (Paradise Cloister), with an Arabian garden at its centre, decorated with high palm trees and frescoes , once used as graveyard for Amalfi rich people. The Cloister ticket is few euros and it includes a tour of the Duomo, the crypt, the museum and the basilica del Crocifisso (Crucifix Cathedral). 

Going down to Piazza Flavio Gioia, next to the seafront, you will find the Antico Arsenale della Repubblica di Amalfi (Ancient Arsenal of the Amalfi Republic) inside an early medieval building. Safeguarding the legacy of Amalfi, the Arsenal keeps the Maritime Tablet Code of Amalfi compiled in the 9th century, which regulated the maritime transports across the Mediterranean Sea up to the 16th century. 

Walking through the old town of Amalfi, along the main street, you’ll find the tiny yet picturesque Fontana Cap’ ‘e ciuccio  (the fountain named after the donkeys that used to drink there) that nowadays holds a permanent nativity scene, and where tourists toss a coin making a wish.

Proceeding northward you’ll get to the Museo della Carta (Paper Museum), set up inside an ancient paper mill, that shows the different working techniques of the refined paper of Amalfi,  with machinery and equipment for the handmade production of paper that still work. 

Once you leave the Museo della Carta, you can take a walk along the path to the upper side of Amalfi, that enters the Valle dei Mulini (Valley of the Mills), so called because in the past it used to house the watermills employed for the paper making. 

If you want, you can also go to Marina Grande beach and take a swim in the crystal clear sea of Amalfi.