Enjoying the Amalfi Coast - Italy

With longstanding traditions and lasting tributes both to church history and a succession of foreign conquerors, Maiori and Minori are two essential reference points for enjoying the Amalfi Coast on a more personal level.

Amalfi Coast Whereas flashier places like Sorrento, Positano and Capri offer nearly overwhelming versions of sensory overload, Maiori and Minori bring balance to an Amalfi holiday… and a subtle invitation to soak up the most authentic aspects of the Coast’s culture, both past and present. Named for their subsequent neighboring relationships to the Reghinna River – ie “Major” and “Minor” – they humbly host an ageless wealth of agricultural contributions, local customs, and invigorating interaction with the natural setting.

There are many options for discovering ruins, religious architecture, prehistoric caves, painted frescoes and the ubiquitous Amalfi mosaic decorations – and all of these are certainly must-see highlights of a Maiori/Minori adventure – but it must be said that the heart and soul of each village springs eternal from the soil. Here, the “Pathway of the Lemons” quite literally links Maiori to Minori via a spectacular nature walk, with thousands of discoveries all contributing to a broader appreciation and understanding of the very foundations of Amalfi Coast culture and cuisine. And, while similar to each other in their Etruscan heritage and contemporary scene, Maiori and Minori offer unique vistas to visitors in search of the unusual and memorable.

Maiori’s essentials include a claim to cinematic fame: featured numerous times as the setting for Roberto Rossellini’s movies during the mid 20th century, the town celebrates the gifts of both old and new filmmakers with the annual “Rossellini Film Festival.” On local tables you’ll discover the surprisingly delicious eggplant-and-chocolate concoction and a local liqueur still made by secret recipe. With its own castle, a lemon museum, and a hamlet founded by Hercules, Maiori really does major in intrinsically impressive culture.

Minori makes food fans salivate with its enduring handcrafted pasta production, derived from imported Salerno wheat. Every autumn, Minori puts a twist (literally) on its pasta traditions with a theatrically-themed festival called “Gusta Minori” – but it’s not just pasta that will whet your appetite. Local gastronomic gems such as flavored liqueurs (ranging from lemon to mandarin, wild strawberries to dill), sweets, pastries and cakes, will have you swooning before you’ve finished the first course. With these two cities literally brimming with the best that the Amalfi Coast has to offer, you owe it to yourself to plan a serious session of fun and fantastic discovery in Maiori and Minori.

Amalfi coast rentals: don’t cramp your style with the hotels and tourist-tailored prices – make it a real Amalfi adventure and rent a local apartment or villa… just remember that once you arrive you might never want to leave!