The Guardian81%
Salerno: the charming and affordable gateway to Italy’s Amalfi coast 32%
By Jessica Furseth0%
6/19/2026, 11:00:02 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 21 faulty reasoning types, including Ambiguity (Equivocation), Halo Effect, and Negativity Bias, with Biased Writer Voice as the most egregious example at 59.2% saturation with 543 hits. Analysis detected 2,435 faulty-reasoning hits from 918 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 40.9% and a BS Rank of 32% (15,012 of 21,887 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 68.60% of the article peer group.
The ferry from Salerno to Amalfi town was set to take about 35 minutes, and we were debating whether to risk the windswept top deck, fearful our packed lunches might fly into the Tyrrhenian Sea.
(My father and I were taking a pragmatic approach on our Italian holiday, opting for light midday meals to save space for the primo and secondo courses at dinner, and ample lemony desserts.)
As our ferry sped across glittering water, we admired the views as the Amalfi coast unfolded, incandescent with charm.
But we could also see the crawling traffic on the narrow roads that cling to the cliffs.
That could have been us, up there in one of those toy-sized rental cars, squeezed between a tourist coach and a fed-up local leaning on their horn.
Thankfully, we were on a boat instead, sea breeze in hair and coffee in hand.
Originally a Roman colony, Salerno was reshaped by the Normans in the 11th century.
It’s a pleasant and relaxed town to wander, its wide and luxurious promenade dotted with palm trees, benches and street performers.
What it lacks in Amalfi glamour, it makes up for with a more authentic tableau of local Italian life.
(After a day of eating overpriced ice-cream from hollowed-out Amalfi lemons, we found Salerno’s lack of performance refreshing.)
Dad and I got a holiday rental on the edge of the historic centre, near Salerno Cathedral, which houses the relics of Saint Matthew.
We wandered in one morning and were surprised to find that although the duomo is on the modest side, the crypt is a real showstopper, with intricate marble details from top to bottom.
The town is also home to the Schola Medica Salernitana, which dates back to the 9th century and was the pre-eminent source of medical knowledge in its heyday, before closing in 1811.
Today, the adjacent Garden of Minerva botanical terrace is the city’s most picturesque attraction.
Its organising principle is the four humours of man (the Ancient Greeks theorised that our temperament and health are dictated by a balance of blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile).
That’s certainly something to think about while wandering the gardens, where the plants are labelled according to which “mood” they affect.
What Salerno lacks in Amalfi glamour, it makes up for with a more authentic tableau of local Italian life
Another worthwhile rail excursion is to Vietri sul Mare – the first town in the string of pearls that make up the Amalfi coast, and the only one that can be reached by train.
We hopped on an eight-minute service out of Salerno for a wander through the town famous for its colourful ceramics, but also because I wanted to swim – Salerno’s seafront has a nice promenade, but beach lovers are left wanting.
You can swim in Amalfi town too, but the beach in this more famous spot was already getting busy when we visited in late March.
As much as I enjoyed Amalfi, I felt relieved to be there early in the season – its narrow streets weren’t built for crowds.
Paestum’s crown jewels are the three temples looming large and golden in the landscape
Vietri sul Mare is sleepy in comparison, and I was thrilled to find a peaceful stretch of sand, where I changed quickly under the arches before running in for a bracing dip in the turquoise water.
For Dad, who takes a dim view of anyone who goes in the sea in March, Paestum was more of a highlight.
After speeding south for about half an hour, the train dropped us off in the middle of nowhere, by a gravel road that promised a 10-minute walk to the ruins of the once-great Greek city.
We were in our element now – at Paestum, visitors can wander about freely as the approximately 27-hectare (66 acre) site unfolds, with the occasional noticeboard sharing a story of what used to be here, but mostly leaving it to your imagination.
Paestum’s crown jewels are the three temples looming large and golden in the landscape; they are about 2,500 years old yet very well preserved.
Dad was pleased to find a working model of Archimedes’ screw, an ancient hydraulic tool for elevating water, while I was tickled by the Tomb of the Diver, with its fresco of a gentleman diving into a pool, starkers.
Osteria Canali gave us our last meal in Salerno, and again we had the pleasure of being surrounded by local people in an inviting neighbourhood taverna.
The regional menu was rich with aubergine and mozzarella, and then came the main course of baccalà – a piece of white fish with figs, wrapped in paper and simmering in its own juices.
More creamy Amalfi lemon desserts to finish, of course, and we figured we should try the limoncello as well – when south of Rome, right?
But as much as I like a citrus tang, this was finally too much lemon for me.
Intercity trains run from Naples Central to Salerno and take about 35 minutes (€9.50).
Regional trains from Salerno central take about 40 minutes to Pompeii (€2.80); 30 minutes to Paestum (€3.40); and eight minutes to Vietri sul Mare (€1.40).
Timetables at trenitalia.com.
Several ferry companies run year-round services from Salerno to the towns along the Amalfi coast.
The Travelmar passenger ferry sails direct to Amalfi town from Salerno’s Concordia terminal (35 minutes, €26 return).
Plan your journey with FerryHopper
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