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The Amalfi Coast is a 40 kilometer stretch from Salerno to Positano, with Capri and Ischia anchoring the western end across the Bay of Naples. A 35m motor yacht out of Capri in the second week of July runs about $140,000 a week before APA. The full check after 30 percent APA, 22 percent Italian VAT, and 10 percent gratuity lands at roughly $245,000. The same yacht in early June runs $105,000 headline and a full check near $180,000. The coast itself does not change much between June and July. The price of being there does.
We cap our recommended yacht size on the Amalfi Coast at 50m, in most cases. This is the most important constraint on this destination and the one most brokers will not tell you up front. The Capri anchorages, the Positano roadstead, and the tender access at Marina Grande and Marina Piccola are not built for yachts above 60m. A 70m yacht on the Amalfi can technically anchor, technically tender ashore, and technically run the itinerary. The trip is worse than the same group on a 45m yacht. We have been on enough Amalfi charters that exceeded the 50m line to be specific about this.
This coast is a small-yacht trip. It is also the right small-yacht trip for two specific use cases. Honeymoons and small groups of four to eight on yachts in the 30m to 50m range who want the coast itself to be the destination. Anyone else is on the wrong destination.
When to charter the Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi season runs May through October. The trip windows are sharper here than on the Côte d'Azur because the day-tripper crowds on the coast peak hard in mid-summer and the restaurants ashore are mostly small.
May. The first three weeks of May are quieter than most charter readers know. The water is 17 to 19 degrees Celsius, cool but not too cold for short swims. Anchorages are empty. Restaurants ashore (Lo Scoglio, Da Adolfo, Maria Grazia, the Capri standards) take same-day bookings. Hotel demand for tender-shore dinners is at its lowest. Rates are 25 to 30 percent below July peak. This is one of the better calm windows of the entire Mediterranean season.
Late June. Water at 22 to 23 degrees. Anchorages start filling. The Capri scene begins. Last clean window before July prices kick in.
July through mid-August. Peak. The Capri anchorages are at capacity. Marina Piccola is over-trafficked. Day-tripper hydrofoils from Naples and Sorrento dominate Capri afternoons. Restaurants ashore are booked 6 to 8 weeks ahead. The August Italian summer holiday (Ferragosto, August 15) is the single hardest day on the coast. The trip is good if the goal is the scene and the heat. It is worse than May or September if the goal is the coast.
September. Water at 24 to 26 degrees, the warmest of the season. Restaurants thin out by the second week. The first three weeks of September are the best four weeks of the year on the Amalfi for almost any group. Prices fall from September 10.
October. The shoulder weeks are good. After mid-October most yachts have left the coast for repositioning to the western Med or onward to the Caribbean.
The anchorage map
The Amalfi Coast anchorage rotation that most charters actually use:
Capri. The yacht anchors in Marina Grande bay, off the Faraglioni on the south side, or on the west side near Punta Carena. Marina Piccola itself is a tender-only landing. The Faraglioni anchorage is the photo, but the holding is variable and most overnights are on the Marina Grande side. The Quisisana, the Punta Tragara, and the JK Place Capri are the hotel anchors. La Fontelina, Da Luigi, and Il Riccio are the lunch anchors. Capri is at full crowd from late June.
Ischia and Procida. Across the bay, less-visited, calmer water, and the Sant'Angelo and Lacco Ameno anchorages are usable in conditions when Capri is rough. A common alternative when the Capri anchorage is over-booked. The thermal spas at Negombo and Poseidon are tender-access destinations.
Positano roadstead. No marina. Yachts anchor off the town and tender into the main beach (Spiaggia Grande) or to Fornillo. The anchorage is exposed to wind from the south and southeast. The Sirenuse, the San Pietro, and Le Sirenuse are the hotel anchors. Da Adolfo, Chez Black, La Sponda are the lunch and dinner anchors. The town is small enough that the yacht is the venue for most of the trip with Positano as the daily port.
Praiano and Marina di Praia. Less-visited than Positano, with one calm anchorage on the western side and a small fishing harbor that takes tenders. Worth a stop on the way between Positano and Amalfi town.
Amalfi town. A small marina and anchorage off the town. The town itself absorbs a much smaller share of charter traffic than Capri or Positano. Worth a day stop, rarely a primary anchorage.
Nerano (Marina del Cantone) and the Gulf of Salerno. The Nerano anchorage south of Sorrento is the standard lunch stop, with Lo Scoglio and Quattro Passi the two anchor restaurants. Most Amalfi itineraries route through here twice in a week. The Gulf of Salerno on the south side of the peninsula is calmer water and a separate option for a quieter day.
A typical Amalfi Coast week
| Day | Anchorage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Sat | Naples or Sorrento | Boarding, repositioning to Capri overnight |
| Sun | Capri (Marina Grande) | Day at La Fontelina or Da Luigi, dinner aboard or at Aurora in town |
| Mon | Capri / Nerano | Morning at the Faraglioni, lunch at Lo Scoglio in Nerano |
| Tue | Positano | Tender into the Spiaggia Grande, lunch at Chez Black, dinner at La Sponda |
| Wed | Positano / Praiano | Morning swim at Fornillo, lunch ashore at Praiano |
| Thu | Amalfi or Ravello | Day in Amalfi town, dinner at Marina Grande or up at Rossellinis in Ravello |
| Fri | Ischia | Cross the bay to Ischia, dinner at Da Peppina di Renato in Forio |
| Sat | Naples disembark | Cross back to Naples to disembark |
This rhythm holds for yachts up to 50m. Above 50m, the daily tender shuttles and the tight Capri Faraglioni anchorage get cumbersome. Larger groups (12 plus on yachts 60m and above) are better suited to a different coastline.
Why we cap the recommended size at 50m
The Amalfi anchorages do not absorb large yachts well. Specifically:
The Capri anchorage is the constraint. The Marina Grande side has decent holding but absorbs perhaps 25 yachts above 40m. By mid-July, demand exceeds capacity and yachts are pushed to less-protected spots on the west side. A 70m yacht on the wrong side of Capri on a windy day is a real problem and we have seen it ruin two trips we know of in recent seasons.
Positano is open roadstead, period. There is no marina that takes anything above a 24m tender base. Larger yachts depend entirely on the tender shuttle to a small main beach, where the day-tripper traffic and the lack of a proper dock create logistics issues for groups of 12 or more.
Tender access at restaurants ashore is the third constraint. Lo Scoglio, Da Adolfo, and Chez Black are small operations with limited tender quay capacity. Larger yachts with three crew tenders and a chase boat clog the access in ways that local restaurants politely tolerate and brokers do not advertise.
The Amalfi at the right size (35m to 50m) and the right group (4 to 10 guests) is one of the best two-or-three coastlines in the Mediterranean. The Amalfi at the wrong size is a mediocre version of a trip that should have been Sardinia.
Amalfi Coast charter cost math
| Line item | Range (40m motor yacht, July peak) |
|---|---|
| Weekly rate | $170K to $250K |
| APA (30%) | $51K to $75K |
| VAT (22% Italian) | $48K to $72K |
| Gratuity (10%) | $17K to $25K |
| Full check | $286K to $422K |
The 22 percent Italian VAT is the highest in the Mediterranean charter region. Some optimization is possible with a non-Italian-flagged charter that departs from Italy on the way to a non-EU itinerary stop, but the room to maneuver is narrower than on the Côte d'Azur. Most brokers will give the unoptimized version unless asked.
What we passed on
Two things we deliberately do not recommend on the Amalfi.
We do not recommend Naples or Sorrento as anchorage destinations in their own right. Both serve as boarding and disembarking ports. The yacht does not stay overnight in either unless weather drives it. Naples specifically has security issues with tenders and equipment left aboard yachts at anchor in the bay.
We do not pair the Amalfi with the Pontine Islands (Ponza, Ventotene) in a single week. The passage is reasonable (60 nautical miles to Ponza from Capri) but the Ponza anchorage rhythm is different enough that the trip feels split. A combined Pontine and Amalfi works only with a 10-day or two-week charter. A separate Pontine week as a Rome-departure trip is the better answer.
Pairing Amalfi with other Italian coastlines
The single best Amalfi-inclusive itinerary we have run is a 10-day Naples-to-Sicily one-way charter. The route runs Capri to Ischia to the Aeolian Islands (Stromboli, Lipari, Salina) and finishes at Taormina. The pairing of the Amalfi's anchored restaurant rhythm with the Aeolian's volcanic and quieter waters covers two trips' worth of experience in one charter. Most major brokers will structure this on request. The positioning fees are reasonable because the route is on the Mediterranean rotation pipeline.
Sardinia and Amalfi in a single week does not work. The 230 nautical mile crossing eats two days. Either coast alone is the right answer for a week.
The rest of the trip
VillasForKings covers the Positano, Amalfi, and Praiano villa side. HotelsForKings covers Le Sirenuse, the San Pietro, the Punta Tragara, and the Quisisana. RestaurantsForKings covers Lo Scoglio, La Sponda, Chez Black, Don Alfonso, La Fontelina, and the half-dozen anchor restaurants the yacht's chef will not match. BarsForKings covers the evening drinks ashore in Positano, Capri, and Naples.
FAQ
What size yacht works on the Amalfi? 30m to 50m for most groups. 35m to 45m is the sweet spot. Above 50m, the anchorages and tender access get tight. Above 60m the coast does not work as a primary destination.
When is the Amalfi at its best for a charter week? Late May through the third week of June, and the first three weeks of September. The April first weeks are quiet but the water is cold and several restaurants ashore are not open. Mid-July through mid-August is the busiest and the most expensive.
Can I get a Capri table at La Fontelina or Da Luigi on short notice? In mid-summer, no. In May or September, often yes. Both restaurants are managed by the broker or the captain in the standard charter rhythm. Bookings made 8 to 12 weeks ahead in summer are reliable.
Is the Amalfi too rough in early May? Sometimes. The tramontana wind in early May can run for 3 to 4 day stretches and the Positano anchorage gets uncomfortable. The captain's local knowledge matters in May more than in July. Brokers should be checking with the captain on the specific charter dates.
What does an Amalfi day charter cost? On a 24m motor yacht out of Sorrento or Positano in July, about $4,500 to $7,500 a day plus fuel. The day charters in Amalfi page covers operators in detail.