Amalfi Coast Drive (SS163)
On Gingerguide's self-guided Positano audio tour, Amalfi Coast Drive (SS163) is a stop worth about ~120 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type landmark
- Suggested visit ~120 min
- Positano Positano guide
About Amalfi Coast Drive (SS163)
The most dramatic coastal road in Italy, the SS163 is carved into the cliff face above the Amalfi Coast, with hairpin bends 200 metres above the sea, tunnels through the rock, and views that rank among the greatest in Europe.
The Strada Statale 163 Amalfitana, the Amalfi Coast Road, is one of the most celebrated and most feared roads in Europe: a narrow, winding carriageway carved into the cliff face above the Amalfi Coast, running for approximately 50 kilometres from Vietri sul Mare near Salerno to Positano, then continuing via Sorrento to the western end of the peninsula. The road was built in the 1850s under the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and opened in 1853, before its construction, the coastal towns could only be reached by boat or by mountain path. The road width in many sections is barely adequate for two vehicles to pass; there are sections where buses travelling in opposite directions must reverse to a passing place. The road runs at heights of up to 300 metres above the sea, with sheer drops on the seaward side. The hairpin bends are genuinely alarming for drivers unaccustomed to Italian mountain driving. Yet the views are extraordinary and the experience, once completed, is one of the most memorable road journeys in the world. The road was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Amalfi Coast cultural landscape in 1997.
Did you know? Before the Amalfi Coast road was built in 1853, the towns of the Amalfi Coast were connected to the outside world primarily by boat. The journey from Naples to Amalfi by land before the road took two days; the road reduced it to a few hours. This transformation of accessibility fundamentally changed the economic character of the coast, opening it to tourism for the first time.
How much time do you need at Amalfi Coast Drive (SS163)?
Around ~120 min works well for Amalfi Coast Drive (SS163) — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Amalfi Coast Drive (SS163)?
Yes — Amalfi Coast Drive (SS163) made the cut as one of 12 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Positano. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Positano
Hear the story of Amalfi Coast Drive (SS163)
Preview the Positano tour free in the Gingerguide app.