Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast stretches 50 km of dramatic cliffside road above the Tyrrhenian Sea, linking 13 pastel-painted villages like Positano and Ravello. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, its terraced gardens and turquoise coves create a vertical seascape that dwarfs the flat lagoon of #2 Venice. For luxury travelers, this serpentine coastline offers a more prestigious escape than #1 Rome's urban intensity, with medieval towers clinging to cliffs that attract over 5 million visitors annually.