Move over Amalfi! 4 affordable coastal cities with smaller crowds

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Amalfi is probably the first place you think of when you imagine your perfect Italian summer.

Listen, we get it: the colorful houses cascading down the hill and those cinematic coastal drives overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea is the stuff of dreams, and it will never be holiday gold. Anyway, this time we need to have a serious discussion about overtourism.

The 55 kilometer long coastal strip may be the hotspot, but the country does not have a monopoly on it dolce vita. In fact, we’d say paying upwards of $300 a night for oceanfront rooms and lining up for sunset photos on that one rooftop that went viral on TikTok is far from our idea of ​​an idyllic summer.

This 4 alternative Italian coastal towns have all the Mediterranean charm, but none of the added seasonal chaos:

Portovenere

Right on the doorstep of Cinque Terre, probably one of the busiest and most hectic destinations in Italy, Portovenere feels like a breath of fresh air and an extension of the kind of world-famous colorful quintet without the hordes of Instagram.

It has the same beautiful pastel colored buildings along a picturesque harbor front, cobbled streets full of relaxed trattoria that have been in the family for decades, and a monumental coastal fort surrounded by blue-green seas to top it all off.

Just a 5-minute boat ride away is Palmaria, a lush island known for its hiking trails, crowd-free beaches and one of Liguria’s best waterfront seafood restaurants, Il Pozzale.

The best part? A night in a guesthouse just steps from the water will cost you about $75-$130 per night (view Hotiday Porto Venere Le Grazie), and all tourists who travel to the Cinque Terre usually skip it altogether.

Besides, if you’re flying to Europe this summer, you should know that there’s a whole new wave of entry rules to be aware of, from mandatory fingerprints to biometric scans. View the entry requirements here.

Brindisi

On the Adriatic side, in the increasingly trendy region of Puglia, which is home to non-stop flights from America this year, Brindisi is a port city steeped in history, characterized by its ancient port, unparalleled food scene and Roman heritage.

The architectural centerpiece is a red-stone castle perched on a small island near the harbor entrance, but if you ask me, the most impressive ancient monument in Brindisi is atop the waterfront Virgil’s Stairs: a towering Roman column that survived for as many as two millennia.

Looking for the freshest pasta in town?

Puglia is known for its traditional dishes orecchietteand while Bari gets all the praise for Arco Basso, a street where no roll out the ear-shaped pasta at the front porch. Perhaps the best pasta to try in the area is at La Locanda del Porto, right on Brindisi harbour.

How much are you going to spend on dinners out on the town, you ask? You should budget around $25-$30 for every meal, unless wine drives you crazy.

If you’re looking for a cheap place to stay, try La Maison de Monet, where rooms start from just $68 per night.

Cefalu

Sicily

Cefalù, a 50-minute train ride east of Palermo, Sicily’s sprawling capital, makes all your Italian summer dreams come true.

Imagine the cutest coastal town with weathered medieval houses (add the classic colorful shutters!), a stone pier that extends into the most turquoise sea you’ve ever seen, and about one ice cream parlor every ten steps you take.

You have to survive that Sicilian heat somehow, and it’s no wonder that the people of Palermo come here when they get the chance on the weekend. Needless to say, Cefalù is not a hidden gem waiting to be discovered, although compared to Amalfi or Portofino, it still feels quite peaceful.

The most beautiful building in the city? That would have to be Cefalù Cathedral, which is easy to miss if you only come here for the postcard sandy beach. This Byzantine wonder was built in the 11th century and features some truly stunning gold mosaics.

If you’re okay with being a bit away from the beach, you can go to privately run places like Ni Ni Apartments can still cost around $95 to $97 per night, and comparable apartments and guesthouses in Cefalù are listed for between $90 and $110 per night on the major booking sites.

For those flying to Europe in the coming months, don’t forget to check the travel advice for your destination before you go.

The last thing you want is to let your guard down in a pickpocket hotspot, especially in busy places, transit hubs and tourist areas.

Grado

A little local secret that some might argue is the perfect antithesis to Venice, Grado is another floating city on the Adriatic Sea, spread over a lagoon.

It has both Old World charm, with the canals that run through its pastel-colored historic center and the cycle paths that run along it, and the kind of natural beauty that people don’t normally come to northeast Italy for. We’re talking long sandy beaches, shallow warm waters and lagoon-dotted horizons.

Yes, unlike the average Adriatic coast, Grado’s beaches are soft with sand, no sharp pebbles to cut and cut the soles of your feet, and unlike the Amalfi towns where it’s always uphill with heavy luggage and cobblestones, it’s mostly flat.

Of course no panoramic views, but how do an early Roman basilica (in neighboring Aquileia), cycle paths through wetlands and flamingo sightings sound?

Oh, and did we mention there are virtually no crowds and you can splurge on one three course dinner for about $30-35?

Stay overnight? Hotiday Grado Marina is a popular 4-star property where rooms and suites cost an even more affordable $73. You heard it here first.

Take this quiz now to find your perfect Italian match!

Vinicius Costa

Vini, our senior head writer at Travel Off Path, has over 60 countries to his name (and is currently weaving stories from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative stories that will have you packing your bags.