What is Praiano known for?

Cliff trail above the coast starts here at the San Domenico convent and runs to Nocelle above Positano, open May to October. Narrow rocky inlet between cliffs, the only natural landing on this stretch, with the Africana sea-cave nightclub since 1962. Summer residence of the doges of the Maritime Republic of Amalfi, with watchtowers built against Saracen raids still on the headlands.

Praiano is a comune in the province of Salerno, Campania region of Italy, about 36 kilometers from Salerno.

Campania · Salerno

Praiano

The Amalfi commune between Positano and Amalfi where the doges of the maritime republic kept their summer residences and the Path of the Gods starts.

36 km / 22 mi

Nearest hub (Salerno)

1,982

Population

May–Sep

Best time to visit

Recognised as

UNESCO

Why come

Praiano spreads along a ridge that drops from Monte Sant'Angelo a Tre Pizzi (1,444 meters) to the sea, midway between Positano and Amalfi. The Romans called it Plagianum, from the Latin for open sea. In the high middle ages it served as a summer base for the doges of the Maritime Republic of Amalfi and a defensive post against Saracen raids. The Chiesa di San Gennaro in Vettica Maggiore, finished in 1602, sits on the central piazza with a majolica-tiled dome and a Latin-cross plan. Above the town, the convent of San Domenico and the church of Santa Maria a Castro mark the start of the Sentiero degli Dei. Below it, Marina di Praia is a single rocky inlet with the Africana nightclub carved into the cliff. UNESCO listed the Costiera Amalfitana in 1997.

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Gallery

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Known for

Chiesa di San Gennaro
Parish church of Vettica Maggiore completed in 1602, Latin-cross plan with three naves, majolica-tiled dome and central barrel vault with lunettes.
Marina di Praia
Narrow rocky inlet at the foot of Capo Sottile, the historic landing place of Praiano, with the Africana sea-cave nightclub carved into the cliff.
Santa Maria a Castro e San Domenico
Medieval church and adjoining convent at 364 meters on the slope of Sant'Angelo a Tre Pizzi, with frescoes and a wide view over the coast.
Sentiero degli Dei
High-level cliff path running from Bomerano to Nocelle above Positano, with the main southern trailhead climbing from Praiano via San Domenico.
Spiaggia della Gavitella
West-facing pebble beach reached by stairs from the village, the only point on the coast that holds the sun late into the afternoon.

When to visit

Best months · May–Sep

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

May through September is the season the coast was built for: warm water, open trattorias and the Sentiero degli Dei walkable end to end. July and August push past thirty degrees and the SS163 fills, but Praiano is calmer than Positano five kilometers west. The Gavitella beach catches the late sun and stays busy until dusk. April and October are dry, mild and quieter. November through March is winter on the Amalfi: rough sea, shorter ferry runs, many hotels closed. The August Luminaria di San Domenico fills the centro storico with paper lanterns the night of August 4 and is the town's signal festa.