Celebrated with stunning cliffs and beautiful beaches, the Amalfi Coast has long fought the effects of a long mistake. To reduce merciless crowds, 2022 saw the introduction of license plate systems on the coast.
The scheme alternates road access between vehicles with strange plates and even plates every day.
The measure was intended to alleviate the constant gridlock that plagued the 21-mile stretch along the coast. This explains that it is called a “nightmare” when the taxi driver returns to Naples Airport. The expected journey lasted up to two, which lasted for an hour, bringing a desperate sprint through airport security.
Upon arriving in Positano, a beautiful town on the Amalfi coast, I was immediately struck by a stunning pastel and coloured house perched on a cliff. But the second thing that caught my attention was the tourist crowd.
Despite being early June, Positano's harbor, beaches and narrow streets were full of daytrippers who arrived on boats, buses and trains. On this burnt day, temperatures had reached 25c by 11am, causing the beach to be spread across towels and loungers. Meanwhile, long queues were formed for ferries directed towards other popular spots along the Amalfi coast, such as Capri, Salerno and Sorrento. Navigating through the crowds without bumping into fellow tourists, especially around the port, proved challenging.
The air was heavy with the smell of engine oil and exhaust, but the dissonance of the crowd made it not peaceful. As I stared at the ocean from the village, numerous boats shimmering in the sparkling blue waters, trying to bring down yet another wave of enthusiastic visitors to capture Positano's breathtaking cliffs on camera.
It is definitely one of the most picturesque towns I have ever visited. However, the overwhelming influx of tourists, including myself, has slightly reduced its appeal.
“Welcome to the Amalfi Coast, the most beautiful place in the world,” cried the taxi driver as he whispered us from the Naples airport, set on the stage of the Italian escape. My curiosity about Positano during a scenic drive to our Sorrento hotel encouraged me to ask him what he thoughts in town.
Positano is “beautiful but busy,” he shared. Despite encouraging crowds in major tourist cities such as Barcelona and Rome, I quickly came across the bustling atmosphere, which quickly made me first hand understand. However, I could not adorn me for the breathtaking village of Positano, a breathtaking village that was perched on a cliff flowing through the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Like much of the Amalfi Coast, Positano is synonymous with oversized lemons, signature limoncello, and of course the well-known ones. Celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Kardashian are known to have taken their vacation along this coastline by yachts. And it's not just a VIP – thanks to Tiktok's fame, many visitors are now gathering here and tempted by viral videos of local fares and stunning views.
This picturesque location is home to less than 4,000 residents, but tourist numbers have skyrocketed during the high season, with the wider Amalfi area attracting over 4 million visitors a year. This is proof of the challenge of maintaining this magnetism and charm.
Day trips from cruise ships and tour buses flock to picturesque villages on the Amalfi coast, but in many cases, short visits do not make a significant contribution to the local economy.
These idyllic spots were not built for the influx of cars and crowds they had received. The narrow winding roads, especially the SS163 Amalfi Drive, is famous for its traffic jams, ranked among the most scenic yet crowded routes in Europe. Parking is lacking, buses are packed, and the oceans are swarming with private boats and ferries, raising concerns about marine pollution and ecosystem damage.
“Every day is like this with traffic,” he said.
Local initiatives such as the opening of Salerno-Costa D'Amalfi airport are aiming to distribute tourists more evenly throughout the region. There is also an increasing push for offseason tourism to balance the number of visitors throughout the year.
This follows similar measures implemented by several Italian destinations to manage tourism, such as the Venice Day Tripper Tax and restrictions on cruise ship docking.
It is too early to predict the future of the Amalfi Coast, but it could potentially become the next casualty.
