From Ischia to Amalfi: Our Southern Italy Escape

Beautiful hotels, days on the water, and exploring the coast with my husband, Tristan.

Some trips are about seeing as much as possible. Others are about slowing down somewhere beautiful. Our trip to southern Italy had a little of both—and I loved that balance.

From May 26 through June 1, 2025, Tristan and I split our time between Ischia and Amalfi, staying at Mezzatorre Hotel & Thermal Spa and Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel. Along the way, we enjoyed a sunset cruise, toured a lemon farm, took photos in Positano, visited Atrani and Ravello, and spent a day traveling by private boat to Capri.

There was plenty to explore, but one of my favorite parts was simply enjoying where we were staying. And Mezzatorre? It quickly became one of my favorite hotels.

First Stop: Ischia

Ischia gave us a beautiful start to the trip. It was a chance to settle into vacation before moving on to the Amalfi Coast, where we had more outings planned.

Our stay at Mezzatorre was a huge part of what made this portion of the trip so special. The views were incredible, but it was the combination of the setting, the sounds of nature, and being able to go directly into the sea that stayed with me.

Mezzatorre: A Hotel I’m Still Thinking About

Some hotels are beautiful in photographs. Others make you feel something when you’re there. For me, Mezzatorre was both.

It was charming, peaceful, and surrounded by so much natural beauty. I loved hearing the sounds of nature around us—it made spending time at the hotel feel like part of the vacation rather than a pause between activities.

My favorite feature was the direct sea access. As much as I appreciate a beautiful pool, having the opportunity to get into the sea made this stay especially memorable.

The food was incredible, too. Would I be the Hungry Blasian if that didn’t matter? A beautiful setting will get my attention, but wonderful food makes me even happier to stay awhile.

Mezzatorre was the kind of place where I wanted to leave enough room in the itinerary to enjoy the hotel itself. If I were planning this trip again, that would be a priority.

A Sunset Cruise in Ischia

While in Ischia, we took a sunset cruise—a lovely addition to our time on the island.

Seeing a destination from the water gives you a different perspective, and it was a beautiful way to spend an evening together. With everything else we had planned for the week, I appreciated an outing that was about enjoying the scenery and being in the moment.

Between the cruise and our time at Mezzatorre, Ischia gave us some of the quieter moments of the trip.

Traveling From Ischia to Amalfi

For the journey onward, we took the public ferry from Ischia to Naples, then continued to Amalfi by private transfer. We used private transfers between destinations for the land portions of our trip.

That combination worked for our itinerary: the ferry connected us back to the mainland, and the private transfer handled the next stretch to the hotel.

My advice is to give travel between stops its own space in your plans. It’s tempting to fill every day with activities, but checking out, catching a ferry, and reaching your next hotel can take up a good portion of the day. Being able to arrive and settle in is worth leaving room for.

Our Amalfi Stay: Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel

For the Amalfi portion of our trip, we stayed at Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel.

The views were a highlight, especially from the breakfast restaurant. There’s something wonderful about starting the day with breakfast and a view you don’t want to look away from. Before we headed out to explore, we could take a moment to appreciate where we were.

One practical feature I really appreciated was the hotel shuttle into Amalfi. Beautiful views are memorable, but the details that make getting around easier matter, too. The shuttle was a welcome convenience during our stay.

The two hotels brought different things to the trip. Mezzatorre was the place I loved for its connection to nature and the sea, while Anantara gave us those beautiful Amalfi views and a base for exploring the coast.

Exploring Amalfi: A Lemon Farm Tour

One of our outings in Amalfi was a lemon farm tour.

I loved including something like this alongside the hotel stays and boat trips. It gave us a chance to experience another side of the destination and spend time doing something connected to the place we were visiting.

It also brought some variety to the itinerary. Our trip wasn’t just a series of towns and restaurant reservations—we had experiences that helped each stop feel distinct.

If you’re putting together a similar itinerary, I would leave room for an outing like this rather than filling every day with another destination.

Positano: A Photo Shoot Worth Making Time For

We also visited Positano, where Tristan and I had a photo shoot.

I’m so glad we made time for photos together. On a trip, it’s easy to collect plenty of pictures of the scenery and far fewer of the two of you in it. Setting aside time for a shoot gave us a way to capture this part of our trip together.

Positano was a beautiful setting for it, and having those photographs is such a special way to remember our time in Italy.

If you’ve been considering a vacation photo shoot, this is your encouragement to plan one. It doesn’t have to be tied to an anniversary or another occasion. Sometimes the trip itself is enough of a reason.

Lunch in Ravello

Ravello was another stop on our trip, and we spent time there over lunch.

I enjoyed having meals built into our exploring rather than treating them as something to squeeze in between activities. Stopping for lunch gives you a chance to sit down, take in your surroundings, and enjoy being somewhere new.

And in Italy, I’m certainly not going to rush through the food portion of the itinerary.

A Visit to Atrani and Le Arcate

We also visited Atrani and ate at Le Arcate.

Atrani was a lovely addition to our time on the coast, and I’m glad we included it alongside Amalfi and Positano. Having a mix of stops made the trip more interesting and gave us different places to look back on afterward.

It’s easy to build an itinerary around the names you’ve seen most often, but visits like this are a reminder to leave space for a few other places, too.

A Private Boat Day to Capri

Another part of our trip was a private boat cruise to Capri, with lunch that day at Conca del Sogno.

Spending time on the water was a lovely thread throughout this vacation, from our sunset cruise in Ischia to our boat day along the coast.

A private boat outing was a special addition to the week and gave us another way to experience the area. Paired with a lunch stop, it made for a day that felt different from exploring towns on land.

If you’re deciding where to make room for a special experience, this is one I would consider. For us, time on the water was an important part of enjoying the trip.

What I’d Keep in Mind When Planning This Trip Again

Leave time to enjoy the hotels. This is especially true at Mezzatorre. Direct sea access, beautiful surroundings, and incredible food deserve more than the gaps between outings.

Give travel days some breathing room. Our ferry-and-private-transfer combination connected Ischia and Amalfi, but changing destinations still deserves a place in the itinerary.

Mix exploring with slower experiences. A lemon farm tour, a sunset cruise, lunch in town, and time at the hotel helped give the week variety.

Make time for photographs together. Our Positano photo shoot gave us something lasting to bring home beyond the pictures on our phones.

Include time on the water. Both the Ischia sunset cruise and our private boat day were memorable parts of the trip.

The Stay I’d Happily Repeat

If you asked me which hotel stayed with me most, I would say Mezzatorre.

I loved its charm, the views, the food, and the sounds of nature surrounding us. Most of all, I loved having direct access to the sea. It brought together so many things I enjoy about a vacation in one beautiful place.

Anantara had its own highlights, particularly breakfast with a view and the convenience of the shuttle into Amalfi. I’m glad we experienced both hotels, because each gave us a different setting for our time in southern Italy.

Looking back, what I appreciate most is the mix: quiet time in Ischia, exploring the Amalfi Coast, meals along the way, and those moments on the water with Tristan.

It was a beautiful week—and one I’m very happy we made time for.

More From Our Trip

Have you visited Ischia or the Amalfi Coast? I’d love to hear which places you would return to—or where you’re dreaming of going next.