Puglia vs Amalfi Coast: how to choose the best destination for YOU

Puglia vs Amalfi Coast: a detailed comparison guide to help you choose the best destination between these two stunning Italian locations based on your travel style and needs.

The Amalfi Coast and Puglia are two famous, stunning coastal areas in Italy and among the most famous destinations in the Italian South.

They both have an amazing coastline, pretty towns and evoke that quintessential Italian experience of small town living, chilled coffee in a shaded patio and a coveted slow paced life.

It is therefore not unusual to see first time visitors wondering which one they should pick.

When it comes to Puglia vs Amalfi Coast, which is best?

Of course, this seemingly simple question has a difficult answer as there it no ‘best place’ as such. All comes down to your travel style, needs, budget, expectations and season.

I know both these areas well.

I am from Rome and have the privilege of being able to go to both the Amalfi Coast and Puglia pretty much whenever I want (I know! A day doesn’t go by without me being aware of how amazing it is to be born there!).

Based on my experience of these two places, today I share my tips and thought so that you have the tools to decide what destination is best for you.

I hope you enjoy it!

Puglia vs Amalfi Coast TL:DR (summary)

Puglia and Amalfi Coast are both stunning.

Choosing on beauty is impossible as these are both jaw-dropping beautiful, out of this world, as pretty as a picture type of places.

So, when choosing, we cannot base our decision on appearance.

We need to go into more practical considerations and into the hardest thing to gauge: the ‘feel’ that you’re likely to enjoy the most.

At a glance:

Amenity	Puglia	Amalfi Coast
Beautiful Coastline	Yes	Yes
Large sandy beaches	Yes	No
Charming small towns	Yes	Yes
Good hospitality options (hotels etc)	Yes	Yes
Car needed	Yes	No
Good in low season	Only parts	No
Good for little kids	Yes	Not really (but can be done, see below)
Easy to access from big airports	No	Yes
Level of crowds in summer	Medium – high	Very high

Puglia Vs Amalfi Coast: feel and atmosphere

When I write guides comparing places (like this one about Amalfi Coast vs Cinque Terre) I always start from the feel of the place.

Atmosphere is always the hardest thing to convey to a first time visitor, but it is often what determines if you like a place, love a place or feel you should have picked a different one.

In very broad terms, the Amalfi Coast has a longer history as a destination for overseas tourism and this has shaped the hospitality offering and, to a large extent, the feel of the place.

Here, you find boat tours, five star hotels, wedding venues, private drivers.

The place is stunning and some of the towns are still ecluded and still somewhat ‘local’.

Yet the area in high season is very much a tourism spot (it is small, in geographical terms) and places like Positano pose a real challenge to those who want a local feel.

This means that it is perfectly suited to high end tourism that can make the most of the amazing facilities on offer

If you don’t fall into this category of traveler, you can still enjoy the coast but you will need to be discerning about where to stay and activities. I have here >>> my tips for visiting the Amalfi Coast on a budget.

Puglia vs Amalfi Coast: coastline and beaches

Puglia is large region with some high coast and cliff areas and some stunning, low lying sandy beaches.

Amalfi Coast, on the other hand, is all high cliffs and while there are some small coves, it has no large expanses of sand and few ‘beaches’ as such.

If you are looking for sand, Puglia and specifically the area of Salento is best for you.

If you are looking for rocky shores, snorkeling and boat trips, Amalfi Coast is also perfect.

If you are looking for both, Puglia is ideal.

Charming small towns

Both Puglia and Amalfi Coast have delightful small towns that are ideal to use as a base to explore or for easy strolls sightseeing.

Puglia has small towns of different types: some are whitewashed and have a somewhat Grecian feel, some have incredible baroque architecture and some like Alberobello has trulli, which are unique to this area.

Some of the towns are flat, while some have more uneven terrains especially in the most ancient parts.

The Amalfi Coast has delightful colorful towns for the most part perched on the high shores of the Amalfi promontory.

The towns tend to have houses painted in different colors, churches with fantastic tiled domes that shine in the sun, they often have small streets and steps that help navigate the difficult terrain and that bear witness to the maritime history of the place.

Amalfi town for instance is a little maze-like to confuse invaders!

It is not possible to compare the towns in terms of beauty as they are all stunning!

You can find here:

>>> my selection of the prettiest towns in Puglia

>>> my selection of the best towns on the Amalfi Coast

Need to know: when reading this comparison, please consider that the Amalfi Coast is a rather small area within the region of Campania while Puglia is a very large region, so things such as terrain etc depend, to an extent, on where in Puglia you are considering.

Puglia vs Amalfi Coast: hospitality

Both areas are well equipped for tourism.

On the Amalfi Coast you find hotels (both local and high end) and many rental options.

In Puglia, you find hotels, rental options, family resorts and campsites and masserie, which are local farm stays and among the best places to stay in Puglia for a relaxed, secluded experience.

Both Amalfi Coast and Puglia offer classes and structured tours although Amalfi Coast receives more demand for these type of services in English.

Puglia vs Amalfi coast: transport

In Puglia, you want a car.

While part of the region is served by trains and buses, the vast majority of this area is rural and not on a good transport network so having your own car is paramount.

You can read here >>> all about driving in Puglia

The Amalfi Coast is best explored without a car, especially in high season.

The towns are connected by one main road along the coast, the winding and scenic one the areas is famous for, and by regular ferries (in the good season, see below).

Due to traffic conditions, difficult parking and the bendy nature of the road, especially in the busy season the car is more of a nuisance than a help here so the Amalfi Coast is best suited to visitors who prefer not to have to drive.

Good in low season

When comparing options for the low season, it is important to keep in mind one main difference between Amalfi Coast and Puglia.

Amalfi Coast is a rather small stretch of coastline, nowadays mostly devoted to tourism for a sea and sun vacation.

So, while you have locals living here, if you come in the low season you will find the place at its quietest with hotels, tours and many restaurants not running.

In a funny way, this is the ideal time to see the towns as they are blessedly empty yet you will be limited in what you can do.

For a coastal experience of boat trips and swimming, you need to be here in the good season.

Puglia, on the other hand, is a large region.

It has some coastal towns that are very much like those on the Amalfi Coast, in the sense that they come to life in summer; yet it also has cities and bigger centers that do not rely on tourism only and can therefore visited all year round.

Both areas only allow for a sea and sun vacation in the warmer months, especially late May to September.

Amalfi Coast or Puglia with kids?

As mentioned above, Puglia is a large region while Amalfi Coast is a small area so the comparison doesn’t really stand, as it depends on where in Puglia we are looking.

However, we can make a general consideration.

Overall Puglia is better than the Amalfi Coast for little kids, as it has flatter areas, sandy beaches and some all inclusive resorts and campsites that cater specifically to families

Amalfi Coast can be wonderful with kids (find here >>> how to visit the Amalfi Coast with kids) but it is more challenging in practical terms as the towns are not stroller friendly and the beaches are small and pebbly.

The Amalfi Coast with little kids is best suited to families who are happy to just explore, get the kids to roam around picking up pebbles and looking for cats.

If you want sandy beaches, leisurely strolls with a stroller, zoo and aqua parks, Puglia is best.

Proximity to big cities and airports

Amalfi Coast is served by Naples airport and it is closer to Rome than Puglia, which means it is usually easier to include in an Italy itinerary with ‘classic’ stops such as Venice, Florence and Rome.

Puglia is more remote and while it has airports in Bari and Brindisi, it required a longer journey from other destinations.

To give you and idea:

Rome to Salerno (gateway to the Amalfi Coast) is about 2h on the high speed train

Rome to Bari (gateway to the north of Puglia) is about 4h on the high speed train

Rome to Lecce (getaway to the south of Puglia) is about 5h on the high speed train

Things to do

Both areas offer similar entertainment especially in the good season.

In both you can:

>>> Swim and enjoy the coast (late spring to early autumn)

>>> Explore small towns

>>> Have amazing food

>>> Do wine tasting

>>> Take cooking classes (most traditionally: pizza in Amalfi Coast and orecchiette pasta in Puglia)

From Amalfi Coast you can also explore Capri, Ischia, Procida, Sorrento, Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius

From Puglia, as well as its many charming towns, you can explore stunning Matera.

I hope you enjoyed this overview and comparison and it helped you decide whether Amalfi Cost or Puglia is best for you. Safe travels!

Puglia vs Amalfi Coast: pin this!