Vietri sul Mare: Exploring A Colorful Gem on the Amalfi Coast
Experience the coast's ceramic-making haven.
I would probably be called crazy if I said Vietri sul Mare is one of my favorite Amalfitana coastal towns. Yes, Positano is something from a movie; Sorrento is an easy jumping point from one beach club to the next, and neighboring island Capri is luxe and glam. Still, with astronomical prices and uncontrollable crowds over the years, it’s tough to justify the time and energy to make these destinations work. But I guess if you’re visiting during the offseason or have an unlimited budget, hit the ground running.
Sandwiched between neighboring towns of Maiori and Salerno, Vietri sul Mare has less than 6,000 inhabitants, is small in size, and is extremely chill, local, and authentic in vibe. It is also the capital of ceramic making in Amalfi, which is what brought me to this quaint cliff-side village in the first place.
Arriving
Vietri is easy to reach from Naples, about an hour train ride on the local line, running past the Bay of Naples and snaking along Mount Vesuvius’s mountain slopes offering enjoyable views and will cost 12 euros round trip. (Isn’t train travel in Italy just the best?). This line also is a stop for Pompeii ruins, so, during the summer months, it can get busy during peak morning and evening commuting hours. Still, I don’t find it as daunting, hot, or miserable as the Circumvesuviana line from Naples to Sorrento…IYKYK.
Centuries-old Ceramic Craftsmanship
Of course, crystal-clear waters and pebbled beaches are most likely on your priority list when traveling to the Amalfi Coast (mine, too!), and Vietri has both the former and the latter. But Vietri’s artisanal history sets it apart from its close neighbors. What is said to date back to the Etruscan and Roman times, Vietri was a flourishing trading port for the skillful Etruscans thanks to its coastal positioning and later, where the Romans exported artisanal crafts. By the Middle Ages, Vietri sul Mare had become the country’s leading ceramics center, thanks to its abundance of clay and volcanic materials from nearby Mount Vesuvius. Artisans developed majolica pottery, a style that is hand-painted ceramics with Mediterranean colors and mythological motifs.
Today, the town has kept up with its colorful tradition, inviting visitors to galavant through the abundant family-run workshops and independent street-lined ceramic-selling shops.
Ceramica Artistica Solimene
Every angle in Vietri has something ceramic-related. Even the town’s walls and benches are adorned with colorful tiles and symbolic motifs, so it’s easy to get overwhelmed. If you’re shopping for keepsakes to bring home to add a bit of italianità for your next dinner party, I would head straight to the motherland of ceramic making: Ceramica Artistica Solimene.
About a ten-minute walk from the start of town along Corso Umberto I (the town is so tiny there are essentially only a handful of main streets), Solimene is part-factory part-show room that is easily the most distinctive manufacturers in all of Italy with an outside building decorated in Tuscan orange and turquoise blue ceramic tiles. Inside, visitors can get a first-hand view of the artisans at work, intrinsically decorated plates, cups, vases, you name it, that are shipped around the world.
On the outer edges of the first floor, excess ceramics take up every inch of the factory’s isles, which are for sale at a slightly discounted price and are all fair game to purchase. Some are already marked with prices, while others aren’t. I spend hours sifting through the plates as, typically, no two are the same, making it even more fun. I wouldn't shop here if you’re looking for an 8-person matching dining set. The staff who work there aren’t necessarily the most talkative, but they are also swamped keeping the shop afloat with all other external affairs.
To the beach
After a morning of ceramic hunting, visiting the beach is obligatory in my books. Vietri has a “free” beach along its seaside promenade that costs 1-2 euros a person to enter (are any beaches free in Italy anymore?!?!). The water is rocky in Amalfitano style, and the beach has black sand from the neighboring volcanic rock. I wouldn’t rent a beach chair and umbrella from here for 20 euros a head, but keep it easy and bring a simple towel. There are also free bathrooms and showers to wash off after, which is nice, and of course a snack bar (hello Aperol spritz).
If you want to lounge and get the full Amalfi beach club experience, head to the next-door oasis, Lido La Ciurma. Overlooking Vietri's famous twin rock formations sticking out from the water called "i Due Fratelli" (two brothers), La Ciurma's seaside deck, coral pink beach loungers, and tranquil environment is the absolute best and only costs 20 euros for the day.
What a magical place! I've never heard of it before. Storing this info away for a future trip. :)
Oh love mix and match plates 😍