Amalfi

To fully understand why Amalfi and its 40 kilometres of splendid coastline were declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1997, you really need to see and experience it. To behold the rugged but pure beauty of Amalfi, and to realise the reason for the UNESCO title, just gaze around at the houses clinging to the rocks and out to the horizon, the imaginary boundary of crystal clear seawater. Take in the narrow streets cut into the rock face, and monumental stone stairways that connect the sea below with the high town, protected by the shade of its pastel-coloured houses that sit suspended vertically on the cliff-side, as if in prayer. Legend has it that here, Hercules buried the mermaid Amalfi, with whom he had fallen in love. The meaning of spellbound will come to you when seeing the rainbow that appears to enter the enchanting Emerald Cave. Other things not to miss include the Paper museum, the shooting star descending from Monte Tabor, the traditional regatta organized with the ancient marine republics in the gulf, the town’s lemon festival and Saint’s day celebrations in honour of the patron Saint Andrew, and the underwater procession on Christmas Day. For these and many other reasons, Amalfi is well worth discovering.