What to Do in Vietri sul Mare

Vietri sul Mare is a small village on the Mediterranean, close to Salerno, and also part of the Amalfi Coast route, just south of Naples. Being less well-known, it’s a calmer, quieter alternative to Amalfi and Positano.

The town is bursting with color, covered in intricately decorated tiles. Vietri became famous for its colorful handicrafts, painstakingly made by local artisans and sold in shops all over town. Its main street is lined with small restaurants and cafés.

It’s internationally known as the capital of majolica ceramics, thanks to its traditional majolica workshops. This tradition dates back to the Middle Ages, when the town first began exporting its ceramics. The pieces still follow patterns and techniques largely unchanged over the centuries, passed down from generation to generation.

Throughout town, you’ll spot ceramic artwork decorating the walls of houses everywhere you look.

Villa Comunale

A colorful terrace overlooking the deep blue of the Tyrrhenian Sea. This garden offers ocean views along with Vietri ceramic decorations throughout — it almost resembles something designed by Gaudí.

Inside the park (Facebook), you’ll also find an amphitheater hosting various events and shows, like the Vietri in Scena concert held every July. What really makes this spot special, though, is the stunning view over the entire Gulf of Salerno.

Beaches in Vietri sul Mare

We ended up skipping Vietri’s beaches ourselves, but La Baia has a 400-meter sandy stretch, one of the few rock-free beaches in the area — though the water isn’t as clear, given how close it is to the port of Salerno, it’s still clean, warm, and refreshing.

La Crespella beach sits at the base of a 16th-century watchtower, facing Due Fratelli, two small offshore rock formations known as the “Faraglioni of Vietri sul Mare.”