While it's true that the Amalfi Coast is known as a seaside destination, it doesn't offer wide beaches and stretches of golden sand.
The beaches of the Amalfi Coast, with some rare exceptions, are quite small and narrow, and mainly made up of pebbles alternating with areas of relatively fine-grained sand.
Free beaches on the Amalfi Coast: general information
In most places on the Amalfi Coast you can find stretches of free beach as well as paid beach clubs. The free areas often fill up quickly, especially on summer weekends and throughout the month of August. In some cases the free beaches of the Amalfi Coast have rental services offering umbrellas, deck chairs, and sun loungers to visitors. Free showers (usually cold water) and bathrooms are often available at these free beaches. There are several surrounding establishments that offer these services for a fee, even to non-customers. All but the most isolated beaches have nearby coffee bars, places for takeaway, and restaurants in the immediate vicinity. The availability of parking varies greatly according to the location and especially the season, and is usually paid parking. On all summer weekends and especially in August it can be difficult to find parking after the early hours of the morning. Another reason we suggest you to wake up early is that usually the sun sets quite early on the free beaches of the Amalfi Coast.
Free beaches in Positano
Positano is one of the most popular resort areas on the Amalfi Coast. Swimming isn't necessarily the main reason people choose Positano for their holidays; usually it's more for the shopping, the views and the atmosphere. However, Positano has several free beaches offering a rejuvenating pause or a full day at the beach. Almost all of the free beaches also have paid areas equipped with beach club amenities.
La Spiaggia Grande beach
Spiaggia Grande is Positano's main beach. It's close to the center and quite extensive at nearly 1,000 feet. It offers two beach clubs as well as a free beach area. If you park in the center of Positano you can get to Spiaggia Grande with a short and simple walk.
The free beach area of ​Marina Grande in Positano is also the departure point for boating excursions along the Amalfi Coast and the Sorrento Peninsula as well as to Capri, Naples, and other coastal destinations. A boat shuttle service to visit the nearby sea coves also departs from here.
Fornillo beach
Fornillo beach in Positano is a bit removed from the center of town and therefore relatively quiet. This beach is pebbly and the free beach area is quite limited. You can get to the free beach of Fornillo with a scenic walk from the center of Positano.
Other free beaches in Positano
Another free beach in Positano is Arienzo beach, also known as the "three hundred steps" beach, since it can be reached via a long, very scenic staircase. The sun sets later at Arienzo beach and it offers both a free beach area as well as a paid area with beach club amenities. If you descend the flight of stairs that go down from the small square in front of Hotel San Pietro you can reach the tiny, rugged Laurito beach. This beach also offers a free area and a paid area.
Free beaches in Amalfi
The beaches of Amalfi and the surrounding area are perhaps the most popular along the Amalfi Coast, at least among tourists. This popularity, combined with their small size, means they're often crowded on all summer weekends and particularly throughout July and August. We recommend you arrive early enough in the morning to be able to park more easily and enjoy more hours of sunshine.
The largest and most centrally located beach in Amalfi is Marina Grande beach. It's a relatively large beach compared to the other free beaches along the Amalfi Coast, and it's also served by bars and restaurants. To reach Marina Grande beach we recommend leaving your car at the (not cheap) Luna Rossa underground car park.
With a small walk from the same car park you can also reach the tiny free beach of Atrani, a charming village on the Amalfi Coast where it seems that time has stopped. Atrani owes part of its charm to the fact that it's the smallest village in Italy. It has a fascinating historic center and offers spectacular views of the coast.
Another stretch of free beach near Amalfi that's small but with crystal-clear water is Duoglio beach. For those arriving from Vietri sul Mare, this beach is about a kilometer after the city. You can get there with one of the boats that leave from Amalfi or by a staircase of around 400 steps that starts on the Amalfi State Road.
Immediately after Atrani, continuing in the direction of Salerno, is Castiglione beach. It's also called "Lido Ravello" since technically it's part of Ravello, even though the center of town is of course much higher up. This beach is a small inlet with sparkling water and to reach it you need to climb about 200 steps from the state road.
Free beaches on the Amalfi Coast: Maiori and Minori
Maiori is the largest free beach on the Amalfi Coast, making it very popular among families with children. You can relax and walk along the beach, which extends for over a half mile. There are numerous beach clubs alternating with stretches of free beach. You can reach Maiori beach with a Sita bus or by car. You can park in the paid parking areas of the town or in the large car park at one end of the road that runs parallel to the sea.
Maiori boasts a large sandy beach, which is unusual for the Amalfi Coast. The beach is sandy as the result of a terrible landslide that destroyed the town in 1954 and left this vast plain along the coast in its wake.
Minori, with its small pebble beaches, is more similar to other places along the Amalfi Coast. One of the most scenic beaches in the area is also one where the sun lingers in the afternoon and is located in the hamlet of Erchie, framed by two Saracen towers.
How to reach Erchie beach
The village can be reached via a detour on Amalfi State Road 163 between Cetara and Maiori.
By car: You'll see the sign for Erchie about 3 km after the town of Cetara, if you're coming from Vietri sul Mare.
By public transport: Take a bus on the Salerno - Amalfi bus lines. The bus will drop you off at the highway intersection, after which you will have to walk down to the beach.
Free beaches in Vietri and Cetara
Vietri sul Mare is in a certain sense the gateway to the Amalfi Coast. Its proximity to Salerno and the freeway makes it a very convenient location. It also boasts fairly large beaches with a mix of sand and pebbles, and stretches of free beach alternating with paid areas.
Among the most popular beaches in Vietri are La Baia and La Crespella. The first is very popular because it's the first free beach on the Amalfi Coast that you come across from Salerno and is one of the few with sand. The water isn't always amazing, but this beach makes up for it with its large size (about 1/4 mile long) and with sun until late afternoon. Continuing on you'll come across La Crespella, which is dominated by a tower and overlooks two small sea stacks known as the Two Brothers.
Marina di Vietri
Another convenient option for swimming in Vietri sul Mare is the large beach of Marina di Vietri. It's popular in particular due to the good availability of parking (for a fee) in the immediate vicinity. Boats operated by the cooperative Al Rais transport swimmers from here to coves that can only be reached by boat.
More information on the beaches in Vietri sul Mare
The picturesque fishing village of Cetara borders Vietri sul Mare and is beloved by visitors for its picture-postcard atmosphere, delicious traditional foods, and its sandy pebble beaches.
In Cetara you can stop to swim at three beaches, all of which have at least some free areas. First, there's the sandy Lannio beach, which is located before Cetara (arriving from Vietri); next is Marina di Cetara beach, the smallest and most centrally located beach of the village, surrounded by houses and framed by a tower; and Porto di Cetara beach, which was created artificially by the storage of waste materials used for the construction of public housing after an earthquake in 1980.
Furore Fjord
If you're on holiday along the Amalfi Coast and want to treat yourself to a few hours of fun on a free beach, don't miss the Fjord of Furore, near the town of Praiano, with its small and inviting beach that opens up in front of the now-uninhabited village.
How to reach Furore Fjord beach
The stairs down to the beach start at kilometer 23 of the Amalfi State Road, near the bridge over the fjord.
By car: It's not advisable to try to arrive by car because there's no parking nearby; however, scooter parking along the state road is generally tolerated.
By public transport: Sita buses, Positano-Amalfi line.