Amalfi tide times

Amalfi is the largest town on the Amalfi Coast — the 50-kilometre stretch of vertical Mediterranean limestone cliff between Sorrento and Salerno that is among the most dramatic coastal landscapes in Europe. The town is built into a narrow valley where the Canneto stream meets the sea, with buildings climbing the cliff face to 400 metres above the harbour. The Piazza del Duomo, facing the Cathedral of Sant'Andrea (9th century, expanded in the Norman period), opens directly onto the small harbour and the beach. Tidal range on the Tyrrhenian Sea at Amalfi is 0.1 to 0.3 metres — negligible.

The small beach at Amalfi is divided between the public section and the beach clubs (private concessions with sunbeds and umbrellas). In high summer (July and August) the beach is extremely crowded. The water is Mediterranean clean and clear — visibility 10 to 15 metres — and the small tidal range means the beach width is consistent through the day. Swimmers share the water with day-trip boats; the harbour mouth carries motorboat traffic throughout summer.

For serious water access, the Grotta dello Smeraldo (Emerald Cave, 5 km west near Conca dei Marini) is the headline snorkelling and diving attraction. The sea cave floods with green light from underwater light refraction — accessible by boat from Amalfi or by steps from the coastal road. The cave interior is in 3 to 10 metres of clear water; stalactites formed during lower sea level periods are now submerged.

Kayaking along the Amalfi Coast is technically straightforward in calm conditions — the limestone cliff base has sea caves, natural arches, and hidden coves inaccessible from land. The cliffs drop directly into 5 to 20 metres of clear water; the kelp-free limestone surfaces have good snorkelling in the seams and cavities. The stretch from Amalfi to Praiano (6 km west) passes the most dramatic cliff sections. Afternoon Tyrrhenian sea breeze (from the west) builds by 1 p.m. — plan morning departures.

The Amalfi Coast is UNESCO World Heritage listed for its cultural landscape. The historic paper mills of Amalfi (carta amalfitana) operated from the 13th century using the Canneto stream power and continue as a museum and working craft industry. The limoncello production from locally grown Sfusato amalfitano lemons is the gastronomic signature product of the coast.

Predictions on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model. Accuracy is typically within plus or minus 45 minutes on timing and 0.2 to 0.3 metres on height — model-derived, not from a local gauge. For Italian tidal data, consult the Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA) at isprambiente.gov.it.