Here’s the recap of our Explora cruise stop in Naples where we did a day trip to the Amalfi Coast!
Check out my Explora II cruise post here.
Port: Naples + Amalfi Coast
Explora Cruise Port: Naples!
When we decided to do a Mediterranean cruise for our trip to Europe, the goal was to see as many places as possible. We knew this would mean cramming a lot into our days on land. Perhaps our biggest day was our visit to Naples because we wanted to see the Amalfi Coast!
Waking up in Naples
Because this day involved a lot of driving and we had a specific itinerary in mind, we hired a driver and guide for the day. My sister’s company had Carmine’s See Amalfi Coast listed as a vendor, so we booked him for the day! He’s been in the business for 40 years, and had lots of knowledge on the area.
Our guides!
We took off in a nice Mercedes van and headed for the Milky Mountains. Before long, you could barely see the coast where our ship was docked! Driving in Italy is INSANE, and the roads are narrow and curvy. I would not try to rent a car there!
The view of Naples:
We went over the mountains and through the town of Ravello where we took in the views:
Amalfi
And then we traveled down the other side of the mountains and into Amalfi.
Amalfi was exactly what I thought it would be: busy with tourists, uber charming, very quaint and historic.
We needed to use the bathroom and I wanted a snack, so I got a lemon sorbet in a giant lemon! LOVED it! (I also got yelled at for trying to use the bathroom before I ordered something!)
The shopping in Amalfi was also great! Thomas bought some nice leather shoes.
From The Water
Our tour included a group boat ride so we could see the coast from the water. I loved this part because it’s so cool how they have built into the moutains!
I believe that big hole was once a waterfall!
Cantine Ida Giordano Vineyard
After our boat ride, we asked about having lunch somewhere special. Carmine took us up winding mountain roads to a beautiful hidden vineyard called Cantine Ida Giordano.
We were seated to enjoy a beautiful lunch and wine pairing.
Rosé with appetizers
Everything was incredible, including the wine!! Loved the fresh mozzarella and fava beans. We also had two eggplant dishes.
Pasta course! We didn’t have menus, but this was similar to a baked penne mac and cheese.
We were invited into the cellar before dessert to taste the latest red wine!
Cheese course! My favorite!
And the desserts – OMG! We had a tiramisu, a cheese cake, and a red velvet / milk chocolate cake.
300 year old vines!
We very much enjoyed our visit and meeting the wine maker!
We were full of food and wine, so we headed back to the ship afterwards to shower and unwind (un-wined!).
Thomas, being the adventurous spirit that he is, went back out to explore Naples a bit. I was so tired and not hungry in the slightest, so I stayed back in the pool! He loved his hike into the city. He got a pizza and a beer and brought me a slice!
He was also the LAST person back on the boat! I watched him board from the hot tub!
We skipped a formal dinner that night because we were so full from our lunch (and pizza snack!)
Sunset while we set sail
That evening we went to see the Billy Joel-themed show! It was great. A nice relaxing end to the day!
Coming tomorrow: Sicily!