STEFDOLL.COM: The Amalfi Coast

Last summer we found ourselves travelling from Milan to Portofino - who would have thought that another Italy trip would come my way just one year later? I'm a very lucky girl! This time around we visited Capri, Positano, Ravello, Amalfi and Rome over the course of eight days.

We had so many incredible experiences - from swimming in the blue grotto (illegally, oops) to attending the Pope's blessing at the Vatican. Grab a cup of tea and a comfy spot cause this is gunna be a long one.

Capri

We flew from London to Naples and then took a car to the port, where we hopped on a ferry to the island of Capri. By day one, not only was I addicted to gelato, but also granita al limone - basically the best icy-lemon goodness you will ever consume that is sold everywhere on the island.

(On me!) Bodysuit: New Look / Skirt: Forever21 / Wallet on Chain: Chanel / Shoes: Valentino

Every inch of this place is picture-perfect and there are so many wonderful restaurants and hotels to choose from. We stayed at Hotel La Residenza and we had our favourite meals at Villa Verde and Aurora, and who could skip dessert at Gelateria Buonocore.

In terms of nightlife, we had the best cocktails at Quisisana and a lot of fun dancing to live music at Taverna Anema e Core.

We spent a day at La Fontelina Beach Club and also enjoyed a yummy shrimp pasta at their restaurant. In order to secure a tanning spot for the day, you have to make a reservation for lunch so try to book this in advance. This place is the perfect Capri experience and the walk down to La Fontelina is beautiful so have your cameras ready!

Swimsuit: Seafolly / Sunglasses: Ray Ban

Gelato from Gelateria Buonocore.

Bodysuit: New Look / Shorts: MinkPink / Wallet on Chain: Chanel

Clearly can't handle the gelato goodness...

Swimsuits: Kiini and Seafolly

We also booked a boat tour of the island which was a wonderful way to see the Faraglioni (the iconic three spurs of rock which rise up out of the sea) and the blue grotto, a cave that sparkles bright blue no matter what time of the day.

We were very lucky in that we got to swim in the grotto, which is usually forbidden. The weather was too windy and the boat tours (you usually have to pay €13 and wait up to 3h to get on a tiny boat to go through the entrance into the grotto) were not running.

Apparently the blue grotto tours stop running around 5pm, so if you try to plan your boat cruise to end at the grotto after 5pm then swimming might be an option for you too! The opening to the grotto is incredibly tiny (around 1m high at low tide) and definitely not for the weak swimmer or claustrophobic - but it's so worth it once you're inside.

Sunglasses: Dior

Ravello

From Capri we took a ferry to Amalfi and then a quick 15 minute ride to our hotel, Villa Scarpariello Relais in Ravello. Ravello has a more relaxed and romantic vibe compared to buzzing Capri. The best aperitivo we had was at Palazzo Avino, which offered a breathtaking view of the coast. Our favourite restaurants in Ravello were Belvedere (they have live piano during dinner) and homestyle italian at Cumpa Cosimo.

Palazzo Avino

Villa Scarpariello Relais

Cumpa Cosimo

Amalfi

We wanted to experience Positano so we walked down to Amalfi from Ravello (about 30 minutes) to catch the ferry from the port. On the way down we grabbed some amazing photos of all the public beaches Amalfi has to offer.

Positano is absolutely stunning and you should definitely carve out an afternoon to experience it. Like Ravello, it really is a dream place that doesn't feel quite real when you are there - until you leave and start talking about how badly you'd like to go back.

Positano

We dined at Le Sirenuse which has to be one of the most instagrammed places in the world. Watch out though - this little village is expensive (similar to its cousins St. Tropez and Capri), but very much worth it to take in the gorgeous views surrounding you!

Le Sirenuse

Rome

Our trip would be coming to an end in Rome, so we booked a car to take us from Ravello to Naples, and then hopped on a quick train (about 1h) from Naples to Rome. The whole experience was very easy and I would highly recommend doing it this way!

We had both been to Rome before and have already done many of the museums and main sights. However, we did hit up all of the hot spots again: we threw in a few coins at the Trevi fountain and gazed at the architectural marvel that is the Pantheon - while eating amazing gelato from Don Nino. We also took in the Colosseum, Spanish Steps and the Vatican, where the Pope gave his blessing on Sunday.

Sunglasses: Dior

We did a TON of walking in Rome and took in the majority of the city on foot. Daytime highlights included Piazza Navona, Campo de’ Fiori (for the market) and Galleria Borghese Gardens. We also discovered Il Fornaio, a little bakery that has the most delicious pastries and biscotti in the world. I swear I ate 20.

Our favourite pizzeria was Dar Poeta, which is located in the neighbourhood of Trastevere; the place to be if you're looking for the summer nightlife in Rome. Head to Terrazza San Pancrazio for a drink if you can - it's a lively little rooftop bar near Trastevere. Another favourite eat in Rome was restaurant Santa Lucia, a lovely and relaxing tree lined terrace just off the Piazza Navona.